Imagined worlds – Skybox changing system

Using the Unity animator controller I was able to rotate the lighting to create a light/shadow cycle that would represent the sun revolving throughout the day.

The gif above shows how this will world out although the speed needs to be adjusted so that the cycle will take around 1-3 minutes, possibly longer depending on the full length of the finished flight path to ensure that it happens with a nice pace of timing.

It could go from morning to mid-day on the birds first cycle of the island and from mid-day to evening on the second and finally evening to night when the volcano erupts to add a dark/gloomy atmosphere.

The next step is implementing the skyboxes in such a way that they will cycle with the light, this will require I kind of clock mechanism attached to the rotating light.

This is the clock based system I have set in place to trigger a skybox change.

There is one arm which is set as a child of the light to follow it as it rotates, as the arm rotates it will collide with one of the four boxes surrounding it which will inturn trigger a skybox change.

The arm is coded with triggers set to detect different tags “Morning”  “MidDay”  “Evening” and “Night” which has the corresponding skybox tied to each so it will cycle through those in order creating a day cycle with light and shadow over the world for a more accurate representation, The timing for this system is something that will have to constantly be tweaked as the projects advances to ensure the timing fits the world events that are taking place.

Modeling Preparations

Today I had to think about a model that I could create multiple versions of (low/high poly) which would also fit into my imagined worlds project.

After a discussion with my team talking about different assets that would be required for the scene I settled with the idea of making a boat. This is something that I can work around the timescale with based on how detailed I can make it within the time I have as the model itself shouldn’t be too complex.

The first thing I did was create a moodboard of higher poly looking models and then went onto creating another with boats that were lower poly. I then needed to think about the details of the wood that I could create to give it more of a lively looking effect.

Moodboards

I looked at different styles of boats merchant, life and row boats are a few, this leads to a lot of different options in detail as rubber rings, rope, windows, poles, flags,. lights, seats, benches, storage areas, rudders, framing, and more that I haven’t came across yet.

We have two scenarios that require a boat for our imagine ed worlds project, we have the ideas for a boat that is circling the island and another that have crashed up on a smaller side island.

I think at the moment I will go for the fully completed boat that goes around the island and i can alter the model to make a crashed up boat later on.

When looking at details for the wood I looked at more stylized pieces that had different conditions to make them their own piece. Some of them are chipped away, split, carved, naturally grained and even slightly bending on the edges. Now that I am looking at the different images and evaluating the details between them the obvious condition that I haven’t gathered an image for is water damaged, swollen pieces of wood which would be great for the bottom of the boat to show that it is well traveled.

 

After this I went onto sketching some designs and at first I started with a big top down view but after talking to Matt I was told that those types of drawing should be left as a final sketch after I have done a load of little sketches with different details so I can decide on  which I like and which I don’t like and start thinking about merging aspects from each idea into newer drawings to try and improve on every model until I have a design I am happy with for a final sketch.

concepts 1

big boats top

The next thing I need to look into is ores to complete the model but these are something that I think would be done separately and then merged together after details and textures have been added.

Introduction to Mudbox

Today I was introduced to the software package Mudbox, this package is often used for creating models or adding detail/texture to existing models.

My initial attempt of this software I started to try and model a couple of things.

A devil statue from the binding of Isaac was what I looked into modeling/sculpting as these models aren’t highly detailed and would have been a nice starting point as if I had of finished it I could of added any detail where ever I seen fit to play around with the software some more.

After I had an issue with trying to sculpt the eyes and ended up caving in it’s entire face I decided to try for something a little simpler and moved onto Pichu, starting with it’s head.

I started with a new sphere and tried to sculpt the ears first. I had a few different attempts with this trying different techniques and angles, I managed to get the basic shape of the ears done but when it came to making them bigger I was only grabbing half of the ear and heightening that half.

After speaking with Matt he explained that I need to increase the size of the tool for it to grab more of the surface that I needed it to. Matt proceeded to help and show me a few other things while explaining that I should try and ass detail to something with Mudbox to get used to the tools before attempting to model with it as it can get a bit tricky and fidgety to learn.

He then showed me exactly what he meant and started to ad some detail onto the model showing me exactly how the tool size, angle and even zooming in can help create detail more clearly and accurately.

After Matt had shown me this I proceeded to keep trying different things and turn the model into a rabbits head, it still needs more detail to represent the fur, whiskers, teeth and other facial features. I am also considering rotating the ears to face forward instead of flopping over the sides.

I will need to experiment more with Mudbox but for now I think I would rather create my initial models with Maya and use Mudbox to increase the texture of the model as it seems as though it would work much better that way.

Specifically with mudbox being able to add things such as creases and curves a lot easier than Maya would without altering the mesh too harshly.

Next time I use Mudbox I think I will use one of my previous models and experiment with adding detail rather than sculpting from an initial object such as the sphere I used today.

