Mihir Gosavi

MA Games Art Student at University of Hertfordshire

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FMP – Creating My First Material in Substance Designer

After completing the archery dojo, I decided to move on to the next stage of the project. During my latest session with Eden, he pointed out that I was spending too much time creating individual assets. He suggested that I should focus on completing Zone A first and only move on to Zone B if time allowed. He also mentioned that most of my environment screenshots only showed the buildings, while many parts of the scene were still using plain white materials. His advice was to start replacing those temporary materials so the environment would begin to look more complete.

With this feedback in mind, I shifted my focus from modelling to material creation. The first material I wanted to make was a mud texture because it would be used throughout the environment on pathways, open ground and around the buildings.

Although I had been using Substance Painter for all of my texturing work so far, I had not used Substance Designer before. After doing some research, I found that Substance Designer is widely used for creating procedural materials and that the results work well inside Unreal Engine. Since this was my first time using the software, I spent some time learning the basics before starting the material.

I followed a tutorial by CG Wombat on YouTube, which explained the complete process of creating a procedural mud material in Substance Designer. It helped me understand how different nodes could be combined to build up the surface details and control different parts of the material.

Building the material took longer than I expected because I was still learning the workflow and understanding how the different nodes affected the final result. As I became more familiar with the software, it became easier to make adjustments and experiment with different values.

After completing the material, I exported the different texture maps that would later be used inside Unreal Engine. I was pleased with how the final outputs looked, especially considering this was my first procedural material created in Substance Designer.

After exporting the texture maps, I imported the material into Unreal Engine to see how it looked. I was happy with the overall result, so I decided to use it as the base mud material for the environment.

References

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FMP – Completing the Archery Dojo

After finishing the main structure of the archery dojo, I moved on to creating the remaining assets that would complete the building. My original plan was to leave these smaller props until a later stage of the project. However, since I was running behind my schedule, I decided it would be better to complete the entire archery dojo before moving on to the next section of the environment.

I also knew that many of these assets could be reused in other parts of the project, so completing them now would save time later. With that in mind, I started modelling the remaining props for the dojo, including buckets filled with bows, bow stands, arrow stands, archery targets, and the interior assets needed for the building.

Since I had already planned the materials and trim sheets while working on the previous assets, texturing these props was a fairly straightforward process. Most of the materials were already prepared, so I was able to texture the assets quickly while keeping them consistent with the rest of the environment.

Once all the assets were finished, I imported both the completed dojo structure and the newly created props into Unreal Engine. I then started placing everything inside the environment to check how the building looked as a complete scene. This also helped me confirm that the scale, placement and overall composition worked well before moving on to the next section of the project.

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FMP – Developing the Archery Dojo Structure

After completing the roof of the archery dojo, I moved on to building the remaining structure. I started by creating the wall panels that would be used throughout the building. Since I had already developed the archery training shelter in the previous stage, I decided to reuse some of those wall pieces instead of creating everything from scratch. I made a few changes to the existing models and added some new details so that they matched the design of the dojo.

This asset was slightly different from the buildings I had created before because it also required an interior. Most of my previous modular assets were only designed for the exterior, but the archery dojo was an open structure where the inside would also be visible. Because of this, I had to spend more time adjusting the proportions of the walls and roof. The roof I had created earlier was larger than the new wall panels, so I made several changes until everything started to fit together properly.

For the exterior, I created three different wall panels that could be reused around the building. I also created a staircases on both sides of the dojo. None of these parts were particularly difficult to model, but getting the dimensions right took longer than expected as I had to adjust them several times to better match my reference images.

The reference also included a number of smaller props such as bow stands, arrow racks, buckets filled with arrows, and target practice hay bales. Instead of creating these immediately, I decided to leave them for a later stage and focus on completing the main structure first.

Once the panels were completed, I applied the textures and assembled the entire dojo inside Blender. This allowed me to check whether the different pieces aligned correctly and whether there were any visible gaps before importing the asset into Unreal Engine.

At this stage of the project, I also had to make a small change to my workflow because I was running behind schedule. Up until now, the main buildings within the estate, including the houses, shrine and storage area, had all been created using a fully modular workflow. This gave me flexibility when assembling them inside Unreal Engine and allowed me to make changes whenever needed.

However, the remaining buildings are located outside the main focal area of the environment (Zone A) and are part of the secondary area (Zone B). To save time, I decided to fully assemble these buildings inside Blender before importing them into Unreal Engine. The individual modular pieces still exist if I need to make changes later, but importing complete structures instead of rebuilding them piece by piece Unreal will help me stay on schedule while still maintaining the overall quality of the project.

[mihir-gosavi]

FMP – Creating the Archery Dojo

After developing the archery training shelter, I decided to expand the training area by creating an archery dojo for the estate. This structure would act as a dedicated space connected to the practice area, where the equipment and activities related to archery could be represented within the environment.

