Next Gen Games design

Next Gen Year 2 Student Blog Work -Hover over 'More' to find my tags-

[izzynextgen]

Synoptic Project

For a while i’ve been working on the walls of the room, this has been done in both Mudbox, Maya and Substance Painter.

I started off in mudbox with a plane and began raising and flattening bumps on the plane to look like rocks. I used a few references for this of stone walls and general rock shapes, this really helped when I was making the shapes into the wall. When I finished the first wall I exported it into Maya to bake down.

Once i had the walls baked down they were quickly imported into Substance painter. I began on the texture from there. I downloaded a specific material i wanted from substance share and used that as the backdrop for the wall. From there i began painting a concrete material onto the pertruding rocks, this means that the rocks stood out from the background texture. I’m happy with how it came out with the lighting, as in Substance painter it didn’t look as good.

These are some screenshots from it in Unity, which i found looked really well. I still feel some bits could have been improved in the textures, such as the materials used since it took me quite a while to find something i was happy with.

[izzynextgen]

Synoptic Project

Currently I’ve been working more textures for the game. I got around to doing the grenade that was added. I had a few problems that I encountered as i was texturing this in Substance painter as the UV’s weren’t correctly done. However after I discussed this with Eden he re-uploaded the UV to the drive and I was able to start the texture again.

The tools in Substance painter really help with making a texture look better, by using something that possibly shouldn’t work as a grenade texture and modifying it to be how I wanted i managed to create the texture below, which i am quite happy with. 

After finishing this, I discussed with Cate if she thought it looked good and we both agreed the texture worked well with the style of the game. I finished it up and handed it over to Louis.

[izzynextgen]

Synoptic Project

After Cate finished her shelf model I took it straight into Substance painter to get started on the texture. 

The shelves were actually quite easy to texture considering they are just wood, however I wanted to add a bit more to it that just dragging and dropping a wood texture on it. I added some darker shading around the wood where it connects and in the cracks and chips. I also added some scratch makes throughout the wood to give a better look.

 We ran into some problems when the wood texture applied would only follow one path way to the right, so before when the texture for the legs of the shelves were facing vertical the way the wood was running was incorrect. I talked to Cate about this and we changed the UV of the model so that the legs were horizontally placed and this worked just fine. 

In the end i’m pleased with how the texturing of this model went, though I do think I could’ve done this better, maybe i could’ve added more colors in or made the scratches darker. These are all little things that i’m picking out but overall I think the texture looks good on the model. I discussed this with the other members of the team before I put the file on the drive and everyone agreed on it. 

[izzynextgen]

After a bit of discussion with Louis I decided to have a go at modelling too. I’ve finished a lot of concept art and i wanted to help with some models. I finished the Cauldron model and textured it using substance painter. There wasn’t very many textures i could use in substance painter that i thought would suit a cauldron. I eventually went with a sort of metal and edited the look of it so there would be some rust and scorch marks on the bottom. 

I only really used the concept art room design as a reference for how i created the cauldron because i found that it didn’t need much reference. I did use a few google images for the handles, I discussed it with Louis to find out which we both agreed on. In the end we chose the rings on each side of the Cauldron and personally I find it fits in much better with the design. 

I don’t usually model so i’m really happy with how this turned out. I’m also not too good at UV unwrapping, so after this I feel a bit more confident in it. Though this was just a simple model to unwrap and texture, It’s still practice for me. 

[izzynextgen]

Synoptic Project

I’ve been currently working on textures for models, experimenting with substance painter and how i can use it.

I started with my concepts for the Bogril and went from there into substance painter.

Using the smart materials i was able to edit a sort of black jar glass kind of texture on the main body of the model, then i was able to use a mask to put the cork texture on. I also made the texture of that have a bit more feel to it that it was a cork by using bump/normal maps. I also tested out using stamps for the Bogril logo. I made the logo in photoshop and turned it into a stamp to use in Substance painter. This worked quite well on the model and i’m quite happy with how it turned out. 