Imagine worlds – Preparing to erupt

I have decided to make the volcano my main priority for now and I will be handling the scripting for it’s eruption, the elements I will be working on at the moment are:

• Changing skybox
• Screen shake
• Lava flow
• Launching rocks with a set trajectory
• land/rocks forming (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahZD95l1MvM)
• Rotating lighting (day/night cycle)

At the moment I currently have the screen shake, skybox change and even camera controls at the ready.

Once the scene starts up the a skybox has been added to the project and a change of sky box (on click) has been implemented as well as screen shake and camera movement, unfortunately I don’t have any screen recording software available at the moment so I only have images to display the skybox change for now.

The next step is setting up a day/night cycle with the change of lighting and and skyboxes that change on their own either with a timer or triggers.

Starting of an Imagined Worlds Project

After being introduced to the project brief as a whole, I was left to look through the smaller briefs of the types of projects available, after looking into the briefs available I chose the brief that sounded right for me to be involved with, “A World without Play”.

The brief for this project is

“You have been tasked with building a living, breathing game world where player interaction is a mere bonus.

You must plan, design and develop a digital world suitable for use as a zone or region in RPG/adventure games such as Zelda or Pokemon.

The world should feature scripted elements to make it feel alive, such as: a self-guiding camera, timed events, random colours, weather changes, artificial intelligence and even procedural content.

The world must be produced in a game engine and be able to run indefinitely with or without input from a player.”

 

After deciding on a brief, it was time to form a team, after some discussions around the class the team I am working within consists of:

Me – Programmer

Lee – Programmer

Aiden – Programmer

Robert – Concept artist

Sam – 3D modeler

Ryan 3D Modeler/ Level Designer

Once we had all come together and decided on who was doing what it was time to decide on a theme, we jotted down a couple of ideas which included

• Island (Tropical or deserted)
• Dungeon
• Haunted woods

This process actually went by faster than expected and we all settles on a tropical island with a volcano.

The next step was gathering a collection of images to create a mood board. I started by looking at wumpa island from the crash bandicoot series and a few of the islands from wind waker as references images.

And from that point onwards it was time to start working on it….

High poly to low poly work flow

this is my understanding of the process after researching from here:

https://polycount.com/discussion/158039/high-poly-to-low-poly-workflow-questions

 

This type of workflow is used to create a more detailed low poly model.

3D Artists will often start off by creating a high poly model which will allow them to add as much detail to the product as they want and ensure that it is refined as much as possible.

Once they are happy with that they will then use the high poly model to create a low poly model, what I mean by that is they will use the geometry, shape and silhouette to ensure that the dimensions of both models are the same, this will then allow them to unwrap the UV’s on the low poly variant.

Once the low poly has been unwrapped they can then  use the high poly as a source of information for the process to bake the map of the high poly onto the low poly  model and transfer the details before texturing.

 

After researching this I was tasked with working in a group and laying out the full process behind making a model from scratch, this required laying out different pieces of paper which each had a different part of the process written on and putting them in order, The correct order was:

1. Research
2. Initial sketches/reference images
3. final concept sketch
4. High to low  poly baking plan
5. Low poly model
6. High poly Model
7. Bake
8. Texture
9. Render
10. Present

We had initially placed High to low poly baking plan after the model creation, it turned out to be optional based on if you make your high or low poly model first. but, it is better to do it beforehand as you can leave notes and annotation to help yourself when creating the models.

Once we had been through this and had a talk about it as a class it was then to give it a try.

I first started by creating a simple cube and unwrapping it, this is my low poly model.

I then duplicated the cube and started adding extra features onto the new cube which was to become my high poly model, my initial thought was to create a simple crate as a first attempt.

Unfortunately there is an issue with substance painter so I never got a chance to attempt baking the models, if I still have the student version of substance at home I will give it an attempt later tonight.

Industry Job roles

Job Roles and  Skill requirements:

Gameplay programmer 

Gameplay programmers are responsible for bring assets to life and creating/refining game mechanics.

Ability  to programme in C++, C#, C, Java, Lua  and other programming languages is a must for this role, they also need to be highly organised to keep track of workloads and deadlines. The ability to communicate with others to understand exactly what they want to happen within the game or for specific character/enemy elements to take place. and work as a team is very important as well as there will be requirements for some elements which could leave to a lot of criticized feedback.

Experience with different engines (unity, unreal, Godot, Game maker) will be very important as well as working with the desired platform,

 

Expected Salary is usually around £30,000 ~£35,000 competitively depending on employer,there is often benefits packages included with the roles depending on company and location.

 

Engine/tools programmer

An Engine/tools programmer is responsible for building the foundation that everyone else will build apoun, this is why excellent communication skills will be a must for this role as they will need to work towards the requirements of others and finding a way that their needs don’t conflict.

