Monthly Community Noob Challenge April 2015 (29)
polycounter lvl 7
Hello everyone and welcome to the Monthly Noob Challenge for the month of March.
Welcome to the third installment of the challenge for the year of 2015!
Join our Skype group if you want! Add me on Skype and I will add you to the group.
Me: noble.wulf
You don't have to join the Skype if you don't want to though, and you don't need to ask to participate in the challenge, just start working and post your progress in this thread!
Artist - Mitchell Mohrhauser
http://mitchsketch.blogspot.com/
Artist - Sung Choi
http://www.sung-choi.com/
Feel free to approach either of the concepts however you like but I'd recommend making it as modular as possible to save time and keep things optimized. It's really up to you, and as long as you are learning, it doesn't matter right?
Also if you want to change up either concept a bit, as some people wanted, then feel free. Interpret these concepts to your liking.
There are some things that I would like to point out to for newcomers.
If you only want to do a few props as best you can, then feel free to go ahead and do it. This way you can gradually work on building up to a full scene before diving head-first into the whole ordeal.
Please read all the rules before starting.
When you are just starting out making a scene, it can seem complicated or imposing, so take the time to break it down.
Think about how you can re-use assets, re-use textures, break it down as simple as possible and plan it out. A lot of people will break it down in their own way when they start out their challenge. Gather some reference images as well for different parts of the scene, maybe gather some refs and make it your own.
Take your time planning and blocking out, it will set you up for success later on.
Here are some specifics.
- Try to post one critique for every post that you make. This will make for a better learning environment and help us all grow as artists.
- You must make your own textures, no stealing. We can't keep you from doing it, but the goal is to learn. You can use other textures and images to create your final texture, but please, no blatant copying of another artist's work.
- You must use a game engine to present your work. Unreal Engine and CryEngine are very common engines that can be used, but feel free to use any alternatives that you want.
- You must try your best and finish as much as you can in the time frame provided.
- Post what you are working on in this thread so that way it's a more centralized place for advice and critique. We don't need to have 1000 disjointed threads littering the forums.
- I would strongly encourage you to go and look at other games and see how they make their assets as well as get concept art to give it your own feel, but it must stay very close to the concept, if not super close.
- Please stay away from using Ddo. It's great if you know what you're doing, and for a production pipeline supplement, but other than that, please don't use it. Ndo2 is allowed. This was talked about in the other thread, so please don't complain.
- Well that's about it. If you think that any rules should be changed, or there should be new additions to the rules, please let us know.
Replies
http://www.polycount.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=27656&stc=1&d=1427919073
and the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERuveWHnCaM&feature=youtu.be
Fire extinguisher:
It looks like the process most adopt for game levels is to model props as individual models/objects and place them using the game engine editor, but I just can't seem to get into this process. I've been using 3dsmax for about 16 years, and seeing this concept art, my natural instinct is to just do the entire damn thing in 3dsmax first, then deconstruct it into game objects after the model is fully modeled and textured. This is partly because I am new-ish to level design, and 3dsmax is my happy place I tend to retreat to when other software gives me problems.
My assumption is that by avoiding a ton of back and forth, import/export, etc... the entire process will go faster. Can anyone explain why I am wrong about this?
Is the intent to avoid making objects too specific, so that they can be used to create a much larger level? I wouldn't have a hard time converting a specific detail mesh into a modular one, but I am having problems getting bogged down moving back and forth between software all the time.
Speed and flexibility. The slow transition between engine and 3d software can be fixed with better workflow habits.In early stages, importing placeholder objects with correct grid dimensions can be automatically updated as you save iterations in max. If scale is off between objects, its easier to know right away and correct it while the object is in its primitive stage rather than trying to go back and do rebakes, topology cleanups, etc..
In the later stages, objects in engine look completely different than objects in 3d programs. Hell, even engine to engine the way things calculate is different. It sounds like common sense, but the best place to finalize an asset is in whatever engine it's gonna live in. Getting comfortable with the shader tools in your game engine helps speed this up.
