New to low poly environmental art, some general questions.
Sorry for the long post! Looking for a way to get started.
So I just have a couple questions in terms of environmental art. I'm trying to expand my knowledge and I've been focusing on character art, but I really want to try my hand at environmental art.
What's a typical workflow? Is photoshop mostly used for texturing? How often is photo realiatic texturing used vs hand painting, or is it all dependant on the style of a video game?
Also, to create this kind of scene, http://www.razkun.com/images/env/content_Env_04.jpg , (credits to razkun.com), how would you make the brick underneath with normal maps? Would I go through in zbrush, or maya and model out all those bricks and texture them individually, or I don't even know. I'm baffled at the ground and how the normal maps were created.
Also, in terms of a normal map on a plane, I'm completely used to creating cages for a character. With a plane, a cage really isn't feasible... Unless I'm missing something. For a video game, how would you go about to creating asphalt, like a road? Would a normal map even be used or for a road would that be a waste of time? I was trying a bunch of different methods and looked at several video game references and it seems instead of photo realistic asphalt textures, they're more noise blotches. How would you generate normal maps, do artists typically take the plane and sculpt bumpy detail and normal map it, or is that generally a waste of time and I should just texture it?
Sorry for the long post again, but I'm really eager to start this kind of environmental modeling. Thanks!!
So I just have a couple questions in terms of environmental art. I'm trying to expand my knowledge and I've been focusing on character art, but I really want to try my hand at environmental art.
What's a typical workflow? Is photoshop mostly used for texturing? How often is photo realiatic texturing used vs hand painting, or is it all dependant on the style of a video game?
Also, to create this kind of scene, http://www.razkun.com/images/env/content_Env_04.jpg , (credits to razkun.com), how would you make the brick underneath with normal maps? Would I go through in zbrush, or maya and model out all those bricks and texture them individually, or I don't even know. I'm baffled at the ground and how the normal maps were created.
Also, in terms of a normal map on a plane, I'm completely used to creating cages for a character. With a plane, a cage really isn't feasible... Unless I'm missing something. For a video game, how would you go about to creating asphalt, like a road? Would a normal map even be used or for a road would that be a waste of time? I was trying a bunch of different methods and looked at several video game references and it seems instead of photo realistic asphalt textures, they're more noise blotches. How would you generate normal maps, do artists typically take the plane and sculpt bumpy detail and normal map it, or is that generally a waste of time and I should just texture it?
Sorry for the long post again, but I'm really eager to start this kind of environmental modeling. Thanks!!
Replies
the Wiki is always a good place to start.
It's mainly up to the game style, you can do a can do both on the same texture, some people who hand paint start with a photo source, people who do photo realistic textures, will more often than not hand paint a bit of detail in.
Looks like zbrush 2.5 to be honest. http://eat3d.com/free/zbrush_tile is a good start.
Typically normals maps are used on everything, Hero assets will have to be hand sculpted for normal maps, generating one from a diffuse probably isn't going to cut it for AAA game anymore.
But smaller props and roads you can generate a normal map from a diffuse using a program such as:
nDo 2
Crazybump
Substance designer
Knald
Photoshop nvidia plug-in
So on.
It really falls down to your creative leads if working on a studio or your own preference how much in the environment is hand sculpted vs. generated.
Maybe if you post something you would like to work on we can give you some tips and guide you through the process, any concept art that captures your eyes?
So I want to be ambitious and attempt to create something along the lines of a post apocalyptic world, a shot of a freeway. Something left 4 dead esque, or just kind of like this image:
http://www.apocalypsezone.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Apocalypsezone.com-wallpapers-october-2013-post-apocalyptic_dystopia_apocalypse_.jpg
http://wallpaperswa.com/thumbnails/detail/20121221/guns%20futuristic%20trucks%20men%20duel%20digital%20art%20science%20fiction%20artwork%20post%20apocalyptic%20freeway%201500_wallpaperswa.com_61.jpg
I figure doing a bigger project like this will show me what's important in modeling detail and how to add various textures, and all the like.
I guess my first question would be, should I start creating various props first, like random barrels, tires, cones, signs, crates, rocks, and all the like, or build the scene first? What would be an initial step into getting into something like this?
And there you can kinda go where you please, you can do the environment textures first or as you said make some props.
http://worldofleveldesign.com/ I think this site is awesome, has a ton of tutorials and tips.
even has a section on making a level for left 4 dead http://worldofleveldesign.com/categories/cat_left4dead2_mapping.php