How can I model this ruin?

cturbo · Jul 31 2025

How can I model this ruin? I'm currently working on creating old ruins and would love to understand the process for making this using Maya and ZBrush, texturing in substance. I'm not sure how you create those jagged edges. Should I just roughly block in the shape and then add a tiled brick texture, or do you actually sculpt the details in ZBrush for the broken stone wall edges?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/7e/0oxx1we0wq0y.jpg

cturbo · Jul 31 2025

How would you model this window too?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/pu/q7t6rz47cgi0.jpg

Eric Chadwick · Jul 31 2025

https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2796459/#Comment_2796459

Eric Chadwick · Jul 31 2025

For broken brick edges, you can model a section of broken wall and make it modular, then add individual bricks to break up the silhouette.

For example, look at the roof tiles here
https://polycount.com/discussion/91066/pirate-castle-udk/p1

cturbo · Jul 31 2025

Eric Chadwick said:

For broken brick edges, you can model a section of broken wall and make it modular, then add individual bricks to break up the silhouette.

For example, look at the roof tiles here
https://polycount.com/discussion/91066/pirate-castle-udk/p1

Ok thanks for the links Eric.

I saw this link https://gamesartist.co.uk/dest-build-kit-roman-ageev/

Did he make the broken wall in ZBrush, then retopologize it in Maya to create one big mesh and then applied his tile texture?

Eric Chadwick · Jul 31 2025

Did you not actually read the whole article?

cturbo · Jul 31 2025

I was unable to find any valuable information on the first link, and upon reviewing the second, it appears that he does not elaborate on his methodology. I believe I have a concept in mind, but I was hoping to observe the process from start to finish.

Eric Chadwick · Jul 31 2025

Well then you're just not paying attention. I suspect you're looking for the shortest possible path, tl;dr, instant-access. Which is a shame, because that way you miss soo soo much.

Sage · Aug 1 2025

Maybe this might show more steps...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYa8khHlbhY

You have to block out the large shapes first. Try to make it modular.

For the edges it depends. This I would do last once you have the main pieces that you are going to break up.

Once you have your modular parts bring into your sculpting program and do a damage pass.

If you have zbrush get the orb pack of brushes.

Turn your block out mesh into a "sculptable" mesh with Zremesher and Dynamesh
Damage edges.
Sculpt large details first
Subdivide enough that you can use alphas to add fine surface details.

You are probably going to have to make some seamless textures

If the concepts shown in the links that Eric provided don't provided enough steps, it's because what you are trying to do is too advanced at the moment.

Look up how to sculpt rocks and bricks, make seamless textures in zbrush then try to apply those lessons to an arch. Once you are happy with that, see if you can do the other elements in your reference.

I included a really bad model showing the steps you might take.

Eric Chadwick · Aug 1 2025

Yeah, good advice ^^. Sorry for losing my patience a bit! Lots of ways to approach this; Sage nailed it, start small, build up from there.

cturbo · Aug 1 2025

Do you mean like this? I place bricks by hand for the top sections only? https://www.exp-points.com/modular-building-destroyed-inside-ue4

How do you make the jagged edges on the wall and do you bake all of this in substance painter?

Sage said:

Maybe this might show more steps... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYa8khHlbhY

You have to block out the large shapes first. Try to make it modular.

For the edges it depends. This I would do last once you have the main pieces that you are going to break up.

Once you have your modular parts bring into your sculpting program and do a damage pass.

If you have zbrush get the orb pack of brushes.

Turn your block out mesh into a "sculptable" mesh with Zremesher and Dynamesh
Damage edges.
Sculpt large details first
Subdivide enough that you can use alphas to add fine surface details.
You are probably going to have to make some seamless textures

If the concepts shown in the links that Eric provided don't provided enough steps, it's because what you are trying to do is too advanced at the moment.

Look up how to sculpt rocks and bricks, make seamless textures in zbrush then try to apply those lessons to an arch. Once you are happy with that, see if you can do the other elements in your reference.

I included a really bad model showing the steps you might take.

Great, that has truly clarified what I need to do next. Thank you so much.

Sage · Aug 1 2025

The best thing you can do is experiment. If the wall is plaster and exposed bricks you want to have a texture dedicated to plaster, one one for the bricks provided the bricks and wall are not the same material. If that is the case you might be able to just have seamless texture for the wall that gets reused on the bricks. Check this video out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZBYFRlo9bk At the end of the day you need these two elements blend together.

cturbo · Aug 1 2025

Eric Chadwick said:

Well then you're just not paying attention. I suspect you're looking for the shortest possible path, tl;dr, instant-access. Which is a shame, because that way you miss soo soo much.

Sage said:

The best thing you can do is experiment. If the wall is plaster and exposed bricks you want to have a texture dedicated to plaster, one one for the bricks provided the bricks and wall are not the same material. If that is the case you might be able to just have seamless texture for the wall that gets reused on the bricks. Check this video out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZBYFRlo9bk At the end of the day you need these two elements blend together.

Thank you, Sage; that information is extremely helpful and greatly appreciated.

cturbo · Aug 1 2025

Eric Chadwick said:

Yeah, good advice ^^. Sorry for losing my patience a bit! Lots of ways to approach this; Sage nailed it, start small, build up from there.

It is important not to engage with students in that way simply because they did not find your resources valuable, and I am not trying to take any shortcuts; in fact, it is quite the opposite.

How can I model this ruin?

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