I started the development process by focusing on the roof of the dojo. Instead of creating a completely new roof from the beginning, I decided to reuse the roof structure I had previously developed for the main house. Since both buildings followed a similar architectural style, modifying the existing asset allowed me to maintain consistency while saving time during the development process.

I began modifying the original roof by adjusting the existing elements and creating additional pieces required to fit the new structure. This involved developing new roof components while keeping the overall design language consistent with the rest of the estate.

After completing the new roof elements, I textured the asset using the new trim sheet I had created previously for the archery training area. Applying the textures helped bring the new elements together with the existing architecture and allowed the dojo to fit naturally within the environment.

The process of modifying and creating the dojo roof took some time, as I needed to adjust the existing asset while developing new elements that matched the architectural style. However, I did not encounter any major issues during the process, and I was happy with how the final asset turned out.

Comparing the two roofs side by side helped me evaluate how the modifications changed the design while still keeping a connection between the main house and the dojo.

This is the progress so far till date.

[mihir-gosavi]

FMP – Creating the Archery Training Shelter

With the boundary walls and supporting buildings in place, I moved on to developing the training grounds for the estate. During my research, I found that martial training was an important part of samurai life, especially archery practice, so I decided to include an archery training area within the compound to support the overall story and functionality of the environment.

I started by creating the covered archery training shelter, which would act as the first modular asset for this section of the project. Before beginning the modelling process, I reviewed the existing trim sheets that I had already created for the main estate assets. I reused these materials where possible to maintain visual consistency across the environment. However, as the shelter required some additional details that were not available in the previous trim sheets, I also created a new trim sheet specifically for these elements.

By combining the new trim sheet with the previous ones, I was able to maintain the same architectural style while introducing new details required for the training area. This approach helped avoid creating unnecessary separate materials while still allowing the shelter to have its own unique elements.

The modelling process was fairly straightforward, as the structure mainly consisted of simple modular pieces. I focused on creating individual components that could be reused and adjusted later when developing the rest of the training grounds. This modular approach also allowed me to experiment with different arrangements while keeping the asset flexible for future use.

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FMP – Reusing Earlier Assets

With the shrine and storage house in place, I started adding a few more elements to the environment to make the estate feel more complete. While reviewing my previous work, I remembered that I had created an earlier version of the entrance gate and fence before redesigning the main boundary walls.

Originally, I planned to use the same wall design for both the exterior and interior sections of the compound. However, after creating the new entrance gate and boundary wall, I felt the older assets no longer suited the main perimeter. Rather than leaving those models unused, I decided to repurpose them as a secondary boundary inside the estate. This allowed me to make use of the assets I had already created while adding more structure and variation to the environment.

I was happy with this decision, as it gave those earlier models a purpose instead of discarding them, and they blended naturally with the rest of the scene.

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FMP – Creating the Shrine

After finishing the storage house, I moved on to another supporting building for the environment: a small shrine located within the estate. During my research, I found that many Japanese samurai estates included a small Shinto shrine inside the compound, so I wanted to include one as part of my environment to make the layout feel more believable.

At this stage of the project, I was getting closer to my deadline and was slightly behind my original schedule. Instead of creating an entirely new modular kit, I decided to reuse the modular pieces from the storage house and adapt them into a shrine. This approach allowed me to save time while keeping the architectural style consistent across the estate.

While gathering references, I also noticed that shrine architecture varies depending on its location, purpose, and period. Rather than using the iconic vermilion shrine design, I decided to build a shrine that shared the same materials and architectural style as the rest of the estate. This helped it feel like it belonged within the compound while maintaining a consistent visual language throughout the environment.

Most of the changes were made to the roof structure, entrance, and side wall modules. Although the shrine was built from the same foundation as the storage house, these modifications gave it its own identity and helped prevent the two buildings from looking identical when placed next to each other. I was really happy with how the final design turned out, as it felt distinct while still fitting naturally within the estate.

At this stage, I have completed a large portion of my modular kit, and I am really happy with how the assets are coming together. These are all the modular assets I have created so far.

[mihir-gosavi]

FMP – Developing the Storage House

With the main houses and boundary walls assembled in Unreal Engine, I was happy with how the environment was starting to come together. The next step was to create the supporting buildings that would help make the estate feel more complete. I began working on a storage house that would be positioned behind the three main houses.

Since I had already created the trim sheets for the walls and roof, I decided to reuse them instead of creating new ones. I created the three main wall sections in Blender and followed the same workflow I had used for the entrance gate by reusing and modifying the existing roof structure to fit the storage house.

After completing the model, I imported the modular pieces into Unreal Engine and assembled the first version of the storage house to see how it looked within the environment.

