Prototyping - Messing in UDK

So far this is what the level looks like in God mode.

Starting area, this is the room that will contain Jamie's incubation tube in the center.

Transitioning from a clean, steril/ scientific area to the maintinence tunnels.  This small room (in white) is kind of like a decontamination chamber.

The corridor lit in UDK.

Blast Doors

Prototyping - Modularity

Now with baked lighting!

So far...

Prototyping - Modular Floor Piece

I sat down with some new tutorials over at 3dmotive.com.  What an amazing site.  $22 per month and well worth it, in my opinion.  I really need to improve my texturing before I graduate so I tried a new workflow.  The advice and techniques I learned from this site in a mere 2 hours blew my mind.

I learned a few extremely handy techniques when modeling, in preparation for texturing.  I learned a TON of Photoshop techniques.  I learned a lot about UDK.  The prep work takes some extra time to set up, but once it's set up, you have ULTIMATE control over your texturing.  Changing almost anything in your photoshop document can be done in a matter of seconds through selection masks, opacity masks, and level adjustments.

Here are the results (imported into UDK.)

Tribal Scene - Demo Reel - UPDATED

UPDATED - fixed compression issue/ timing with audio.

NEW known issues...: Youtube has deleted the last 4 seconds of my video... Thanks Youtube!

Tried uploading the same file to Vimeo.  Vimeo completely messed it up and I'm now out of upload space for the week.  Cool.  For some reason after I spent 3 hours uploading to Vimeo, the audio was COMPLETELY out of sync with the video AND it decided to COMPLETELY skip my beauty shot.  Kind of important...

Tribal Scene

Almost done texturing and placing objects.  Then it'll be on to light tweaking and compositing a beauty shot.

Ludus and Tribal scene update

Creating a Skydome inside UDK

This was just a little practice run for creating and importing a skydome into UDK.

Tribal Scene WIP - Tower 3

Lookout Burj Khalifa, we're on our way to the top!

Tribal Scene WIP - Tower2

Building this shit faster than China!

Tribal Scene WIP - Tower1

My idea is to build modular vertical sections of this tower, one stacked right on top of the other.  This is the base of the tower.  To remain consistent in theme and style, I will construct an escalator of sorts to transport the tribe inhabitants up and in through the doorway. </sarcasm>

Tribal Scene - Updated WIP

Hut Roof 2

Marmoset does this weird thing with alpha maps.  Basically if you're looking at a transparent face, any geometry behind that transparency will disappear.  The edges of my hut roof (thatch) look like they are floating in the air.  I promise they're not!

Tribal Scene - Hut 4

Ludus WIP - Butcher's Block

Tribal Scene WIP - Modeling Complete

I had to knock out all the modeling for my Tribal scene today.  I was cutting it close, but I'm 99% done.  Now it will be on to UVing and texturing.

Everything in the gray lambert texture was modeled today!

Hopefully my texturing and lighting later on down the road will bring the scene closer to the concept.  As of right now they look very different, and I'm a little nervous.

Hut 4 Base

Old Stuff - Rendered in Marmoset

Ludus WIP - Toilets!!!!!!!!!1

Gross!

Marmoset Hut Render

Ludus WIP - Roof

Ludus WIP - Pediment

Hut Roof 1

This piece was a chore.  Exporting the high poly model crashed any program that tried to receive it, TopoGun was out to get me, and XNormal had a dialog box that persistantly popped up asking me, "What maps do u want?!!1"

I wanted 1024 maps, but they just didn't seem to hold a decent resolution, especially in the diffuse channel.

Tribal Scene...

Slowly coming together.

Hut 3

My future house after I graduate.  Should be pretty sweet.

Hut Base 3

A third variation in hut bases.

Importing to UDK

Bam! Done.

Hut Spike 2!

I tried a new work flow that I actually enjoyed this time.

1.  Maya - blocked out a basic spike
2. ZBrush - sculpted out a high poly/ high detail spike
3. TopoGun - built a low poly model around the high poly
4. Maya - UV'd the new Low Poly object
5. XNormal - baked AO and Normal maps
6. Photoshop - created finalized Diffuse, Normal, AO, and Spec maps
7. Marmoset Toolbag - rendered
8. High-fived Chuck Norris and flew my Unicorn to Mars.

Hut Spike 1!

Tribal Scene - A Newer and Better Version - Hut Base

Unsatisfied with my first run though, I went back and re-created the Hut Base.  I am much more pleased with these results.

Ludus WIP - Quick Renders

I wanted to see how much sunlight would actually make it into the interior portions (mainly to ensure that there were no gaps between my walls/ floors/ ceilings.)  Should look pretty cool in UDK when properly lit (hopefully!)

Ludus WIP - Walls, Walls, Walls...

Building modular walls is fun.  It's like Legos for big kids...