Practice 2: Creative Project Development @7cta2019-0105-2024 - Tumblr Blog

Blog Post #35- 28/04/2025

Final Pre-Production Document PDF:

Final Production Stage Blog here

Blog Post #34- 28/04/2025

Yesterday onward, I finally started working on my Pre-Production Document PDF. Things have been so busy lately with the Bio-Genesis project that I honestly lost track of time, and this part of the process kept getting pushed aside. But I knew I couldn’t avoid it any longer and it was time to bring all my planning, visuals, and ideas together in one place.

Finding the right template that actually fit the vibe of my project turned out to be a lot more difficult than I expected. I didn’t want to use something plain or generic. I really wanted my document to stand out, reflect the mood and concept of my environment, and be fun to look at. But after hours of searching, nothing felt quite right. Everything either looked too corporate, too boring, or didn’t fit the sci-fi/post-apocalyptic theme I was going for.

So in the end, I decided to build my document design from scratch. I chose a green, black, and white color palette to match the Bio-Genesis theme. Green representing the plants and hope, Black for the destroyed outside world, and White to reflect the sterile lab interior. I applied this color scheme consistently throughout the entire presentation, including my concept art, which I recolored to match.

I also spent quite a bit of time hunting down the right fonts. I wanted something futuristic but still readable, and it had to visually tie in with the rest of the layout. Once I locked all that down, I started pulling together all my progress: story concepts, moodboards, research, breakdowns, environment planning, and production timeline. I made sure everything was laid out clearly and professionally while still feeling personal and creative.

Even though I submitted it a few hours late, I’m honestly really proud of how it turned out. The document now feels like an extension of my project, not just a submission task. It reflects my vision, my journey so far, and the tone of the world I’m building. I'm really happy I took the extra effort to make it my own.

Blog Post #33- 27/04/2025

As I have already started working on the project and there's a huge list of things I still need to work on, I’ve finally put some structure into my timeline using a Gantt chart to keep everything organised.

Starting from 1st May, my first goal will be to finish the procedural staircase in Houdini. I’m giving myself until the second week of May to wrap this up. It’s been a challenging asset to create, especially with my limited experience in procedural modeling, but I really want to get it right since it adds a lot of depth and structure to the bunker environment.

Once that’s done, I plan to shift my focus to asset modeling using either Blender or Maya, depending on the complexity of each asset from my list. This will include things like computer desk, machines, pipes, and other lab props. I’ll then move on to texturing in Substance Painter, which I hopefully aim to finish by the third week of June. Of course, I know this part of the pipeline is often the most time-consuming, especially since I want to make sure every prop feels realistic. So, while that’s the goal, I’m staying flexible just in case some things take longer than expected.

If everything stays more or less on track, I plan to begin scene setup in Unreal Engine around late June or early July. This stage will include placing the assets, setting up basic lighting, and checking how everything is starting to come together. I want to use this phase to spot anything that might feel off or need adjusting—whether that’s material tweaks, prop placement, or layout balancing. I plan to finish this by week 2 of July.

That timeline will give me a solid month before the final deadline on August 18th. I’ll use that last phase for:

Game interactivity and functionality (like grabbing and throwing objects, automatic doors, reading research papers and player's HUD)

Rendering

Post-processing and color grading

HUD design and layout planning

Video editing, and finally,

Prep for the final presentation

This structured plan will help me to stay focused and avoid getting overwhelmed. Of course, things can shift depending on how smooth or bumpy the modeling and texturing process goes, but having this Gantt chart keeps me grounded in my priorities. Fingers crossed I stay on track!

#gantt chart

Blog Post #32- 26/04/2025

While working on the Bio-Genesis project, I realised something pretty important that I know the story, but the player won’t. I’ve been designing and building this environment with a full understanding of what’s going on in this world, but for someone stepping into it for the first time, it might feel confusing or disconnected unless I guide them properly. So now, one of my big focuses is to plan the player experience from the start and make sure they’re immersed in the story right away.

