Finished Environment

Some fly throughs of the environment in UDK.

Detailed Lighting only



Fully Lit and Textured

Updates and changes in UDK

Some notable changes:

• Floor tiles are now sets of tiles instead of individual. This is more efficient for the engine and lightmass.

• Walls have been replaced with meshes now from brushes. This is more efficient for the engine.

• Tree replaced with lower poly model with normal maps produced with mudbox to add detail.

• Added plants. These are just a series of planes at various angles with a texture with an opacity map.

Environment UDK Test

This video shows the first assets put into UDK. The walls are created with brushes so I could get the sizing right. After some experimenting I kept them this size.

The floor tiles are all individual so I could get as much variation and options when placing them. The large plant in the center is only a place holder too as its topology is messy and not very efficient.

More Concepts

This was another concept I started to model but it was at this point I stopped and began work on an interior environment.

I created this scene and rendered this image out. I liked this concept more because I felt that I could have a greater contrast between the nature and human elements of the scene as nature is taking over the structure.

Heres the final paint over.

This environment interested my and I felt I could do my best work with it over the others so this is the concept I choose.

Another concept

Another 3D model to paint over

The finished paint over.

With this concept I went for a duller and browner appearance. The rust and the plants share a similar colour palette but I think this makes the whole scene blend together.

Concept Workflow

For this project it required me doing more 2D art work, something I shy away from. I'm not as fond of 2D painting compared to 3D. I often find that using 3D I can quickly get my ideas down and in a program which allows me to take nice renders or enables me to change lighting or the camera angle with ease.

For this project I was planning on combining both my 3D and 2D to create concepts and ideas. I began with models in max and picked flat colors for the different parts of the models.

After picking a angle I like I render out the image and take in to photoshop were I fade it out ready for the next step.

I draw sketchy lines as a rough guide for detail.

Then I create a new layer and fill the whole layer with a dark colour. I then use layer mask to cut into the colour fill to pick out light areas and detail.

Here I add a layer of colour under the other layers.

finally I add more detail and highlights.

Some fixes with the levels tool and one done concept.

Environment Design Research and Idea Generation

This is probably the bit about XB3001 I have anticipated the most, not only is environment design something I find interesting but it is an area of games that I have really built up a love for and is hopefully something I will go into in the games industry.

The first part of this environment design workflow was to draw up some ideas and get as many images as possible to help concept and form the idea. The final environment had to be around a 10 by 10 meter scene populated with assets, this could be done in 3ds max and rendered out or put into UDK itself. Since I know a fair bit about UDK I thought id go for the option to import into a games engine and make it a great portfolio piece and learning experience being only my second environment in UDK.

Before I began I knew what I was looking to create. My other UDK environment is a spaceship, all hard surfaced, all handmade textures, clean, and grey. With this environment I wanted something outside my comfort zone. I wanted to use photos for textures, create grime and decay, and finally do something organic.

I felt that a world where humans had gone would be perfect back story to have some rusty and old assets as well has some overgrown plants. My theme was evolution so I thought I could get some large or different plants in the design.

These are some of the plants I looked at initially. I really liked the idea of having rich vibrant colours for the plants to contrast against the dull, red rust and greys or human structures and assets.

Another idea for the plants was to have a evolved plant that eats humans.

This is a collection of images I was looking at to think of what elements and composition I could use in my 10 by 10 scene.