My First Modular Facade
polycounter lvl 8
Hello again, Polycount. It's been such a long time.
I've been in school doing what I do, and trying to stay ahead of rent! Depressing. You know what helps with that? Learning new techniques and processes for making game assets.
So recently, I got an assignment to make my very first modular facade. Basically, I had to make modular pieces in 3ds Max, texture them, and get them into UDK.
It's already been turned in etc... But strangely, I'm still wanting to work on this and make it something special. I really want to take it to the next level.
But first... the process!
The story so far:
A reference was chosen! I picked this courthouse because it looked pretty easy to make, tbh. I didn't want to shoot for the moon my first time out. I planned a few of my moves, Magneto like, dividing the building so I could conquer the design! Oddly, this was kind of fun.
I blocked out a mesh for the whole building, then divided it into the pieces I wanted to break off. This is something my instructor showed me. I started to divide the building up into the pieces I need. I know... the models are too simple... I just can't understand complex shapes this early on. Maybe in a few years.
MORE TO COME LATER.... (I have to go to work now :] )
I've been in school doing what I do, and trying to stay ahead of rent! Depressing. You know what helps with that? Learning new techniques and processes for making game assets.
So recently, I got an assignment to make my very first modular facade. Basically, I had to make modular pieces in 3ds Max, texture them, and get them into UDK.
It's already been turned in etc... But strangely, I'm still wanting to work on this and make it something special. I really want to take it to the next level.
But first... the process!
The story so far:
A reference was chosen! I picked this courthouse because it looked pretty easy to make, tbh. I didn't want to shoot for the moon my first time out. I planned a few of my moves, Magneto like, dividing the building so I could conquer the design! Oddly, this was kind of fun.
I blocked out a mesh for the whole building, then divided it into the pieces I wanted to break off. This is something my instructor showed me. I started to divide the building up into the pieces I need. I know... the models are too simple... I just can't understand complex shapes this early on. Maybe in a few years.
MORE TO COME LATER.... (I have to go to work now :] )
Replies
Don't know if your teacher talked about working with the grid? It's very handy, espcially on something like this.
Keep it up!
And although it would be funnier not to... I did in fact partake of the grid here!
Since I know I'll be getting into UDK (at least if I want a passing grade) everything here is built to the grid and snaps together. Although there are some problems, some still extant, along the way...
Last time on My First Modular Facade:
*explosions followed by tacos*
So yeah.
Textures textures everywhere! After blocking out the pieces, detaching them, and realigning pivots to useable areas... I got this. The windows look sooooo weird when they're narrow that I bulk them up cos hey, I'm the architect here. I start seeing opportunities to make this piece and that piece... I keep it simple. Forget Zbrushing these things. I got tileable textures, my first trim sheet ever, and fit my unique unwraps all on one sheet. I'm feeling like a star.
And I felt so awesome looking at the textures that when I export these into UDK, I don't realize at first how hard it is to actually rebuild the damn thing.
WTF.
I think to myself that I have obviously defeated the spirit of modular pieces. What a moron. They're supposed to make this process easier. So I know I have to go back into Max and do some cleaning up. However, I am pleased with the textures so far including my first shot at making a trim sheet...
Bam. That's what I need. That's the kind of simplicity I see on the tuts here on Polycount, 3DMotive, Digital Tutors, Gnomon, and all those other guys with skills I'll never have. Awesome stuff there. I'll not achieve their level of competence any time soon... but I can imitate, right?
Generally, I am somewhat satisfied that I can get some not-horrible looking pieces to snap together and kind-of resemble a building.
A lot of exporting and a few parent materials later, I've got this locked. Yeah, look at at that sweetness hanging out like a boss in a real game engine. I am the man at this point.
But the self-flattery only lasts until I get to class. After the many notes I get on what to fix I realize this facade would NEVER make it in a real game. Because it looks like shit. The capitals on my columns are basically made up. That's not a volute, that's scribble. My windows are malformed and inaccurate. My silhouette is bland. There are errors in my lighting. Seams between my pieces. My door is crap. Some textures are stretching. The level of detail is rather schizophrenic.
If I'm honest with myself? My stuff don't look so hot. And I have no excuses.
So after an hour of deep, focused depression, I know I need to look for opportunities to turn this turd into turducken.Currently, I'm working on fixing all that stuff I mentioned (thanks to crits from instructors). But I really want to take this building to the next level. Pull out all the stops.
Simply put, what can I do to makes this better?
Thanks much for reading my insane drivel. :]
You should have seen my first modular facade, gee.. It's great to get in to the grid from day one with stuff like this.
Well, I think it looks good. You managed to get them all in, it fits and what not. I would write down everything that I would be unhappy with and what to do about it on a list. Starting with addressing the most important things.
It's a bit hard to give you crits on the textures, please post them. You got some pretty obvious tileing and some pretty nasty visible seams.
I don't know how much air ventilation they need in there? :P And i would imagine that a building like this would have a central vent system. Oh, just saw that they actually have cluttered the whole building with vents, never mind :P
What measurements do you got on your building? Cause it looks like it's pretty much half of what it should be atm. I do believe it's your windows that's to low.
I set about correcting all that stuff I didn't like.
The textures I made for this beast:
The trim there is my first! It's got a lot of unused space cos I wasn't sure if cropping it would screw up my stuff and the thing was due the next day.
You're right on about the windows... They're perfectly square and the reference pretty much ain't
I'll make em bigger.
http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/ProceduralBuildingsTutorial.html
and more technical:
http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/ProceduralBuildings.html
What is this sorcery?
I'm going to have give this a look!
and with regards the OP...don't get yourself down
It doesn't look too bad for your 1st modular fascade
I think that it would help to have a look at this. He uses some pretty advanced techniques out a lot of it is very valuable for you. For example, if i were to make trips, i would put them in the texture so that they tile completely from side to side. Maybe using an 512*1024 for that. Cause with the way you have it there will be a lot of seams. UDK is freaking awful when it comes to how it MIPs.
How long before submission?