I’ve decided to add a starting intro screen that will display a short, written introduction when the player enters the game. It’ll briefly explain the backstory like - how the outside world is destroyed, how the bunker lab is humanity’s last hope, and how scientists are working to revive life through plant research. This sets the mood and gives context before the player even starts walking around.

Once in the lab, the player will be able to explore freely, interacting with objects like:

Picking up research papers and reading them

Grabbing and throwing items for a tactile, game-like feel

Automatic doors that respond as players approach, which adds that nice sci-fi atmosphere, and much more...

As part of this immersive world-building, I’ve also started thinking about adding holographic displays—you know, those floating sci-fi holograms you often see in futuristic games and films. I think they could be a cool way to show visual data, lab logs, or warnings without needing too much UI. I haven’t looked too deep into it yet, but I definitely want to start researching how to create holographic visuals, maybe using emissive materials or Niagara in Unreal Engine. It's something I think could really elevate the scene and push the sci-fi aesthetic even more.

On the asset side, I’ve also made a big decision: reduce the asset count. From past projects and just observing how other games are built, I’ve realised that you don’t need to fill every corner with props to make a space feel believable. Smart use of lighting, composition, decals, and key props can do a lot. This decision will help me spend less time modeling and more time focusing on gameplay features, storytelling, and scene polish, which are all equally important.

So, the current plan is to create a game environment that’s not just pretty, but also interactive, atmospheric, and narratively clear. There’s still a lot to explore, especially with the HUD and sci-fi effects, let's see how it goes.

Blog Post #31- 25/04/2025

During my development and concepting process for my Bio-Genesis project, I’ve found that drawing inspiration from other artists is a vital part of shaping my own vision. Here are a few key artistic influences that have been steering my approach to environment design, concept, and lighting:

1C Game Studios - Caliber: While browsing through ArtStation, I came across an incredible piece by 1C Game Studios from their Caliber project. The scene depicted a bunker-like laboratory hidden within an overgrown forest, and it immediately caught my attention. The way the environment blended natural overgrowth with an industrial, sterile structure really struck a chord with me. It was exactly the kind of mood I wanted for my Bio-Genesis project. This artwork sparked the idea of setting my project in a hidden underground bunker, and it became the foundation for the entire environment concept.

The map was included in Caliber in Update 0.14.0 Forest is the first map whose game zone is mostly natural landscape. A number of various ob

Daniel Jakobi: A concept artist specializing in sci-fi environments and assets, has also been a major inspiration for me. His work is known for its clean, futuristic designs and practical details, and it really resonates with the aesthetic I’m going for in my project. His designs have been incredibly useful for thinking about how to approach modeling the bunker structures, machinery, and other assets for my project. His work also helps me think about the modular design of the lab and how to create a space that feels both futuristic and grounded in reality.

Avaliable for work

Kime Honma: A Senior Lighting and Level Artist, has had a huge influence on how I’m approaching the lighting for my project. One particular piece that caught my eye was STRAY on ArtStation. I was drawn to how Kime used lighting to convey mood and tell a story through the environment. The way light and shadows worked together created such a powerful atmosphere, and it made me realize how important lighting is in setting the tone of a space. For my Bio-Genesis lab, I’m paying special attention to how lighting can influence the story I want to tell. It’s not just about visibility but it is also about creating an immersive experience that adds emotional depth to the space.

Same story as for Inside the wall, Viv had made a 3D mood for Jail and a few reference research later, the level came out of the ground, pro

Sources:

1C Game Studios, (2025). art1cgs. [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/art1cgs [Accessed 25 April 2025].

Jakobi, D., (2025). danieljakobi. [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/danieljakobi [Accessed 25 April 2025].

Honma, K., (2025). cookime. [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/cookime [Accessed 25 April 2025].

Blog Post #30- 24/04/2025

Today I tried working on creating a procedural staircase in Houdini, but without much knowledge of complex procedural modeling, I could only manage to build a very basic staircase. While functional, it was definitely far from the level I needed for my project. I quickly realized I needed to deepen my understanding of Houdini’s procedural tools to make something more dynamic. So while researching, I came across an awesome course on Udemy that I’m currently going through and is exactly what I need for my project.

