Week 19 : Container Autopsy

Get it? Because we made a hospital/morgue for our container city project. I'm having an autopsy instead of a post mortem. Although a post mortem probably still would of worked as a pun anyway.

Yes the Container Project is finished! It was a good one, I thoroughly enjoyed making this level. I only had a small group of three but that allowed us to make a level that was small but perfectly formed. 

These are my favourite of the final screenshots I took of the level. Most of my time on this project was spent using Unreal Engine 4, being the engine editor. So basically I put this level together. My team helped of course this was all a team effort, and I say it did damn well.

But screenshots of a immersive interactive level dont just do it justice. The sounds we added and the motion can't really be shown. So here's a video walkthrough.

I'm really glad that we didn't have a huge amount of problems with this project. I started this project somewhat worried because my last group project went horrendously wrong. But our group worked together amazingly well. I think being a smaller group did help with that, so we spent alot of time working together closely in the labs. 

Also our time management was really good. Mostly in part to doing a very small level we could get everything done plus some of our stretch goals.We did have several issues but they were mostly with one of our team members having a hard time texturing. But we got it all done in time, and now she's improved her texturing skills doing this project. So everything's gone pretty well!

But we did have strange things break. Working on Engine work always ends up having strange weird issues happen. And we all know that talking about the stuff that went wrong is way better than talking about what went well.

Like our boxes being covered in gunshots when our normal maps got shifted around.

Our generator turning into a strange neon puke machine. This ended up to be an issue with metalness.

And also metalness causing more crazy problems. With having such a small atmospheric level the metalness tended to reflect and change colour alot really strangely. This was no exception. This truck is supposed to be white! But turned brown in the red container walls. That isnt that bad, but the white odd lines on the window caused by overlapping the uvs in the metalness map was a glaring error.

Also those wires you can see coming out of the truck? Thats the only major issue we couldnt fix. Sometimes Unreal does stuff you just cant work out and for no apparent reason these cables and wires just would not show as the right colour. But I let them slide as they look close enough.

Overall I really think this project went well. Our level has the theme and story that we wanted. It feels like part of a real place and we got it all done in time! I feel like doing this project I improved far more in my engine work and its only furthered my feelings that I love working in Engine. It's great fun and I got to learn all sorts of  things this time like moving objects, particle effects and atmospheric lighting. Being able to focus on Engine while my team worked more on assets and concepting them I think worked really well. 

Bring on more Engine work, I say.

Week 17 : I AM A MASTER BUILDER

So this week has been pretty rough, not in the work department but normal life. My computer of several years hand built with love and care finally got put to rest. It's going off to live on a farm now. So I haven't had a computer this time... So I haven't had a computer as well as other life problems.

I've been spending my week working in the labs instead, well far more than I would before hand. I think I like the labs much more now as before I was more prefering to work from home. But the lab atmosphere I'm starting to like, even if theres lots of crazy drama.

So when it comes to work I've spent almost all of this week working on Unreal Engine 4. Aside from these few small assets I made. These are really simple objects mostly just boxes, Theyre all things like signs and planks of wood, things we can use to make the environment feel far more alive.

So I am the Master Builder of this project. My two other teammates have been working their asses off making assets and also working out some particular blueprint tasks and I've been making them all work together in unreal.

I think I'm really starting to love environment art. Just putting everything together is very fun to me, and especially adding particles and sound cues and matinees! I think I might just be steering towards chosing environment art as my future.

Our level focusing on creating a horror game like atmosphere has alot of stark 

 lighting and I've even been adding flashing lights and spooky environment effects.

Atmosphere turns out is hard to create. Especially making it feel like a hospital. 

This is an example of how I've blocked off a path.Years of seeing blocked debris passages in games I finally get to make one haha!

This is our level over all so far. We were suggested to make it smaller so I did. But now we have lots of assets to use I've gone back in adding extra corridors and extra side paths that may be blocked off but help make our hospital setting feel more real. 