I'm starting to sound like a broken record I think, but yea, better to realize your objects suck in the earliest stages then the 11th hour and trying to wade through all your maps and topology trying to bandaid the issues.... been there, done that. Not fun, especially with deadlines.
No that's a good reply thanks, i will finalise all the final textures when i am finished, i like to get a few props in for scale reference before i start working on the scene, I've used the locker as key reference, Here is an update on the project so far.... i've been working on this since 7:30 again, its now 22:25.... I started working on some modular Walls etcs, I'm going to move slightly away from the concept of a scifi scene and make it look more derelict and maybe sort of a gym entrance? or a public toilets... but here is the update so far... no real lighting done yet or color correction just getting the models in... i am working on the support beams now, and still recording my workflow too for youtube
Update###
Started working on the support beams, my next step is to do the floor and ceiling then to add some pipes and grafiti
here's the pic
Im off to bed now, it's 11 here, goodnight all, happy easter if i don't speak to you all!
peace.
Thanks for your advice. Is there anything specific you can recommend as far as workflow habits?
I'm self taught so i can't tell you specifics but what i do is design the main prop that stands out, so I can use it as a scale reference, once i've done this I then start to model the modular pieces ie: walls, pipes, floors etc, then i start adding some lights into the scene, once that is done i will then make the rest of the props and add them to the scene, then go back and touch up all textures etc and finalize the lighting
here's the fire extinguisher too...
I didn't know grass grew from concrete.
The foliage is a nice touch but unless you're going to rough up that concrete (which you totally should!) I'd remove the grass. Right now you grass growing from freshly laid concrete.
Also it's unclear where the main light source it coming from, is it the light fixtures or the sun coming in from outside? It's pretty unclear if the light fixture are on at all, IF they are try varying the light color. Incandescent bulbs tend to give off a more saturated yellow light then sun light. Use this to add some more variety to the scene.
Continuing with the lighting, why is the ceiling so bright?!
at the moment the ceiling is actually the floor raised up, yes i am going to rough the concrete up insanely so there will be lots of debree on the floor, and Yes i am struggling with the lights at the moment because even though i've set up lights i think i need to add some sort of glare near the bulbs for it to actually look on, the light source is coming from the outside but the lights play a part in the brightness inside. I will try darkening the ceiling and adding a few flares, thanks
I chose to go 512x1024 on the map to allow for the middle of the body to have as much space as possible to get the
warning stickers and instructions in fairly clearly.
Maps:
Fixed the lighting, all have to do now i do the floor
Yeah, this is my second fully finished model, the first was the shield in February's challenge. I've started a fair amount and lurked around for quite a few years paying attention to how people do things. I had the cylinder at a higher poly but dropped it down based on the suggestion of others. Right now the entire thing sits at 1,242 triangles.
I do agree that it would benefit from it, and it really wouldn't be a whole lot added. I may go back through and change it, shouldn't take much effort. Thanks for the critique.
Figured I'd upload it to sketchfab. -edited to remove untrue statement about sketchfab
[sketchfab]a05bb8880abb41f28a8890d77318511f[/sketchfab]
Fire Extinguisher by thejon113 on Sketchfab
I'm also starting to do this project and I need some help with the workflow.
What I did is to start the scene in Cinema4D and putting the ref image in the background, I also
started to match the camera angle and focal length, I had a lot of problems with that maybe because the
perspective is not real (?), and then I'm starting the build the basic objects, it's the same concept
that particleman1010 talk about before.
Correct me if I'm wrong but you guys model everything in 3D and placing in the game engine so you create
the same room but not the same concept right?
I mean you don't try to match the camera angle or the focal length, you are just doing it by looking at the image and try to have the same scale and details?
Final Scene
Fire Extinguisher - Poly Count = 804 TOTAL.
Boxes - Poly Count - 84 TOTAL.
Pipes - Poly Count - Variety between 48 - 100
Locker - Poly Count - 800 TOTAL.