Season 2.5 - Free Course

The course is really comprehensive, breaking down every step of the process- from creating the basic structure of the staircase to adding custom details and fine-tuning the design. I’ve just started watching it, and still grasping a lot of new things.

Other than that, I’ve been exploring tutorials on vertex painting in Unreal Engine as well on the side. I know that integrating vertex painting into my project, especially for creating grunge or leaks texture details on the floor and walls, will give them a lot more detail and realism. Well I still haven't started working on it yet as I am taking everything one at a time and I want to finish with my procedural asset creation first before moving on to something else but it's in my list.

I am quite excited to experiment with these different techniques to enhance the look and feel of the bunker lab environment. Procedural assets, combined with techniques like vertex painting, will help bring more depth and life to the scene, making it feel more immersive and realistic.

Sources:

Banks, R. (n.d.). Game Asset Creation With Houdini [Udemy]. Available at: https://www.udemy.com/share/101BhA3@AZPivT73_bgf5zaatIc6Z2KS9SsoI8Oe4tCPQfy5afuDGaybh46q1Qr1pFgr2HKVnA==/ [Accessed 24 April 2025].

Blog Post #29- 22/04/2025

After finishing the ivy generator in Houdini, I decided to expand my focus and work on more procedural assets for my Bio-Genesis project, like staircases, crates, incubators, sci-fi wall panels and floor panels. My goal here is twofold: to speed up my workflow and to deepen my knowledge of Houdini. Procedural assets in Houdini are great because once you create a base design, you can easily tweak and adjust it without starting from scratch. This is super useful for creating reusable assets like crates or floor or wall panels, where small variations might be needed in different parts of the scene.

The cool thing about using Houdini for procedural assets is how customizable they are. For example, when creating a crate, I could define parameters like the shape or size of the crate and the positions of the decals with different seeds, but I could also adjust these values whenever necessary. This will make my work much faster and will allow consistency in the design while still offering flexibility.

What's even better is how well Houdini integrates with Unreal Engine. By dropping the HDA in the Engine, I can easily import procedural assets into Unreal and make further changes in real-time. Instead of constantly switching between Houdini and Unreal, I can tweak assets directly in the engine, saving a lot of time. The only thing I am worried about that is it might work a bit slow and laggy but I'm sure I can work on it and make it work.

Plus these assets will also come in handy in my future projects as well.

Blog Post #28- 20/04/2025

Procedural Ivy Generator progress:

#Youtube

Blog Post #27- 19/04/2025

So since last few days, I was working in Houdini to create some procedural ivy growth for my Bio-Genesis project. Initially, I had been looking into SpeedTree for foliage creation, but after some more research, I decided to shift gears and dive deeper into Houdini for this task. The reason I moved to Houdini is its power and flexibility when it comes to procedural generation, which is exactly what I need for my ivy. Plus, Houdini allows for more control over the growth behavior, which was key for me since I want the ivy to feel natural, creeping over walls and surfaces in my scene.

The main challenge I ran into was figuring out how to get the ivy to grow across different surfaces, especially ones that aren't just flat things like on the incubator, curved surfaces, or any organic shape. Initially, I was just testing on simple flat surfaces like a box or a wall, which worked fine. But when I tried to apply it to more complex, organic surfaces, like the surfaces that weren't aligned to the grid, Houdini's procedural tools didn't quite behave the way I wanted them to. The main issue was how the ivy was being generated: when using start and end points, the tool would create growth paths that weren't following the curves in the way I expected. The growth would often just stick to flat surfaces or not wrap around the geometry properly, making it difficult to achieve the natural, creeping look I was aiming for.