Previous experience of around 3-5 years is usually a must for these roles, as well as experience with networking, optimization, algebra/mathematics and various programming languages like C, C#, C++ or sometimes Java.

Knowledge of HTML5, PHP and Silverlight is a bonus for this role which is why a lot of applications will be looking for someone with a background in computer science as well.

Previous experience with problem solving and optimization is also an essential resource

Expected salary is usually around £50,000 – £55,000 competitively.

 

Animator 

An animator will preferably have a very creative mind, this is why a lot of animators will often act out anything they consider. They will also be required to work towards very precise details (multiple decimal places) to ensure that everything is perfect, this can also include the tedious task of checking the animation over frame by frame.

Presentation skills are required for this role as they will also require constant feedback as there could suddenly be an abrupt change to how the character, enemy or object will be required to perform in order to fit and scene/game play changes.

Previous experience with animating software will be required for the role and could range between various 2D and 3D software or even using one programme for both.

Different types of animating software include but is not limited to  3DS Max, Maya, Adobe (character) Animator, AeSprite.

Expected Salary – ~£24,000

Technical Animator 

A technical animator is more of an advanced role which will often require a previously shipped product and multiple years of experience (animating and rigging)  on their resume as they will often be responsible for helping to teach others.

They will be required to manage their workload very efficiently to meet short deadlines without sacrificing and product quality.

Experience with different programmes to know which ones may handle certain jobs better than others or have specific tools that can help enhance or even speed up the process, as well as experience with scripting to implement the animations and test them within the gameplay elements themselves.

Programs that are often used for this role are  Maya, 3DS max and cinema 4D

Expected Salary – ~£27,000

Concept artist

A concept artist will be responsible for bringing peoples thoughts into a physical form.

They are required to have excellent illustration skills to bring detail to the image and help focus on main points of interest, this will require great communication skills to understand exactly which parts should standout more than others.

Ability to accurately work toward the perspective of a 3D space on a 2D plane, a keen eye for details like color contrast, shading and scale will be essential for this.

Working as part of a team and being prepared to make a lot of changes through the life cycle of a piece of work will be expected as they usually deal with initial ideas and feedback.

Photoshop will often be the required tool for this but some smaller companies might use other programmed such as Gimp.

Programs – PhotoShop

Expected Salary – ~£25,000

Texture Artist

This role will require a great eye for detail as well as a concept artist they will also be required to prepare for changes at any point during the process with creative problem skills.

Experience with a 3D paint package such as substance painter is required as well as knowledge of similar programmes like Photoshop.

Excellent communication skills to work within a team of other texture artist or being able to understand what another division of the company may being expecting  the finished product depending on that it will be placed around.

Expected Salary – ~£27,000

VFX Artist

A VFX artist ill be required to have knowledge in modelling, texturing, animating, lighting and composing.

 

• As a VFX artist he must ensure that the models are built to scale.

• Texturing is for vfx will require knowledge with texturing surfaces and models to ensure everything fits a theme and that there are no overlaps of dark areas.

• Animation is important for this role because one jerk in a frame could ruin the entire atmosphere of the piece that has been placed together.

• Lighting is one of the most important elements as it is the difference between a detail going noticed or un-noticed this can be used to an advantage in both ways. Using the right lighting helps certain aspects stand out while also concealing anything that they might want to leave hidden at the time.

• Composing the piece is the process of putting all of the above points together to create a trailer, cut scene or show.

Programs that are used for this role will include Adobe PhotoShop, Premiere, after effects, 3DS max and Maya.

Expected Salary – ~£19,000 – £30,000

Matte Painter

This role will require knowledge of file formats and their compatibility, photography elements such as lighting, depth, composition, tone and  color.

They will be required to create a digital painting which looks like as realistic as possible, this requires a great understanding of the rules of perspective to ensure that nothing seems out of place.

Photoshop will be the main programme used within this line of work although Maya and nuke can also be used.

They will also be required to work and develop professionaly and take of constructive feedback, working towards deadlines with multiple tasks going at once as well as the ability to adapt to any feedback, criticism or even requests that could be brought up at anytime.
Expected Salary – ~£30,000

Environment Artist

A high level qualification (degree level)  within  Digital media production, Fine art and digital animation will be required and will be back up by a professionally presented portfolio which consists of traditional and digital drawing skills.

Traditional and digital drawing skills will  include the ability to use both methods and present knowledge of shading, color contrast, lighting and shading to ensure a word standout as more than a flat image.

Being able to use programmes such as Photoshop, Gimp, Zbrush, Maya, 3DS Max and many more will be required although the required programme will be company dependent.

They will need to be imaginitve which will show by being able to create a world from scratch. (Design, prototype, model, texture)

Expected Salary – ~£25,000

 

Character Artist 

Similar to the concept artist this role will require the ability to Design, prototype, model and texture as well as being able to map out, rig and weigh their creations.