[izzynextgen]

Synoptic Project

Currently for the project i’ve been working on getting the textures for the models finished so they’re able to be put in the game, Previously i had already designed an idea of what the Coffee bag would look like. 

However after some discussion with Cate we came to the conclusion that the bag was a little confusing as it mixed both a burlap sack and a paper bag together. In the end I decided to redesign the look of the bag to get a general idea of what the new bag would look like. 

This was the redesign, i used reference from general sacks and found some with coffee beans in them. The idea ended up being a less loose bag but it still mixed both the old and new designs in through the model. I then moved on to the Texture. 

I was talking with Louis as I began the texturing so I knew the general idea of what he wanted. I used the image of the devil i had made beforehand and refined it so that I could use it on the texture. I managed to get the texture done, though it took a few trial and errors to get it fit perfectly we managed to finish the model. 

I’m quite happy with how the texture turned out for the first model, however there’s lots more to go and I hope I can improve as I continue with the texturing and concept art. 

I’ve been able to discuss with my group on the problems I’ve encountered and managed to fix them collaboratively, which has been great as we’ve been able to move forward faster due to the communication. 

[izzynextgen]

Synoptic Project

I’ve been continuing with the concept art for the synoptic project, i’m currently working on the room design so we can have an idea of how it will look. This has been finished and is now fully colored to use as reference for how the room will roughly be shown. 

I’d been discussing in the group what the idea of the room would be and i ended up making concepts of this. I used reference from the short pitch video that Louis made and based it off that. In the end the idea may have been a bit more cramped than expected; however since it’s just concept art this can be played with a bit in the final modelling process. 

I included some of the ingredients on the shelves and the table to show how certain items would be used. I’m still working on the concept art of the items. Personally I feel a bit behind on the work so i’m planning to spend more time out of college working on this too. 

I’ve been working on the Coffee Bag UV. 

There have been some problems with the textures when put on the model so i have been editing it so that it will work better in the game. I’m still quite happy with how it turned out. 

[izzynextgen]

Model Update

I’ve decided for my modelling project i wanted to change the model and use my Pumpkin one and color it in a more refined way. I decided this because i was really unhappy with how my other model was turning out. 

Once again i baked my model to see how it was working, i’m probably going to have to tweak some things as on the low poly (left) the stalk looks a bit more pointed rather than flat on the top. Otherwise once i get all the paint and colors down i think i’ll be quite happy with the model, i just need to make sure that i get all of that out of the way and make sure the bump maps and normal maps look good. 

[izzynextgen]

Synoptic Project

We’ve been sorted into our final groups for the synoptic project and i am now working on the Unscholarly Alchemy game, a game based around being kidnapped and trapped in a room in which you must make potions that are taken away by guards. The idea of the game is to make the potions correctly and make it through. I’ve been assigned to be the Creative lead in the group and also i have to work on the concept art. The group is made up of Louis, Cate, Eden and myself. 

We’ve been planning as a group as to what we need to get done, we’ve created an asset list

Currently I’ve been working on the concept art of the items that will be used in the game, such as the bag of coffee beans and different flasks and bottles to hold the liquids/potions. 

This is an example of a teardrop shaped potion bottle. I’ve been quite happy with the concept art style that i went for and I think it fits well with how the game idea was set out. However i’m planning to work faster on the amount of concept art i’m creating since if eel like if I finish most of my concept art I can be prepared for the other jobs I have to do. 

I find working in a team has been working quite well as I find I’m able to handle group work. 

[izzynextgen]

Tracking in Mocha

In today’s lesson we were tracking using a program used with After Effects, Mocha. This program is very useful for tracking and only really is used for that purpose. So to start off we imported the footage file and opened that in Mocha. 

From there we used four points to select a certain area where we wanted to track, which in this case was the wall. After tracking the wall i exported and went back into After effects and created a lack solid and imported the image i wanted on the wall. 

This then meant i had the image on the wall where i wanted it. I also adjusted some of the colors to try and make it fit in better with the wall, however i still want to work on this a little more to make it how i want; but generally i’m quite happy with how this went and now i know how to do it in the future. 

