I've made some improvements/changes since this video though. Using "Libraries", so you can have a Folder with the created "tools" in it, and load different libraries to drop/add stuff from/into.
Maybe I'm blind, but I can't see a download button for the script? Can you share it somehow?
I think it'd be useful to post some texture layouts (Not sure if you can) just to show how efficient these pieces are and how much mileage you got out of the highs.
This set above looks like they all share the same texture and uv space? If so how do you go about baking them, do you bake them to a flat plane then do the uvs or bake multiple meshes and composite them in photoshop?
Hey Ark, to answer your question he created a 2 way tiling texture that is compiled of different "strips." So every objected isn't sculpted. He more than likely created long strips sculpted and textured them, and took the uvs of the model and just layed them over the texture. Judging by the resolution its a 512 texture. Looks great, and its super efficient!
From looking at it, it looks like he makes a set number of models and then uses modifiers to create variations of them or rearrange them into other little models?
Wow. I'm glad someone posted in this today, or I would have missed it again. I'll join the line of accolades. Thanks for posting these WIPs and tiling pieces.
I work with a collection of elements that can be combined in different arrangements. I do this in general, its also good way to create manageable chunks for UVing. I did a less fancy piece like this in the Gear2 Hospital set and ended up using the trim set to also made a stair set.
What annoyed me about it was that it was flat and boring. The top and bottom pieces were welded into the middle and could not be detached on their own as I had not thought that far ahead when I did the HIPOLY.
So with this piece I was thinking about that stuff up front. I wanted the top, middle, bottom and 'interrupt' pillar pieces, I also wanted worn off ends as that was something I couldn't take care of before with the piece I did in Gears2.
I also wanted 3d damage that would create interesting cast shadows and read more realistically than tweaking the verts on the lowpoly... which I did with the hospital trims and it wasn't fooling anyone.
Anyway, you can see how I broke up the elements below.
Below you can see the uv's
This the PSD overlay shot I passed along to the texture artist. I terminate most of my shapes with hard seams ( small ones ) so that I can stack different parts of that design together because they all have that seam. That means those seams need to align with themselves and the others at least a little. It's harder to texture, but its not easy to model either and it makes for more variety when you create lots of versions.
So you can see I tried to illustrate that, all the greens have to line up, all the reds need to line up. You ought to be able to see how thats working in the 3d shots previous to this.
Basically when I made this piece I wanted to make something very adaptable to a broad spectrum of Gears requirements. It was one of the first pieces I did on Gears3 before I knew what I was working on, I built it because I knew it would come in handy almost anywhere as damaged pieces tend to get through in all over the place, sometimes just for the silhouette with another texture laid over the top.
This is what happened in most levels with the steps, they're everywhere, but you often can't tell because they have other textures on them
Kevin, you're my hero. I want to be like you when I grow up. I'm being completely serious, even if I can't sport a killer beard like you.
I feel very inspired!
Thx a lot for the explanation Kevin, really informative and adds a whole new level of modularity unknown to me. I have loads of respect for how much pre-planning each piece must take.
Nice... simple techniques used to create some complex models. Thanks for showing the process and giving hope to the lesser mortals that they might one day create worthy GoW like models.
Awesome breakdowns! I wonder, why is the models so tessellated? Is it for vertex painting?
Even spans, good modeling practice. Also, for texture re-use possibilities? If you bake soft its super hard to re-use texture, but if you have enough spans in your low poly you can get away witch chopping pieces up again for new ones.
Just a quick note to say that I've started dumping the Raam's Shadow DLC content up on my site. I've also uploaded my old Rorshach's Journal site too as a couple people asked for it.
I'm still in the middle of updating the Gears3 sections that are incorrectly linked. I can't believe it took me 8 months to notice this needed done!
truly amazing just come across this thread,
i too would love to know how you model the flower and twist and turns and animal heads on your pieces.this thread will be my number one stop for each day
thank you for sharing your work with the world
Kevin,
Amazing work as always; I do have a quick question.
How do you make your textures not blurry if everything is uniquely unwrapped?
Are you able to use 4096x4096's?
What's the tech behind it?
The 'tech' is that these assets are modular and flexible, (With some bend and FFD modifiers, this is quite literal sometimes!) enough to be reused and recycled among a few more specialized meshes sprinkled around here and there, in addition to decals and different lighting conditions to further differentiate the small variety of pieces. That's the theme behind most of this work. IIRC Kevin or someone from EPIC made a presentation specifically on modularity in UE3 and Gears/UT3. The pieces are not terribly high-res, and most use detail normals and detail textures to mask the low resolution in close up shots, which for Gears, would all be from a 3rd person overhead camera.