This will require a lot of knowledge of various different programmes including but not limited to Photoshop, maya, mudbox and ZBrush.

Highly knowledgeable about the human form in respect to modeling and how it can be altered to show anything special about the character in question.

They will be require to work around various different aesthetic such as realism, stylized realism, cell shaded, pix-elated, low/high poly.

Communicating in a clear and concise manner internally and with external studios, which is why proficiency in the English language preferred. Although any other languages may be considered a bonus within any role.

This role is prioritized around feedback and alterations so the =y will need to be prepared for any critique as they will usually be expected to go above the expectation when refining character details.

Expected Salary – ~£28,500

I would like to go into programming for year two of the course as i tend to enjoy game play mechanic more than aesthetics.

The job role I would like to work towards would be a junior programmer for Jagex.

(Job not  currently listed at this time)

This would require a much greater understanding of code and university progression as their junior roles often require a degree.

I am also considering the route of a smaller indie games company.

Low poly world Project – final blog

I was tasked with working in a group with Ian, Lee, Jacob and Reese to create a low [poly environment and an accompanying vehicle.

First we had to decide on a theme and the the Ideas We had were:

• Horror
• spooky(Halloween)
• End of world survival
• Forrest survival

In the end we went with forest survival as this was something we were able to quickly identify required assets to fir the theme.

The assets we have for the world are

• Cooking pot/stand
• Campfire
• Cabin
• waterwheel
• fish rack
• boat
• trees
• grass
• Bridge
• Stump
• Well
• Pickup Truck
• Logs
• Fliowers
• Rocks
• Fishing rod
• Mushrooms
• Fences
• Bushes/Shrubs
• Gas Canister
• Lantern
• Bird

The assets that I made were the bird, fishing rod, lantern, grass, mushroom and cooking pot.

The first asset I made was the cooking pot, this actually managed to confuse me a little with the tris as it had a few edges that seemed to add a lot more than they should have. I needed to find a way to reduce the number without deforming the object too much.

This should have been an easy task, unfortunately the faces of the logs started to stretch out and through other objects when removing some f the end faces.

 

 

Completed pot

Front View

Side View

Top View

Side view wire

Top view Wire

Front view wire

 

Finished bird

Surprisingly I managed to get the bird made under 300 tris, i expected this to be the hardest object to keep within the limit.

Below view

Front/side view

Back view

Side view wire

Top view wire

Back view Wire

Next was the grass which was the easiest of the models and it was a case of adding edge loops to a thin spiked object to allow some bending without destroying the objects shape/form.

 

The next asset I made was the Lantern, I had some help from Ian adding the glow to this object.

The mushroom was probably the simplest part I have done for this project as I used a have circle and a cylinder which were very easily put together to form the shape and they were not far from the tri limit when formed.

The fishing rod however was one of my favorite piece to make for this as it was the most challenging, the final shape of it has came out a bit more square that I would have hoped but it still represents what it is supposed to be.

The final world of everyone pieces had fit together very well and I really like how it has turned out. there is also an animated version of this where the boat bobs up and down as well as the  waterwheel turning but I don’t have access to that at the moment so I will add it to the post when I can.

Low Poly World

Today I continued working on assets for the low poly worlds project and I managed to finish off the cooking pot/stand that I had started earlier.

I am considering changing the color to a slightly lighter shade of brown.

I have now begun to work on a low poly bird and have managed to find a nice tutorial to do so.  Although this is my attempt without the video as I didn’t have enough time to watch it all during the lesson.

 

After using the tutorial above to help refine my model I came up with this as a finished product.

I tried smoothing the model but it was a ;little over 30 tris above my limit. I asked my team if they preferred the smoothed of blocked out version and they opted for blocky.

Portfolio Preparation

This lesson I plan to implement the feedback that I received for my animation short project and improve the textures/encirclement that it is situated within.

The feedback I will be implementing is.”I like the overlapping action at the end with the wobble – although this does look a bit too fast and erratic. I love the jolty nature of the movement but I think this could be more random and vary in degrees of movement so that sometimes it rotates further.”

 

I have updated the frames according to feedback so it now goes back on itself from time to time and the points that it rotates to are now less symmetrical, the final part of the sequence has also been stretched out to make it last a bit longer.

I have had an issue with playback though, whenever I try to play the animation it plays a few frames and skips chunks of them in between. I am currently rendering it to get a better example of how it should playback.

Matt has agreed to help me fix the issue as it is going to be a bit of a complicated process which will require creating a new project and merging the two. Although I think it may require myself needing to completely re do the frames.

 

Unfortunately it seems as though I am going to have to start over with my model adjusting all of the pivots, re-parenting the different part and animate it all over again.