[izzynextgen]

Modelling Update

I’ve began work on my model of the character I created using the reference images of her that I have drawn previously. I’m also creating my presentation for showing how far I am with the model, I hope i can work on it a bit more tomorrow and develop the shape a bit more and manage to connect the head. I’m quite happy with how this is shaping up but i think there’s a lot i have to do to make this to the standard that i want to have it at by the end of the 9 weeks.

I still need to mirror the body of the model so i can have the two sides the same and then i plan to bring it into Mudbox so i can work on the finer details as the face and costume. 

[izzynextgen]

Animation Pitch

Today I pitched my animation idea for the Synoptic Project. 

My Idea was basically a simple animation of an Alice in wonderland titled ‘Down the Rabbit hole’ 

The concept was this character based from Alice, had fallen down the hole into wonderland. However I chose to fit more than one of the three themes, using ideas that fit all of them with the idea of using literature (Alice in wonderland) and basing it in the north east (Using places in the north east in the animation) 

I chose to make the storyboard and include Penshaw monument in it. This allowed me to change how the story would flow and have Alice running towards the monument. 

Although my idea was to use Penshaw monument i was also planning out idea’s of other places I could use for if the animation were to be lengthened. 

I also managed to create a short animatic of what the scene could look like.  

I took a lot of reference from the Disney Alice in wonderland film. 

The Animation would only be about 20/30 seconds long or shorter, however despite the length the animation would be quite detailed to make up for the lack of content. 

The team would only need to be small and consist of 2D animators and perhaps VFX artists.

After receiving some feedback on my pitch I came to understand that despite the idea being quite well thought out and linking to the themes, the idea of having it just based in 2D may lack with the amount of people willing to work on it since not many people are 2D artists. 

Also during my pitch I didn’t include much information on how the animation would plan out in the storyboard. 

[izzynextgen]

Creative and Technical Modelling

We’re beginning our 9 week model. After being given the decision to decide what to model i went with a character since i felt most comfortable with that. I’ve decided to model in Maya and use Mudbox, i would have completely used Mudbox but if i began in there my Uv’s may not be as well sorted as they are in Maya. 

[izzynextgen]

Using code in After Effects

We created a bouncing ball in After effects today, using code to make the ball bounce and squash/stretch as is hit the ground. We were given a single ball and a background that we pulled into AE and began work. We used select pieces of code that made it simpler to create an animation instead of setting a lot of key frames. This actually made the process a lot simpler and less work, since the code did everything whereas otherwise you would have to work by hand which may take a lot longer. 

[izzynextgen]

Model progress

I’ve began digitally creating  the side and front facing view of my character so i can use it for modelling. This is the outline of the side view for me to use in maya, next lesson i am planning to begin the modelling.  Once i have the side and front view drawings i’m ready to begin the blocking of my character in Maya.

 I plan to bring this through into Mudbox and refine the details of the character. Once i have actually made the character i want to attempt rigging and animating it with help from my lecturer. 

I kind of like the idea of this but im not quite sure how it’s going to work. I believe that i can actually make it i just worry that i might be a little slower on working on it, so i plan to put a lot of time into this while also sharing the time with then synoptic project. 

[izzynextgen]

Logo design

In our VFX lessons we’ve been designing logos for a personal company that we’ve made up. The actual design i went for was a wolf kind of design since in the actual VFX design of it i wanted to have a moon and stars so i could make the stars swing at the end to give it a better effect. 

My actual design ended up looking like this and i was quite happy with it. The top image is how the company name will look around the image. I had some help with the text to make it look like it was circling around the logo which fit the image quite well. The Logo with the writing around it is going to be my end image of the sequence. 

[izzynextgen]

I love Nulls

Today we were working with Nulls in After effects, we were set the task of creating a cube, and although that doesn’t sound too hard it actually turned out to be quite the task. During the process of me making my cube i ran into some issues with After effects, this lead to me taking a lot of time on the cube. However in the end i managed to create something with three sides eventually. 

Though it wasn’t a cube it i did manage to understand the point of making it and the fundamentals of making it and how to use nulls in after effects.