On the other hand, if you are going to bake down a high poly asset with many intricate details, even a fairly low resolution normal map can capture that detail effectively.
I'm working on updating my site with a few pieces that will demonstrate how I maintain a huge amount of texture resolution with 1x1024. It's mostly about thinking ahead, knowing what your asset is going to be used for. 95% of the time I don't uniquely unwrap, which makes a big difference.
A number of times it's been brought up in this thread that I don't show enough lowpoly work so that's mostly what I'm working toward atm for my next update. Or rather, demonstrating a bit more clearly how I get reuse or pieces or lay the uv's out in ways that they can be 'stacked' on top or beside each other in the lowpoly so I can extend the forms without losing texture resolution.
It's taking time though. I had forgotten how much shit I made on Gears3 that I haven't shown.
Replies
Maybe I'm blind, but I can't see a download button for the script? Can you share it somehow?
This set above looks like they all share the same texture and uv space? If so how do you go about baking them, do you bake them to a flat plane then do the uvs or bake multiple meshes and composite them in photoshop?
i want to see some flats tho FO SHO!!
You is a beast.
XD
Re; The concrete rail / step set -
I work with a collection of elements that can be combined in different arrangements. I do this in general, its also good way to create manageable chunks for UVing. I did a less fancy piece like this in the Gear2 Hospital set and ended up using the trim set to also made a stair set.
What annoyed me about it was that it was flat and boring. The top and bottom pieces were welded into the middle and could not be detached on their own as I had not thought that far ahead when I did the HIPOLY.
So with this piece I was thinking about that stuff up front. I wanted the top, middle, bottom and 'interrupt' pillar pieces, I also wanted worn off ends as that was something I couldn't take care of before with the piece I did in Gears2.
I also wanted 3d damage that would create interesting cast shadows and read more realistically than tweaking the verts on the lowpoly... which I did with the hospital trims and it wasn't fooling anyone.
Anyway, you can see how I broke up the elements below.
Below you can see the uv's
This the PSD overlay shot I passed along to the texture artist. I terminate most of my shapes with hard seams ( small ones ) so that I can stack different parts of that design together because they all have that seam. That means those seams need to align with themselves and the others at least a little. It's harder to texture, but its not easy to model either and it makes for more variety when you create lots of versions.
So you can see I tried to illustrate that, all the greens have to line up, all the reds need to line up. You ought to be able to see how thats working in the 3d shots previous to this.
Basically when I made this piece I wanted to make something very adaptable to a broad spectrum of Gears requirements. It was one of the first pieces I did on Gears3 before I knew what I was working on, I built it because I knew it would come in handy almost anywhere as damaged pieces tend to get through in all over the place, sometimes just for the silhouette with another texture laid over the top.
This is what happened in most levels with the steps, they're everywhere, but you often can't tell because they have other textures on them
I feel very inspired!
Great work by the way do you mind me asking what sort of alphas you are using to create the convincing concrete wall?
Even spans, good modeling practice. Also, for texture re-use possibilities? If you bake soft its super hard to re-use texture, but if you have enough spans in your low poly you can get away witch chopping pieces up again for new ones.
I'm still in the middle of updating the Gears3 sections that are incorrectly linked. I can't believe it took me 8 months to notice this needed done!
Theres more images on the site
I gotta know how do you do the curling parts in the top two images?
again thank you for sharing this great work!!
Seriously though, absolutely blowing my mind. Some of the most amazing environment art I've ever seen!
i too would love to know how you model the flower and twist and turns and animal heads on your pieces.this thread will be my number one stop for each day
thank you for sharing your work with the world
Amazing work as always; I do have a quick question.
How do you make your textures not blurry if everything is uniquely unwrapped?
Are you able to use 4096x4096's?
What's the tech behind it?
On the other hand, if you are going to bake down a high poly asset with many intricate details, even a fairly low resolution normal map can capture that detail effectively.
A number of times it's been brought up in this thread that I don't show enough lowpoly work so that's mostly what I'm working toward atm for my next update. Or rather, demonstrating a bit more clearly how I get reuse or pieces or lay the uv's out in ways that they can be 'stacked' on top or beside each other in the lowpoly so I can extend the forms without losing texture resolution.
It's taking time though. I had forgotten how much shit I made on Gears3 that I haven't shown.
Thanks a million for showing this and the commentary on how you produce the work show.
Phew