Week 16 : Spooky Cargo

This week has been really quite eventful. Last time we had only just decided to create a horror game style level. And now by the end of this week we have the basics of the level down and the basics of lighting.

I started off by building the walls to make our level out of. Having these done let me create the level properly. While we did have 3D container models to work off, I decided on remaking them as the last was far too high on the tri limit.

To fit with the dystopian theme we want to run the project off I made sure to have the containers nice and rusted over. This makes the lighting work nice and interesting with PBR ( which is amazing.).

From here it was apparent we had done too much concepting. I feel all of the groups have, atleast from what I've heard. I don't think anybody really got the idea that we weren't meant to concept much in this project and take some idea generation short-cuts. So after this I made up the level using these container parts.

There were a few issues on the way, especially with getting the exact scaling right but now the whole thing works wonderfully thanks to the help of my group.

This is our level planned out. As you can see we took out one whole room, as it was pointed out to the group that maybe focusing on making something small really well is probably smarter than trying to make something bigger.

Some things we need are blueprints for lighting switches and the elevator, though my group has set this up and just needs the assets. Really all we need now is a bunch more assets as now I've set up some nice lighting.

I'm the main engine guy for this, and that mostly means working on the lighting. I've also taken some time working on particle effects. Of course it's quite hard to see on a screenshot, but I've got dust floating in the air helping add to the dank creepy atmosphere.

I think as a group we're in a really good place. This next week is just going to be making awesome assets and populating the level with sweet stuff. I'm excited to see what we can make by the end of this!

Week 15 (maybe) : Cargo Containers

Container City project! The first thing we have to do after the long winter holidays. An environment project where everything is based on cargo containers. I think this will be great fun, though I am wary after the last group project I had to do went so badly.

But first the winter break! I had a great holiday, and actually did quite a lot of work. Most of this was revolved around making my portfolio website. www.olismithart.com It isn't much, but it's  a place where I can start to make more professional place to put together my portfolio! I need to do more work on it but hey, I'm happy about it. I also did several character projects over the holiday making sure to keep my creative brain working!

And now I have to use my creative brain again! Our group started off strong. We made a level block out as fast as possible;

Having this let us start designing and coming  up with ideas really quickly. We wanted to focus on the dystopian idea. Our first few brainstorms came up with ideas like creating a container city based factory, or gang hide out. One idea of mine was a super villians lair like The Jokers. But basically to stop ourselves getting to set in an idea at this point we all just concepted whatever came into our minds. 

The first step as always is moodboards. With a group project its great, everyone can make about 8 moodboards and between us we have a huge selection to look through. Mostly I focused on how to make things look old and abandoned, and also flooded as I like the sound of having a flooded room.

Heres a small selection of my thumbnails. I ended up making somewhere around 50 thumbnails. All just quick 5-10 minute very rough sketches. Of course they aren't super high detail but I like them for getting ideas across. 

Then looking again at the blockout we improved it. I had my first design, a group member had another and we mashed them together to create this. We want a level thats short but has alot of detail inside of it. Like a bioshock like game, where you walk around and find these nice details all over the level as you back track. As this project is all modular we can definately make more rooms as a stretch goal.  We also chose our theme. Medical. We plan to create a sort of makeshift ward and morgue in this container city, and focus on making it eerie and creepy as possible.

Making these modular parts is my current objective, after concepting some. I want to make walls and floors so we can start making the bare bones of the level as quickly as possible. So thats where I am right now.

And I leave you with the first of my fancy concept arts. I like it. It  isn't great but, I like it. It works. It really captures the creepy atmosphere we want to use.

Week 11 : Putting the Jackal to rest.

Character project over! I am glad to see the end of this project. It's been hard and full of issues but I am quite happy with how this has all gone. Its been a big learning process in a good way, so lets look at whats been going on.

This is my character with just his Albedo on. This is how I prefer my character personally, I have created hand painted PBR textures for him but I really just prefer the simple painterly look of him like this. I wanted to create him for a MOBA or MMORPG like game, and the most important thing for that is clarity. I do think this character has clarity!