To solve this, I tried a few different approaches. The first method was using curves to guide the growth. This allowed me to generate more organic, wavy patterns, similar to how ivy would actually grow in real life. But it still wasn’t perfect. The second approach involved using the start and end points, but this also wasn’t ideal for the organic surfaces. That’s when my friend, who’s a Houdini expert, stepped in to help. He suggested I use a third approach—generating user-created curves that are projected onto the surface using the Ray SOP in Houdini. This allowed me to make the ivy growth follow the contours of the surface, regardless of its shape.

By projecting the curves onto the surface, I could ensure that the ivy followed the organic curves of the walls and surfaces in my scene. This technique made a huge difference, as it allowed for more realistic growth patterns that responded to the geometry beneath them. The ivy now feels more natural, like it's slowly reclaiming the lab space.

This solution wasn’t just about solving a technical issue—it was about enhancing the storytelling of the scene. The ivy is meant to serve as a visual metaphor for hope and rebirth in a post-apocalyptic world. By making the ivy feel like it’s growing organically, I’m able to convey that sense of life slowly returning to a lifeless environment. This was crucial for the atmosphere I want to create in the Bio-Genesis project.

Overall, the process taught me a lot about Houdini’s procedural tools and how to adapt them to more complex surfaces.

Blog Post #26- 15/04/2025

Today I felt like taking a little break from my main project, but I still wanted to do something productive and learn something new. While scrolling through YouTube, I randomly came across a tutorial by Adobe Substance 3D about some of the new filter updates in Substance Painter. Then I remembered that Eden had also shown us this during one of the lectures, but I had forgotten to check it out afterwards.

It caught my eye because it focused on stylization — something I haven’t really explored much before but am genuinely interested in learning and trying out. The filters introduced included Anisotropic Kuwahara and Stylization, along with a few others, but these two were the ones I was especially keen to experiment with. I thought it’d be fun to test them out on a few simple models to see how they work in practice.

The Anisotropic Kuwahara filter basically creates this sort of painterly, brushstroke-like stylized look on your textures — almost like it’s hand-painted. It was really cool to see how it breaks up the surface into broad strokes while still keeping the form readable. The Stylization filter worked more like a layering effect, giving an overall toon-like render feel. I had to tweak a few settings like edge thickness, colour blending, and smoothness to get something that looked decent.

One issue I noticed though was that these filters can sometimes overpower the base material if you don’t layer or mask them properly. Even though my main project is more on the realistic side, this session gave me a nice break and opened my mind to how stylized workflows work and I might even try a stylized side project later just for fun.

Sources:

Adobe Substance 3D, (2025). 6 Powerful New Filters in Substance 3D Painter. [video] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/aCi0RG9-9so?si=yaBG3R54fK0R7itj [Accessed 15 April 2025].

Adobe Substance 3D, (2025). Achieve Stunning Stylized Textures in Substance 3D Painter. [video] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/WYbp7SY-wEo?si=usm_QLu_BewVmUZj [Accessed 15 April 2025].

#Youtube

Blog Post #25- 12/04/2025

I had initially planned to use SpeedTree for creating realistic vegetation but while researching into ivy growth generation today, I came across a really helpful tutorial for ivy growth in Houdini. Also after snooping around in Houdini, I realised Houdini already has its own built-in Ivy Generator tool and since I’m already more comfortable with Houdini’s node-based workflow, I think I’ll just stick to that instead.

The tutorial explained how to create procedural ivy by setting up a growing path over geometry and adjusting parameters like branch density, leaf distribution, and random variation to make it look organic. It also showed how to project the ivy along a surface, which is perfect for what I want — ivy crawling up the lab walls and growing out of the incubators to show life creeping back in. This fits really well with the storytelling of my project, and being able to do it procedurally also gives me more flexibility and control. I feel like this method is going to save me a lot of time while still giving really natural-looking results.

Simulate a highly realistic ivy growth system which can interact with any scene geometry. Create control systems and an avoidance rig for fu

Sources:

INSYDIUM LTD (2023). Premium Training - Ivy Growth. [playlist] YouTube. Available at: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgSzrPEe-sbQ3Hx4hgaV3WpNB-cJXW5yl (Accessed: 12 April 2025).

