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Drug Smugglers Stash Apartment - CryEngine - WIP

Hello y'all

I've been working on this scene the past couple of weeks in my spare time, and i think now is about the time i could use some help with it. I'm using the cryengine for the first time and i'm having a bit of trouble with the lighting and getting the right feel for the scene so here goes, feedback please!

I think it could use dirtying up a bit, and i don't know whether the cocaine packages are obvious enough. What do you think?

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Replies

  • sushi
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    Are you working from a concept? In my experience in can be a real challenge to finish an environment without some kind of inital concept or photo reference.

    It's obvious that you need more detail in there. At first glance I thought those blocks of cocaine were untextured books or packages of paper, pay attention to reference and make them look like they are wrapped in plastic. And they are all using the same model/texture? There could be a knife laying on top of a package or some individual sacks lying around, try to tell a story.

    The floor texture looks OK besides the tiling seams are really obvious, try some variation there.

    A little bit of detail goes a long way, toss some pictures or posters up on the wall and spend a few hours just creating garbage, boxes, small items to scatter around.

    Try looking at this environment, all the detail work that went into it: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124123

    Looking forward to more!
  • dannyboy91
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    I'm not working from concept, which is probably why i am finding it difficult. I have been trying to catch some of the feel of a local tea shop though.

    The the cocaine packages are using the same model and the same texture but with 2 variations contained within it. I wanted to give the scene a sort of 70/80s vibe so putting up a couple of poster of bands and movies from around that era should be a good idea.

    I'll get modelling some rubbish over the weekend to place around the scene, something for that tv to stand on too.
  • JustGarry
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    JustGarry polycounter lvl 4
    I would rethink the cocaine packages, they look way too square, I thought they were placeholders at first, and adding a few more polys or a normal map isn't going to kill your scene.

    found this ref for the type of packages your going for, note different sizes, colours, and much rounder edges.

    CocaineBundles_DEA.jpg
  • dannyboy91
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    Taking your advice and remodelling the cocaine package this morning. Here it is in Z Brush

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  • Cheathem
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    Cheathem polycounter lvl 6
    Your packages still look to square. Cocaine is soft, the package shouldn't have such hard/square edges. Imagine trying to rap up confectionary sugar with plastic wrap.

    Overall though, you got a pretty nice scene going on. keep it up!
  • dannyboy91
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    It's been a while but i've really busy, anyway i've managed to fill the room with some rubbish to give it a bit more of a story, what do you guys think? I know i need to put something on those walls because they look really boring.

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  • Nakedwooki
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    Nakedwooki polycounter lvl 7
    Your cocaine packages seem a bit too shiny compared to the reference seen above, but other then that your environment is looking good.
  • Cay
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    Cay polycounter lvl 5
    I really like the overall für feel of the apartment
    The normals of your bricks are photosourced, right? They don't read very well..
    Also.. your props are placed very randomly.. drinks next to the tv? Idk... why spreading valuable cocaine across the room.. still doesn't read as cocaine to me, sry
    Nice start, though ^^
  • ExcessiveZero
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    ExcessiveZero polycounter lvl 6
    No ones ever gonna have that much coke in a apartment without curtains.
  • ExcessiveZero
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    ExcessiveZero polycounter lvl 6
    You might actually try blinds then to get some extra light through emissive the windows get lots of bloom coming through the gaps.

    that should look decent.
  • dannyboy91
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    I originally wanted to have the scene at night with moonlight xoming in through the windows, but the more i look at it it seems to look better in the daytime. I shall give it a little tidy up tomorrow and post them images up.
  • butt_sahib
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    butt_sahib polycounter lvl 11
    Looks pretty slick so far man.

    Crits
    -Id stay away from minute details like scattered paper and/or object instances till the end.
    - Overall, your objects need alot more contrast in terms of specularity/glossiness. I believe you should go in and work on the textures more. E.g. the concrete blocks under the table need to have a texture that is not so saturated, has surface noise and have nice mild specular
    - I think you could add in other light sources?
    - Overall, id add in ALOT of wear/tear/dirt. Like alot. And everything should reflect that/ Old dirty table/sofa/map etc

    Good luck man!
  • dannyboy91
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    I'm gonna add some posters today, hopefully bring a splash of colour into the scene. Have you got any example of this sort of dirt butt_sahib?
  • oxblood
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    oxblood polycounter lvl 9
    I like the way everything gels together, but the silhouette of your sofa is too perfect, the cushions are too square. If your trying to sell it as an old beaten down sofa your going to want to have alot more folds and dents/ dimples in the cushions/sofa. I'm not the best at explaining things but hopefully you see what I mean?
  • dannyboy91
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    Slight update, added some posters!