This whole Scene was created in Blender and took me 8 Hours over 3 days, Importing Modular pieces, working on props and texturing, All props were made from scratch and textures were made from sample images in google search, some were made entirely from scratch.
Color Grading was done in photoshop for the final scene render and imported back to cryengine, all pics are realtime with no effects added to them.
If you guys have any environment art you want me to work on don't hesitate to contact me. my skype is: haytchey
This is only the 4th of April and your scene is almost complete, insane progress.
There are a few things I think you need to fix,
1. There are a few straight lines in the floor, where there is ground and it's a bit
weird, you should break the concrete a lot more, plus give it a few cracks in the middle.
2. There is something going with this pipe, it looks squash maybe it's a camera.
3. You have some very long bricks in your texture and they don't fit with the small ones in my opinion.
4. I don't understand where this pipe goes.
Overall it looks really great, you should still polish a few things here are there and that's it.
Thanks for your feedback bud, Unfortunately The cryengine terrain is a bit crap, its smoothed out really hard and still is quite blocky, its at 2K resolution too, Yeah I have a fast workflow The bricks I do agree need to be a bit smaller, I'm thinking about changing the bricks to a damaged plaster or peeling plaster, and the pipe is fine theres just a shadow lol, and I'm not sure where the other pipe leads to either, outside somewhere? lol
screenie from blender.. honestly i'm not sure about the circle on the side. it's skewed.. may just floating geometry it and then blend it in 3d coat.
The doors needs to be made a bit wider I think.
But anyways, here's my progress at it, i really really need some feedback and suggestions on it
Also, i'd like to know if my approach on this circle part is the correct one this far
Renders in marmoset with AO and normals.
Wireframe. A bit could be saved in the handle.
Maps
Here's my progress:
Looking good. I see a couple triangulation issues on the angled side. Also, it may need to be a bit taller (or not as wide) to get the same proportions of the concept.
Marmoset Render of my Lockers.
I have blocked out the prop. I'm not sure what kind of latch to make yet. Does the locking mechanism for the front panel have a real world name? Looks like the yellow latch controls posts that go into the bottom panel while maintaining pressure on the egg box.
edit: spelling.
It could definitely have benefitted from having some more geometry put into it as well, perspective wise, looking at that from first and third person you'd be able to look down on it and see the edges clear as day.
Hope that helps!
Sketch fab doesn't allow for PBR materials. So I just had to set values, the screenshots of it are closer to what it actually is. I also do agree that if it were to be used close to a player more geo would be needed (and even a bit more around the main cylinder as is).
Here is a screenshot from within Unity at a relatively close first person view.
Here is another view from inside of substance:
As you can see there is a noticeable difference in the material between the 2, and I've been fighting with unity to try and get something a bit closer.
Did not know that. Was looking for it in the wrong tab. Thanks for the heads up. I've updated the model to use pbr now.
Awesome work but I think you have some problems with the normal maps, there is a
bump on the entire model, I pretty sure it's a smoothing group problem
the flat planes should look like this quick normal over paint.
As of my work, I'm having trobles to figure out how to start this kind of workflow, still need to do a lot more tests.
Do you guys know any good tutorials that show this workflow?
You're right, if it was just a flat plane it would look like that, but I've been told by quite a few people that if you can use a single smoothing group over the entire model it actually helps eliminate seams. Since the bake is relative to the low poly surface it doesn't introduce any artifacts.
In marmoset with normals, metalness and gloss.
If you look at the highlights going across the doors they are in no way mishapen. There are only 2 doors baked (the 2 on the left on top). Call those A and B it goes:
AB BA
BA AB
I did a perspective match in 3dsmax, got me much closer to the right proportions than any other method. I think for this, since I have a pretty close match between the concept, max, and ue4, I am going to build most of the detail in max, then decide how to break down the objects for export. I think for a very small scene such as this, the workflows are about the same efficiency.
I assume it is better to modularize your workflow when there is considerably more repetitive details, like with larger levels. Almost everything in the concept is unique in some way.