Year 3, Week 1: Roller

Picking the brief

Day 1

I really wanted a skill Tech skill based project so that I could just concentrate on learning some new programs and general processes. These new skills could then be used throughout the year to improve all following projects. This means that I was hoping for a project with no concepting faze, this would free up more time to concentrate on simply creating the best asset that I could in the time.

The tech skills that I really want to develop are my hard surface high to low poly baking to generate Normal and AO maps. I also really have to start learning Substance painter. I also need to start putting my work in marmoset to get the best out of it.

 Realistic Brief: GP Prop Brief

Create the above asset for a gritty FPS game. 30,000 Tri budget and 1x2048 Texture budget,  3 weeks.

This brief is very close to exactly what I was looking for. But with one exception, the asset is vast and complex. The Roller although at first glance may appear relatively simple, as far as its basic forms go, but there are hundreds of individual parts to understand, model, unwrap and then texture. The initial low poly stage alone for this brief will take up a huge amount of time, offsetting any time saved by not having to concept.

But I will be able to begin modelling immediately on Monday morning, I’ve also never undertook a project like this so I actually have very little idea of how long it will take. Also I have to bear in mind the extra hours that I will be committing this year, as well a greater understanding of good work practice. This year I am committed to using my lab time much more efficiently, I am there to work that is all.

Due to priory made commitments (waiting for a new computer case, a concert, cinema) this first week will be a 50 hour week. How much can I get done in this time?

GP Prop Partially Stylized Brief: Apocalyptic Weapon

You have been given the above concepts by an inexperienced concept artist. Further develop one of these designs and then create the asset for a Dead Rising style game. 10,000 Tri Budget and 1x1024 Texture Budget,  3 weeks.

I was also considering this project, but I really didn’t want to have to concept for my fist project this year.

This project looked to be allot of fun, attaching a chain saw to a shot gun is hilarious. Also this would still give me the opportunity to learn all the programs and process that I wanted to learn. I would just have to spend the first few days in Photoshop concepting.

I actually started mood boarding for this project, and even started creating a photo bash kit in Photoshop. But I kept thinking that If I were doing the Roller project I would be modelling at this very point, if I worked right up to 9.00 I could really make an impact immediately with that project.

Initial Days

After blocking in the initial shapes, I realized that there were many complex areas of the model that I needed to understand. This required a huge amount of fettling and research. Also there are allot of decisions to be made in regards to what features to include and or alter in order to help with time and tri efficiency. Also what to include in order to really sell the rollers form, characteristic and industrial tone. I have to understand that this is a game asset; it has to sit in its environment and be believable for an average gamer, not some one that has worked with these machines, so I shouldn’t try and recreate every nut and bolt.

Later Half of the week

The time it is taking to complete the low poly is far greater than I predicted.  I’m starting to worry about the standard of finish I will achieve within this time and or whether or not I will finish.

I have just been introduced to an update to 3DS Maxes chamfer. You can now tell 3DS max to only create quads when chamfering. This creates much more manageable geometry; it also only chamfers an edge in multiples of 2. This helps with unwrapping as now it’s obvious where the smoothing group seams will be places. This has been a massive help with general modelling. But it’s much more costly to the tri budget; as a result I’m trying to be conservative at this point as too not end up over budget. I have to just hope that I’m not being to costly and at the same time to conservative. With so many additional pieces to create it’s hard to tell at this point how many chamfers if any to add when modelling.
 

Feed Back

I’m right to be concerned about the amount of work that will be necessary to complete this project to a high standard. All I can do to help this process to continue to work hard. For the upcoming week I should be able to attend Labs between 9 and 9 every day. Also I need to try harder to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the day. There are many things to consider here that may or may not help. For example I barely listened to music on Thursday and Friday in an attempt to limit distractions, but this then this meant that I could hear the general chatter in the room, which is then a distraction. A middle ground could be to only listen to nonabrasive instrumental tracks.

I was also advised to not use Marmoset for this project, as using Unreal instead will show the ability to make the asset work in Engine, this is something that using Marmoset will not.

Progress