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    and thanks oxblood, i'll see what i can do.
  • JamieRIOT
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    JamieRIOT polycounter lvl 6
    I think it would make for a much better environment if it was very dingy and secretive, with more dirtiness etc. At the moment it's just coming across as a 'messy student apartment.... Oh and look there's a shit-load of cocaine packages in the corner'.
    Maybe collect much more reference and go in a direction as if the police have just bust into this place. There may be a gun or two about, a table in the center with cut lines of drugs etc. Really make it look like a horrible place.
  • Ghostman511
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    Building off of what others have said, you need to add more to this scene to bring it to life, make it feel lived in. Reference is your best bet, but a few suggestions

    - Torn curtains or busted blinds (makes it more secretive/a hideout)
    - dirty this place up, make it feel like filthy, uncaring drug lords have been here.
    - Maybe they had an argument and a beer or food has been thrown against the wall or someone was killed and there is a blood stain.
    - Garbage all over the place, maybe some broken glass. If this was a temporary drug hideout its tenants probably wouldn't give a shit how run down it got
    - Gang tagging/graffiti on the wall
    - A coffee table in front of the couch with an ash tray filled with butts and like JaimieRIOT mentioned maybe lines of coke, or beer/liquor bottles
    - Maybe add a mattress in the corner, where after a long day of cutting and packaging their product the sleepy drug dealers need to take nap :P
    - Split food/beverage stains on the floor

    These are just a few suggestions there are a ton of other possibilities. But its coming together quite nicely, I like it!

    one more crit that TV is bugging me. You've already got so much brown with the wooden floor and brick walls, maybe just remove the wooden paneling on the tv and make the whole thing a rough plastic. The back of the tv just looks black too, try lightening up the diffuse, and maybe the spec (its hard to tell if its receiving light).

    Anyway this is looking good! look forward to seeing more, good luck!
  • iconoplast
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    iconoplast polycounter lvl 13
    Nice start!

    Here's my take (beyond what you've already heard): What's your story? Why is there almost no furniture? What's in the boxes? Why are drugs out in the open? Why is it messy? Do they own a trash can? Why or why not? You don't have to answer all the questions, but it's the sort of thing you should consider when you're planning this out.

    If this is a step in a smuggling operation, it might be a good idea to show the process of concealing the drugs. Show us a decapitated teddy bear with the stuffing pulled out halfway and some drugs being shoved in, for example. I'm going to disagree with showing cut lines, though. Smugglers won't be using while they're moving product. Well, they might, but that's how they get caught so they won't be smugglers for long in that case.

    Oh, and if you want some creative lighting challenges, put up some curtains and light it through them with the reflections of the lights on the cop car that's just outside. If you get the blue and red in there, you can convey it without ever showing the car. If you are going with the route of "the cops just raided here" note that weapons won't be around; even if they're a little slow to clean up the drugs (or were paid to be slow to clean them up) no cop is going to leave a gun lying around where a non-cop might come by and grab it -- pretty much anywhere outside of a) a cop's holster or b) a cop's hand is a place you aren't going to see a gun if the cops have been there and crimes happened.
  • dannyboy91
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    Thanks for the feedback guys, i'm gonna dirty this whole thing up today and add some curtains. I like the idea of having blue and red lights outside, maybe the police showed up and the guys inside just split and left everything where it was. Does anyone know a decent tutorial for decals in cryengine, so i can add some grime and some grafitti tagging.
  • dannyboy91
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    What do you guys think of this lighting update?

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  • oxblood
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    oxblood polycounter lvl 9
    its a good idea but I don't think the lighting would be that harsh, especially as its daytime outside, maybe if you made it dark outside it would add up a little more, but even that you could make it more subtle.
  • dannyboy91
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    Update, what do you guys think?

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  • Alphavader
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    Alphavader polycounter lvl 11
    coming together nicely - what about a door ?= ;)
    Some suggstions:

    - a nice, used and dirty carped would be cool
    - people can see the drugs, when the watch through the window
    so what about going for more a basement/cellar approach ? maybe instead of
    a door - showing some stairs up/down and some small window on the walls - with only
    a light glimspe coming in.
    - What about some dust particles ?
    - what about ripping off some planks of the ground and get some of the drugs in between - maybe going for the story, that the drugs hidden somewhere ?
    - What about a fridge ? pipes ? shelves ? wires ? lights ? money ?

    just my two cents ;)
  • butt_sahib
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    butt_sahib polycounter lvl 11
    It looks SO much better its not even funny.
  • dannyboy91
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    Thanks! Ye I really like the idea of dirty ole Persian rug. The scene is on the ground at the moment but i'm planning on putting it a few story's up to make it look like the light from the police car are coming from down below. I also really want to add some dirty dust to the air, can any point me in the way of tutorial?
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