Side Experiments/Doodles

For the last few months I've been part of an active twitch discord server and we've been doing weekly challenges. Here's a quick potion factory I did for one of the topics.

Dec Update and WIP

December is coming in full swing! My full faculty vote/presentation is coming up fast, so naturally I'm working like crazy to get things done.

Here is a lil flower process texture gif that'll join others on a packed 256x256 alpha:

November Progress Textures

Hello! This month and change has really flown by. My thesis partner and I have been working like crazy to get everything done, and there's more to touch upon. So far so good! I've handpainted all of my textures. It's been so relaxing to actually get to include my illustrative skills into my 3D thesis.

Here's a progress gif of my bark texture~

And some other textures I didn't capture progress shots from, but still happy with thus far. The dirt/grass floor base textures painted on my landscape and covered with foliage cards etc. 

Thesis Modeling Progress

These last two weeks have really been focusing on modeling! We have a deadline in a week and change to get the major modeled assets out of the way. I've made all of my 2nd pass models in Zbrush thus far, and/or have been throwing them into Zbrush for a finish pass. I have almost half of my major models complete (we've been given about 15 days for this). Though, there is a lot to be done. I've also become much more comfortable in Zbrush and have noticed I've been getting faster! Both of my trees are nearly finished and are ready for decimation/baking. I am currently working on my 110% asset. Unfortunately my lighting progress has suffered due to this deadline. I'm confident I can catch up when the brunt of the modeling is finished. Here are some progress shots!

Thesis Blockout WIP/Internship/Updates

Here's a first look at my blockout level in my thesis. My partner, Somin, has a separate level which spawns at the end of my level. Environment blockout is WIP, models are on their 1st pass, and there is no substantial lighting just yet. I have added additional UI icons on my HUD and changed more since this recording on Tuesday afternoon (It's Wed late morning now). Here's a first peek!

Blockout 1 Playthrough

Here is some HUD Icons I made last semester, which need some refining. These need to fully be plugged in and working.

Magic Energy Depleted

Magic Energy Full

 

As for this past summer I was at NetEase games working on their Game Assessment Center team (GAC). I played games all day and analyzed them for market research and game design consultation. It was AMAZING. This has really gotten me interested in more UX development in games, so I'm interested to see where my career will take me. I'm a trained 3D artist interested in making art, playing games, and finding ways to improve games, and for helping people to interact with them. I'd like to work with Netease again after graduation if possible! 

New Projects and Updates

My thesis has been approved for next year! I'm ecstatic. I'm working with my thesis partner and friend, Somin. Currently, I'm creating a HUD design for a side project. So far it's been working really well! I'm programming the finctionality under the hood and I'm making the art from each widget. I'm looking forward to finish that. I really love UI/UX and am researching designs/functionality on my own. There's a fantastic book I picked up from the library called Interface Design: an introduction to the visual communication in UI Design. I'm about half way through it, so far so good. I'll be posting my mock up, final artwork, plans for next years polish/animation on the widgets and link to my HUD in Unreal Engine 4 tutorial shortly. 

As for the summer, I've been offered an internship position at NetEase Mobile Games in San Francisco! I'm beyond excited and grateful for this opportunity. This will also be my first extended stay on the West Coast!! Woohoo! 

GDC Findings, Day 3 (Friday)

Friday was my final day at GDC. I took most of the day to explore the city.  There was only one panel I had both interest and  clearance for that day.

Panel LP style 3:30pm Friday

LowPoly is the minimum required geometry as possible to get a large idea across. It’s low fidelity art which goes against the high AAA titles. Some benefits of LP geo include: higher efficiency with smaller amount of team members on the project or even solo work, faster/smoother computing time, faster work times, saves $ for artist freelance contracts and working time, the ability to reach a larger audience including those who do not have the latest technology, and the enticing stylistic approach for mostly indie titles.

The recommended workflow for LP modeling is LP to high. Higher geometry with reduction is also acceptable. HP to decimated mesh is a nightmare to work with because of it’s inefficacy for character rigging and UV (stay away!!!)

The artist should be thinking in LP to unify the game’s overall voice. This way he or she can determine whether to use dispersement procedures to populate the world with much smaller LP assets, or to populate the world with less assets, ie pockets of higher fidelity assets.  Because there is a lack of geometry in the game, artists can use tricks to make the assets and textures read easier such as utilizing particles and panning UV textures for movement ( kind of like Sega Genesis look).

When working in LP, artist decides how low to make the geometry. Silhouette is the most important aspect in this which is widely known for 3D artists in general. The goal is to make each asset read as the idea of the object, rather than an absolute representation of the object itself. For instance, a sphere with 32 divisions at a distance isn’t too different from a sphere of 16 divisions from a small distance. But, a sphere with 8 will have noticeable edges but still be able to get the general idea across while saving polygons. It’s the understood object, rather than the HP render. At the same time the model shouldn’t be underselling itself where the model is ambiguous. When working with LP modeling it’s also crucial to have materials and lighting in mind. This will dictate how the asset will react and be perceived in the world. Generally LP cell shaded or unlit materials work best on LP styled games. Set color palettes are also a great way to save on textures and keep a consistent look in the game. LP saves computing time and makes it easier on the procedural asset generator. Detail in LP modeled assets aren’t the end goal in this approach.

Side note: When rigging LP assets, make sure to add edge loops on major joints so that the model moves correctly.