 His silhouette is strong and colours pop. I'm really happy with how his texture went. The blood is perhaps my favourite, or maybe the cracks in the mask. It was important to me that his design wasnt all cluttered.

The main issue, which is really damn obvious is that he hasnt been rigged. As you can see the character was designed to be hunched and disfigured with an almost monkey like pose. Now I have absolutely no idea if the model will still work strongly if rigged or even work at all. But I think it will. Theres a high chance of me rigging him over the christmas holidays to turn him into a portfolio piece and practice rigging in general. 

This is the Jackal with PBR textures. As you can see he doesnt quite pop anymore! Which makes me abit sad. But I like how the texture has gone, especially in the cracks of the mask. Also the kind of silky matieral hes dressed in has a good looking microtexture. So I am happy with how the PBR has gone but I think I prefer it just as albedo. Fits my inner ideas more. The PBR took a long time to work out as several issues showed up. It's always issues you can fix with one button press that hurt the most.

Looking back at this project what would I have done better? Well I did waste a whole week with a concept that got scrapped. That would be preferable not to do. If i didn't waste a week maybe I could of rigged the character and started off on my second of the duo. I also probably would have liked to do more concept for these guys, maybe a nice paintover thats showy. But really I think I've done the best I could of done with my time constraints and work issues.

Now its time for christmas break! I can fix some of this perhaps, or maybe focus more on personal projects I've wanted to do for a long time? I dont know yet but I do have to make sure to do atleast something creative!

Week 10 : Jackal the Jester

My plan for this week was to evolve my concept for my Dichotmous Duo Project into a wonderful 3D model, textures and all. 

The first step for modelling this was to make the main body. Now Jackal here looks abit weird modeled. In my design I have him hunched over in an ape like position and standing up he just looks incredibly out of proportion (which he is deliberately so) and kind of weird. This was one of my main challenges in modelling the Jackal, making him look right and human with these strange proportions. 

Another significant challenge is his mask! Faces are hard to do. But a face ontop of a face which is emotionless but with the slight hint of emotion is quite difficult.  This is just a first look at doing it, and it's quite awkward. Also ontop of all of this I have to work out how to make smoothing groups work right for it! Now smoothing groups are my enemy, and never seem to work. So the face is a big issue for me.

But it has worked out. This is one of my first looks at my model. From here I had lots of tweaks to do, but I like how its gone. The tassels at the back I especially like, almost looking like crazed hair.

Because I want my character to be in either a MOBA like game or a MMORPG I wanted to look at the silhouettes. I'm very happy with how they look! I feel like Jackals body shape could be recognizable from a far and gives great clarity. Of course he isn't rigged. If he was rigged and in a more characterful pose maybe this would work even better.

Now it comes to texturing. I was looking forward to this. Sure the model is alright, but its nothing special. But with the texture I can bring something to life. Below is just a rough look at the colours where they should be.  I mostly did this to test how colours would work together, especially the mask and the orangey skin tone of his arms.

This is my first try at the texturing. Some things about it work, some other things dont. This is why I decided to paint over to study it.

This has probably been my favourite part of the texturing process so far. I'd never done anything like this but it seems to be really useful! With a quick paint over I can easily look at what the texture does and doesnt have and what it needs. I'm definitely going to do this more in the future. It's perfect for when you aren't sure what to do.

Heres my finished albedo. I'm really happy with it. It has more contrast, more blood. It really does look creepy and yet has alot of clarity to it. Having designed him for a MMORPG kind of game I wanted the textures to not be too crazy or over the top. Hell he could even work for a mobile game with this poppy colour.

My current problems is that he just doesnt work properly in Unreal Engine 4. His smoothing goes weird, the shading doesn't work and just general issues. Part of this may be because of PBR, as I haven't set up a Roughness map yet and thats on track for next week. Sadly I probably wont have time for doing a rig for him, definately not for doing one well like I'd want. But this I might do in extra time, just to complete him.