Blog Post #24- 11/04/2025

So today I realised that I still hadn’t given my project a proper name so I asked ChatGPT for some help brainstorming names, and after a bit of research and back-and-forth, I finally settled on the name "Bio-Genesis".

Bio-Genesis refers to the origin or beginning of life, which perfectly resonates with the theme of my environment. The name captures the core concept of the environment—an attempt to spark a second beginning of life on a dead planet. I think it adds a meaningful layer to the story I'm telling with the environment.

After finalizing the name, I spent some time watching tutorials on trim sheets by FlippedNormals. I had heard the term a few times but hadn’t fully grasped how useful they actually are until now. What I learned is that trim sheets are basically texture maps that allow you to reuse the repeating textures/elements across multiple assets. Instead of creating unique textures for every single object, you can smartly UV map different parts of your meshes to sections of one single trim sheet—saving a ton of memory and time.

Another tutorial I found was by Adobe Substance 3D which highlighted how to make Trim sheets in Substance 3D Painter (Trim sheets are a way to texture many assets with just a single set of textures, allowing for very efficient use of texture memory. In this video you learn the planning and initial setup of your trimsheet in painter.) and break down all the scene textures' into a single UV map and also how to easily create sci-fi panels/tiles using a Tile Generator alpha texture and even create your own (which will bascially act as a normal) to create small details like vents/ by painting the normal map detail that i can paint..

Another really helpful tutorial I found was by Adobe Substance 3D which highlighted how to make Trim sheets in Substance 3D Painter. It explained how to create trim sheets directly in Substance 3D Painter, which is super useful for texturing multiple assets using just one texture set, making everything much more memory efficient.

The video also covered how to create sci-fi panels and tiles using a Tile Generator alpha texture. What I found especially cool was how you can even make your own alphas and use them as a normal map painting base, which is great for adding tiny surface details like vents, grooves, and bolts directly within the normal map channel. This means I don’t have to model those small features—just paint them in, which is so much faster and keeps the geometry clean. It was exactly what I was looking for!

Overall, it gave me a much clearer idea of how to use trim sheets efficiently and creatively, especially for my sci-fi environment.

Sources:

FlippedNormals, (2020). What are Trim Sheets? [video] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/uUJShalzWy8 [Accessed 11 April 2025].

Adobe Substance 3D, (2022). Trim Sheets in Substance 3D Painter. [video] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/dE4LWGMwypc?si=8wdMjZKA7_MrEDGk [Accessed 11 April 2025].

#Youtube

Blog Post #23- 09/04/2025

Today I worked on creating my Assets List, which includes all the key elements I’ll need throughout the project. Listing everything out like this really helped me stay organized and visualize each section of the environment more clearly. It also gave me a better idea of how much work is ahead and how I can divide tasks across the different rooms. Here's how the list looks so far: Assets List:

Main Lab 🧪 -Central Incubator -Small incubators -Computer desk -Holographic computers -Machinery -Rusty Vents & pipes -Sci-fi Grate floor -Procedural staircase -Sci-fi Wall panels -Crates -Ivy growth -Big Tree

Storage Unit 🔐 -Hazmat suits -Lockers -Ceiling lights -Sci-fi Gate -Emergency supplies

Bio-nursery Lab 🌱 -Rectangular Incubators -Plants -LED Displays -Rubble Decals

Blog Post #22- 07/04/2025

Today I continued refining my block-out scene in Blender and made some solid progress. I modeled a few more elements to give the environment a bit more structure and depth. I modeled some basic sci-fi wall panels. They're still simple for now, but they help define the space.

I also put some work into the ceiling. I modeled a set of industrial-looking pipes. For some parts like the vents and certain pipe details, I found a few helpful models online that I was able to modify and blend into my own setup. Adding these elements really helped give the scene that complex, industrial lab vibe I’m aiming for.

Looking at the scene as a whole, it’s definitely starting to come together. I now have the main platform with basic looking stairs, a central sci-fi device (plant incubator), and few lab machinery around the room. The next step will probably be to add more details, like debris, ivy growth, wall damage, etc.

