Real-time Game Asset and Level Creation
Training Video
This two album series dives into how to harness modo’s modeling, painting and baking tools together in order to produce efficient assets for use in a game – or any project where you want detailed and yet lightweight scenes. Our subject is a dingy back alley, the kind of place you might find behind an urban restaurant, complete with grime and graffiti…a perfect setting for getting the most of modo.
The first album tackles the creation of a key low poly prop in the scene; a lowly dumpster. Using a supplied high-res version of this model, Andy shows how detail can be transferred to a new low poly version. Geometric detail is transferred to a low poly object via normal map and ambient occlusion baking. Additional modeling, 3D painting and baking operations let you add realistic final touches and variation to the finished trash bin.
The second album is a guide to efficient scene creation and assembly. Seamless textures are derived from reference sources using the imageSynth plug-in and then further manipulated in modo to give them realistic depth. Andy, with his serious painting chops, shows you how to grab hold of modo’s 3D painting and UV tools and use them as an extension of the modeling process. Lights are added and baked into the scene.
In addition to the downloadable movies, sample geometry and images (including fourteen highly useful “grime” maps which are ideal for use with modo’s image ink feature) are provided.
These are ideal videos for anyone in game development or film/video production who is looking for expert advice on using modo’s “model, paint and render” toolset to create great looking scenes that flow nicely into the rest of the production pipeline.
This video tutorial was developed for modo 301. Basic knowledge of modo 301 is assumed in this tutorial and the series is targeted at the “intermediate” modo user. It is recommended that you have access to Adobe CS and the imageSynth plug-in from Luxology. Narrated in English.
modo 401 users will find the tutorial useful, but will have to adapt some instructions to new techniques found in modo 401.
Detailed Descriptions of Videos in Album
The first three videos in The Alley focus on the creation of an efficient low poly object that has baked in geometric detail and lighting. The next three videos focus on creating a level (a back alley) with multiple dumpsters added, textured walls and baked lighting.
Video Part 01 – Low Polygon Geometry and UV Mapping
In this first video we create the foundation for our game model by first creating a low polygon version of a supplied high poly count dumpster by using modeling techniques that help us define the object’s shape with a minimum number of polygons. We then create an efficient UV map for that model so that any image maps we apply later will be utilized fully.
Video Part 02 – Normal and Ambient Occlusion Baking
In this video we focus on object-to-object baking to create a normal map that will capture all of the fine detail from the original model. We also bake out an ambient occlusion map to recreate the way grime and shadows accumulate in tight areas of geometry. In the course of the video we demonstrate a number of techniques for getting the most out of your normal maps and ultimately create a 700 polygon normal mapped model that is virtually indistinguishable from the 39,000 polygon original.
Video Part 03 – Object Painting
In this final video of the first album, we complete the dumpster model by creating a bump, color and specular maps. We select the appropriate brushes and inks from the Paint layout in modo and then paint text and grunge on the object’s surface to age our model and give it a sense of place. We utilize the imageSynth (Photoshop plug-in) to create tiling textures and then explore how to use layer masks to paint details in specific areas of the model. Throughout the process we make full use of baking to combine painted layers and ultimately to bring everything together into a final color map that ready for use in a game engine or any renderer downstream from modo.
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