The Attic (WIP)
polycounter lvl 11
Alright! so, first scene in UDK that I am actually going to try and finish (posting here will help me to stay on this project).
Anyway, I am creating a small attic. I am going to look at older attics (in the 60s, 50s) and I want to add static meshes like cloth draperies, bookshelves, a old chair, a desk in the middle with a typewriter, and pencil/paper (maybe even a quill pen.)
Stuff like that. If any of you have any suggestions, as this is my first environment, shout em out!
Would love suggestions for props, lighting, etc. Also, if you have any reference photos, I am running very low on them...
Enough speak! here is what I have so far!
I also want to ask, should I worry about lighting now or later when I've finished all my props?
Latest Image (updated every new update post XD)
Anyway, I am creating a small attic. I am going to look at older attics (in the 60s, 50s) and I want to add static meshes like cloth draperies, bookshelves, a old chair, a desk in the middle with a typewriter, and pencil/paper (maybe even a quill pen.)
Stuff like that. If any of you have any suggestions, as this is my first environment, shout em out!
Would love suggestions for props, lighting, etc. Also, if you have any reference photos, I am running very low on them...
Enough speak! here is what I have so far!
I also want to ask, should I worry about lighting now or later when I've finished all my props?
Latest Image (updated every new update post XD)
Replies
Alex
1) You have a pretty strong light behind the camera. This hides all shadows behind the objects in areas that aren't visible to the camera, which destroys a huge part of the lighting.
2) You have a great opportunity to make this very dramatic and drive the composition. You can experiment with keeping the ambient light very low and playing up the light coming in through the window. It's your focal point, use the window and the light to drive the person to sweep their eye over the scene in a very deliberate way.
3) Use the dark areas to your advantage, instead of filling up every last corner of a very bright room use silhouettes and basic forms to give the illusion of clutter. You can even recycle other props scaling and rotating them in odd ways to further fill out the clutter. One board could become a stack, a bucket balancing on top of a mop could look totally different than the reverse in another area. Saves on work, saves on texture space, looks hot when done right. You won't know where these darker areas will be until plan out your lighting and scene a little better.
4) You have a chance to play 2-3 very different colors of light off each other. You can have natural light from outside mixed with a low level blue-purple ambient light, mixing with some soft yellow light from an old light bulb.
You might benefit from also picking a slightly more dramatic camera angle. To inspire awe and make the viewer feel tiny and helpless stick it on the floor. The higher it goes the more that relationship reverses and your scene becomes UN-aweinspiring and people "look down on your work" sometimes heh.
I guess I'll worry about lighting after I make my scene, it seems more logical now thinking about it.
Prop ideas anyone? (1950s-60s) I've got a few, but I need more....>:D
Sorry for the big light icon in the middle.
Time to make a crapload of props.
Also because they are so thick, and because of the camera angle, they are covering up large sections of the ceiling which makes it look like there are too many of them, when there are just enough, its just that they are too big and bulky.
Most of the attics look like they're using 2x6's or 2x4's, not 8x8's.
-Added the desk
-Added the typewriter
-Thinned out the boards
-learned a crap-load of new stuff XD
Probably put too much time into the typewriter. I made a highpoly, and probably spent too much time on it. Also, the typewriter is at about 3500 tris (I know, that's a lot for its size), but I wanted it detailed so I could do closeup shots.
-You need to start figuring out lighting RIGHT NOW! Trust me, it will go very far the earlier on that you figure it out and set it up. Delete your work lighting, mess around with some light settings, try to get the bounce to look right. Try to push the darkness of the space.
All the above crits are a good way to go, so nothing much I feel I c an say till I see more art.
Next, going to mess with some lighting, probably going to ask a lot of questions because I really suck at lighting in the udk.
edit: also made the pencils a little bigger XD
this is what I've got.
You've got a typewriter and a handful of books. Maybe make it a prolific author's writing studio--fill it with boxes of old screen plays, stacks of crumpled paper, ink stains, broken pencils...you get the idea. Just figure out what direction you want the scene to go.
Also, everything looks way too clean. You've got a little dust on the top of the desk, but the rest of it looks brand new. Attics are filthy!
Also, why is it "leaking" light in the corner?
But there is one problem. what is going on with my window? I've turned up the lightmap res, but it doesn't change much unless I have it at like 2048, and it takes forever to bake. Its almost getting light from bouncing off of the texture beneath it:
Are you going to put in more stuff in the scene? It feels a little bit empty now.
Maybe try to get som color variation in there as well, the wood for the floor, walls and ceiling all looks the same now.
Other then that, maybe you should add some history to the scene? And a little dirt and spiderwebs in the corners?
And yeah, if you say that you what some help and input, start by at least answering Vigs post. Just saying
Looks like a great start! Keep it up!
Reason I was doing lighting is because limewax suggested me to work on it before I went any further.
the structure does make no sense, going to make some additional beams, and I was thinking of throwing in a brick and mortar fireplace thing. what do you think?
Agree with everyone else more clutter to tell more of a story, I'd also add some timber jousts to the bottom and top of the beams, an exposed fireplace would be good for a change in materials
Anywho, your wood seems to thick and fantacy. Whats holding it together? glue? Were are the nails, bolts, metal joints? the beams dont seem very geometric at all. they seem rounded and trange. I think it might have to do with the light maps. Read this tutorial and youll see what i mean http://stephenjameson.com/tutorials/lightmap-uvs-tutorial/
All my light maps are good in max, and when I import the props, they import correctly. So I'm not entirely sure what is going on.