Shadow in Whitby Video

(Video showing the environment in CryEngine)

The project video has been uploaded and can be seen above.  As with the images from the previous post, it's a bit dark in places but I think it will do for the submission.  I made sure to put all the required logos in, including the one in the bottom right corner.  The video footage itself was created using CryEngine's Track View with multiple cameras.

Next step is to upload everything.

Finally, Some Images

It's been a long time coming but I finally have some images to upload and show.  They show most of the environment that I've created.  I would love to add more detail but I need to submit my work.  Some of the images are a bit dark but you can still make out what they are.

There are a couple of images I really like that show the hand painted texture used on the building.  Hope you like them.

Terrain Texture

(My tileable terrain texture)

I always like to use as many of my own assets as possible.  In this project all of the assets have been made by me except for the skybox (and it's material).  I have dedicated a lot of time today to create a terrain texture to match the style of the other assets (see image above).

I think it turned out quite well, even if it displays a bit smaller than I originally intended.  I painted it in a way that would give the appearance of depth, without the need for a normal map (I am only using diffuse textures for this project).  The texture tiles without any noticeable seams and adds a lot to the scene (which you shall see later).

General Progress

(Progress so far on the level)

As this is the last full day I'll be working on this I thought it would be a good idea to give a general update as to the state of the project so far.  As you can see from the image above, it's far from finished.  The reference map it was standing on is finally gone and the models moved to ground level.  Over half the models have been UV mapped to display the texture properly.The main texture need a few more bits added to it and the terrain need a new one made.

So what does this mean?  Well I've decided to get the map as close to finished visually as possible.  The gameplay will most likely not be included in the submitted build, which will be a real shame (I am a bit stubborn though, so I haven't given up entirely on it).

I will be putting some images up of the finished assets in the next post together with some images of a finished map (hopefully).

UV Mapping

(UV mapping process for one of the models)

Following on from yesterday's post, I've been UV mapping to try and get the textures to display properly on my models.  The image above shows the process of packing the UVs into the space, which will allow me to add more colour information to the texture for other models.

(Testing the texture in CryEngine on the newly UV mapped model)

The image above is a screenshot of a test in engine to make sure it looks good.  All of the bricks are going in the right direction and are the same scale.  Still quite a few models to work on though, so I'd better get on with it.

Texturing

(Untextured whitebox model of Whitby Abbey)

I now have Whitby Abbey mapped out with 3D models and it looks okay.  I will be adding a little bit of extra detail to a few of the models but most of them are likely to remain as they are.  The next step is to create a texture I can use on them.  Most of today was spent hand painting a texture from scratch (no photos were used in its creation), with various stages of testing to see what it looks like on a model.  I'm not trying to create a photo-realistic recreation of Whitby Abbey; instead I want a painterly look as stated in the Style Guide post.

(A small section of the texture I've been working on today)

I can't apply it in engine yet, as I will need to redo the UV maps to use the texture properly and efficiently.  For those who don't know what a UV map is, it's a 2D representation of the geometry of a 3D model.  It dictates where an image will be displayed on the surface of a model.  As you can see from the image below, the texture looks quite good on the model even though it hasn't been mapped properly yet.  I am aiming to map them tomorrow or Sunday.

(A test render of the texture on a model without finished UVs)

The texture will be merged with some others onto a single material so that multiple meshes can use the same texture space in engine.  This increases efficiency and demonstrates optimisation for game development.

Whitebox Models

(More place holders in engine, looking a bit more like an abbey)

As I expected, I have already fallen behind in my schedule, so I've spent as much time as I could today 3D modelling.  First of all I worked on finishing the middle and upper sections for the inner walls and importing them into CryEngine.

(Basic shape of one of the abbey's main walls)

The next stage was to create one of the big walls at the end of the abbey, together with the two spires either side.  The wall is only a basic model at the moment, although more detail will be added at a later point.  It's probably worth mentioning that most of the detail will be added through the texture, as it will be a lot quicker.

(One of the spires to go next to the wall)

The spire model I made has a bit more detail and was a lot more difficult to make.  There are actually two different meshes for this (one for each side of the wall) because of the way they are shaped.  Ordinarily I would just use the same model and rotate it in engine, however there is chamfering on part of the model that would be in the wrong place if I did so.

I'm hoping to get most, if not all of the basic shapes built before Monday so I can start texturing or adding gameplay.  Hopefully no more unforeseen events prevent me from working on it.

Whitebox Stage

(Early whitebox stage with place-holder assets in CryEngine)

I finally started 3D modelling various place-holder assets to get a general feel for how the game is going to look.  It also means I can test the designed gameplay mechanics sooner, giving me more time to fix any potential problems.  I'm using 3D Studio Max to create the 3D objects for the world (both whitebox and finished versions of them).

I will be researching how to implement the game mechanics using the documentation provided by Crytek on their site, as well as any useful tutorial videos I find (I'll provide links to everything I use in subsequent posts).

Once all of this is done I can start replacing the place-holders with the actual game assets.  Texturing for the final versions will be done using Photoshop.  I will post images of finished assets as well from time to time.

Style Guide and Schedule

(Project Style Guide)

I've been working on a small style guide / mood boards in order to maintain graphical consistency across all my work, as well as give me something to refer back to if I start to struggle with any of the artwork.  Whilst working on this guide I produced the project logo which will become the header for this blog (it's also a requirement for submission).

(The first version of my project planner)

I've created a schedule / planner to help me keep on track, as well as ensure that I don't forget anything.  However, I have to say it is incredibly optimistic, with no room for anything to go wrong and for me to burn myself out.  There are a number of aspects I am willing to remove in order to achieve a completed project but they're listed in case I actually get a chance.  The deadline is marked as the 1st August rather than the actual competition deadline which is the 4th.  This is because I will not be able to work on the project after the 1st.