Once I placed the building into the scene, I realized that the storage house looked too small compared to the three main houses. Since the estate is intended to be occupied by three families, it made more sense for the storage building to have a larger footprint to accommodate shared supplies. Instead of leaving it as it was, I went back into Blender and modified the modular pieces by extending a few sections of the building while keeping the same overall design.

After re-importing the updated assets into Unreal Engine, the revised version felt much more balanced and fit the scale of the environment far better.

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FMP – Importing the Modular Kit into Unreal Engine

With the entrance gate and boundary wall piece complete, I originally planned to import each asset into Unreal Engine as I finished it. However, I decided it would be more efficient to complete the entire entrance structure first before testing everything together.

After importing the assets into Unreal Engine, I spent some time making small adjustments to the materials and textures. Most of the changes were minor, but they helped improve the overall appearance and ensured the assets matched what I had created in Blender. Once those issues were resolved, I began placing the modular pieces into the scene and assembling the buildings.

Having the assets inside Unreal Engine also gave me my first opportunity to see the scale and proportions of the environment in context. I started building the main house using the modular kit and then expanded the layout by placing the remaining buildings and the boundary walls around the estate. Seeing everything come together made it much easier to identify what additional assets would still be needed during the next stage of production.

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FMP – Completing the Boundary Wall Modular Kit

With the supporting wall modular piece finished, I needed one more wall variation to complete this section of the boundary wall. The purpose of this piece was to fit between the corner piece and the wall section connected to the main entrance gate, allowing the entire structure to be assembled without leaving any awkward gaps.

The modelling process followed the same workflow as the previous wall pieces. Once the proportions were in place, I applied the trim sheet to make sure the textures matched the rest of the modular kit. Since all of these assets share the same materials, I wanted to keep the overall appearance consistent while making each piece flexible enough to be reused throughout the environment.

Alongside the middle wall section, I also created the corner piece. This was an important part of the modular kit, as it would determine how the boundary wall changed direction around the estate. I was really happy with how this piece turned out, and once it was textured, it blended well with the rest of the wall modules.

At this stage, I had completed the main wall sections needed for the boundary wall. Seeing all three modules together made it much easier to visualize how the full perimeter of the estate would come together in Unreal Engine.

To check if all the modular pieces fit together correctly, I assembled the complete wall structure in Blender before moving further into production. This helped me verify that the different sections connected properly and that there were no noticeable gaps between the pieces.

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FMP – Creating the Supporting Wall Modular Piece

With the entrance gate complete, I moved on to creating the supporting wall modular piece that extends from either side of it. To keep the design consistent, I followed the same approach I had used for the entrance gate and reused the roof section once again, modifying it to fit the wall piece.

The modeling process was fairly straightforward, as most of the work involved adjusting the existing roof asset and building the wall structure around it. Reusing the roof not only saved time but also helped maintain the same architectural style across the entrance and boundary wall. Since these pieces would be repeated throughout the environment, I wanted to make sure they could be reused without requiring additional changes later.

Once the model was complete, I applied the trim sheet to check that the textures worked correctly and matched the rest of the environment. This also gave me the opportunity to verify that the UVs were working as expected before creating any additional wall variations. After confirming that everything lined up correctly, I was able to use this piece as the foundation for the remaining boundary wall modules.

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FMP – Testing the Trim Sheet on the Entrance Gate

With the entrance gate modelled, I applied the wall trim sheet to check whether everything lined up correctly and to make sure the textures worked as expected. Most of the materials fit the model without any major adjustments, which made it easier to evaluate the overall look of the asset before moving on.

While checking the model, I noticed an issue with the decorative flower design on the door. During the planning stage, I included this design in the trim sheet to avoid adding unnecessary geometry to the modular asset. Although I had given the pattern some height while creating it, the final result appeared completely flat once it was applied to the model.

Instead of going back and adjusting the trim sheet, I decided to model a simple low-poly version of the flower design and place it directly onto the entrance door. This gave the decoration enough depth to stand out while keeping the asset lightweight. After making that change, I was much happier with the overall appearance of the entrance gate.

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FMP – Developing the Entrance Gate

With the wall trim sheet finished, I moved on to building the modular pieces for the new entrance gate and boundary walls. To keep the overall style consistent, I decided to reuse the roof structure from my main house instead of creating a completely new one from scratch.

The existing roof already matched the architectural style I was aiming for, so I modified its proportions and adjusted a few details to fit the scale of the entrance gate. Reusing this asset also helped keep the design consistent across the environment while saving time during production.

The overall structure of the gate was fairly straightforward. It was built using simple shapes, and I did not run into any major issues while putting the model together. Once the roof was finished, I completed the basic structure of the entrance gate, which gave me a solid foundation for the next stage of development.

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FMP – Developing the Wall Trim Sheet

As mentioned in the previous blog post, I decided to create a new entrance gate and wall structure for my environment. Before moving into modelling the assets, I started by planning the trim sheet that would be used for these new structures.