Blog Post #21- 06/04/2025

Today I finally started working on the basic blockout of my scene in Blender. I’ve laid out a rough floor plan, but I’m still not completely sure if I’ll stick with this layout in the final version—so for now, I’m just experimenting with different placements to get a better sense of scale and positioning. Even though it’s still very early and everything’s just grey boxes, seeing the space come together helped me visualise how the player might experience the environment.

At this stage, the scene felt a bit empty and lifeless, but I feel like my idea of adding ivy coming out of the incubators and climbing on the walls would bring the space alive, adding a subtle narrative layer to show nature slowly reclaiming the space. It would break up the cold, sterile vibe and hint at hope—like life is still fighting its way back. I think it’ll be a nice storytelling touch and also help balance the scene visually. I'm planning to use SpeedTree for that later on to get some procedural natural and organic looking ivy.

Blog Post #20- 04/04/2025

So today I opened up Procreate and started sketching some concepts I had in mind. Initially I decided my environment will have two main storytelling rooms but for later I decided to add another room accessible from the first floor of the main lab.

Main Lab – The central area of the bunker will feature the largest incubator which holds the last remaining plant specimen on Earth. This plant will be the center of research, and everything in the lab is built around studying and protecting it. Surrounding the main incubator, I will add scattered equipment, research desks, and smaller machines, and show some Ivy growth on the walls and creeping out of the incubator. I will cover the ceiling with the vents and pipes.

Storage Unit – Off to the side of the main lab, there will be a hallway leading to a storage room. In here, I plan to include lockers, crates, hazmat suits, and emergency supplies. This room will highlight the danger of the outside world — a visual reminder that survival depends not just on the plants, but also on strict containment and protection from the toxic air outside.

Bio-Nursery Lab - Using a staircase in the main lab, players will be able to access a smaller, more specialized laboratory on the first floor. This room will contain multiple rectangular glass incubators, each holding early plant specimens. Here, the scientists carefully nurtured and preserved their very first successful experiments in regenerating plant life. These smaller plants represent fragile beginnings and delicate attempts to rebuild Earth's lost biosphere, kept safely for observation.

Sci-fi Wall Panel designs -

Colour palette -

I got a lot done today. Hopefully in next few days I will get done with the block-out scene as well.

Blog Post #19- 03/04/2025

Today I pitched my idea to Eden and Neil, and I was honestly relieved because they both seemed to really like it.

Eden shared a few super helpful resources with us too, especially the FZD School YouTube channel, which has loads of tutorials on environment composition, cinematic lighting, storyboarding, and sci-fi world-building—all of which are totally relevant to what I’m trying to create.

He also introduced us to trim-sheets and advised us to use that in our project. One of the tutorials he recommended showed how you can use baked bevels in a trim sheet to fake geometry details like edges and corners, which is such a smart way to save on polycount.

We also talked about Unreal Engine techniques today, especially the limitations of Nanite when working with animated or deforming geometry due to how it handles topology, and how using Lumen for lighting adds realism but requires clean mesh and UV setups.

Eden also discussed second UV channels in Unreal, which can be used to add detail layers like decals or tiling textures without affecting the base UV layout—this could be really useful for adding extra details like cracks or dirt using vertex painting on my bunker walls.

During the session, we also looked at a game called Tiny Glade, and I absolutely loved it—it’s such a beautiful little diorama builder game with a cozy medieval vibe and this super clever real-time procedural geometry system. Even though it’s more stylized and relaxing in tone, the way it handles environment interaction and surface detail felt really inspiring for me, especially in terms of scene-building and flow. I might even research about it later and try to implement something similar in my project as well.

Tiny Glade is a small diorama builder where you doodle whimsical castles, cozy cottages & romantic ruins. Explore gridless building chem

Sources:

Pounce Light. (2023) Tiny Glade [Steam game]. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2198150/Tiny_Glade/ (Accessed: 03 April 2025).

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Practice 2: Creative Project Development