While designing the trim sheet, I came across a few decorative elements that were more detailed than the other surface textures I had created previously. One of these was a flower design that appeared on the entrance doors. I initially considered modelling this detail directly into the asset, but after creating a first version in Blender, I realized that the polygon count was too high for such a small decorative element.

To solve this issue, I decided to move these details into the trim sheet instead. This allowed me to keep the visual quality of the design while reducing unnecessary geometry on the final asset. I modelled several complex decorative elements in Blender, including a flower petal pattern and an iron structure design, which could later be baked and projected onto the wall and entrance gate assets.

The first step was creating a basic layout in Photoshop, where I planned the placement of each element within the trim sheet. This helped me organize the different sections and understand how much space each detail would require.

After creating the decorative elements, I prepared them for integration into the trim sheet. By using these details as texture information rather than separate geometry, I could maintain the visual complexity while keeping the modular assets optimized.

Once the elements were arranged, I created the final trim sheet that would be used for texturing the new wall and entrance gate assets.

After completing the trim sheet, I moved the assets into Substance Painter to begin the texturing process. I followed the same workflow used for my previous modular assets, ensuring that the materials remained consistent throughout the environment.

The final textures were exported as PNG files and prepared to be used on the new modular pieces.

Creating this trim sheet helped me solve the challenge of adding detailed architectural designs without increasing the geometry of the assets. This approach also made the new wall and entrance gate pieces more flexible, as the same decorative details can be reused across different parts of the environment.

[mihir-gosavi]

FMP – Expanding the Modular Kit with New Defensive Structures

After completing the roof modular piece, my next step was to bring the assets into Unreal Engine and begin testing how they looked within the environment. However, before moving into engine, I spent some time exploring Ghost of Tsushima and looking at the architectural details used throughout the game.

While exploring the different locations, I came across a wall structure and entrance gate design that suited the atmosphere I was aiming for with my samurai estate. The design felt more detailed and better represented the idea of a fortified clan residence, so I decided to create similar elements for my own environment.

Rather than immediately assembling the scene in Unreal Engine, I decided to continue expanding my modular kit by creating these additional structures first. Since the estate belongs to a samurai clan, I wanted the boundary elements to feel more defensive and substantial, reflecting the need for protection and security around the property.

My next step was to begin modelling a new wall structure and entrance gate that would fit alongside the existing modular assets. Once these elements are completed, I will bring the full kit into Unreal Engine and start testing the overall composition of the environment.

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FMP – Developing the Complete Roof Structure

With the individual roof sections finished, I combined them to create the complete roof structure for the house. To do this, I mirrored the existing roof section and adjusted it so both sides aligned correctly. This gave me a full roof that I could use directly on the building while keeping the workflow simple if I needed to make changes later.

Once the full roof was in place, I created a wooden base that supports the roof which sits directly on top of the house walls. This completed the overall structure and made the roof feel much closer to its final form.

As I continued organizing my assets, I also prepared a few additional roof pieces, including corner sections and separate wooden ridge elements. Although the current houses use the same roof design, having these extra pieces will make it easier to adjust or extend the roof later if required without rebuilding the entire structure.

At this stage, the roof has become a complete modular asset instead of separate pieces. With the main structure finished, I can now focus on the remaining building components and begin assembling the final house using the modular kit.

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FMP – “At the Forefront “: Modular Asset Workflows in Environment Art

While researching different workflows used in environment art, I came across modular asset creation. This is a method where artists build a collection of reusable assets that can be combined in different ways to create larger environments. Instead of modelling every building or structure from scratch, artists create smaller pieces that fit together, making the overall workflow more efficient.

From my research, modular workflows have become a common practice within the games industry, particularly when developing large environments. Environment artists often need to create locations that contain many buildings and architectural elements while working within production deadlines. By reusing modular pieces, they can build larger scenes more quickly while maintaining a consistent visual style across the environment.

Another reason modular assets are widely used is because they make it easier to update and expand an environment throughout production. If changes need to be made, artists can edit a single modular piece rather than remodeling multiple assets individually. This approach also helps reduce duplicated work and makes it easier for teams to collaborate on larger projects, which is why modularity has become an important part of modern environment art pipelines.

As I continued developing the modular assets for my final major project, Tsukikage Estate, I wanted to learn more about how this workflow is used within the games industry. Since modular design has become a major part of my production process, I felt it was important to understand why professional environment artists rely on it and how it helps them build large environments efficiently.

Researching modular workflows has helped me better understand why they are considered an essential skill for environment artists. Alongside the practical work I have been completing for Tsukikage Estate, this research has given me a clearer understanding of how modular design improves efficiency, maintains consistency, and supports the creation of large-scale environments. It is a workflow that I will continue to develop as I progress through the remainder of the project.