PRE-PRODUCTION 03

PRODUCTION TOOL BOX

For this project I am going to use a variety of tools and software that are commonly used by environment artists in game industry. This selection is based on my skills and personal preferences. In my previous experiences and projects, I believe I have become proficient with this range of tools and software that are essential for environment creation and game development and I am comfortable using them to bring my ideas to life. However, I am also open to learning and using new ones if the project requires it.

3D Modelling and Sculpting:

• Autodesk Maya for creating assets like buildings and props.

• Zbrush is ideal for high-detail sculpting and modelling of organic shapes.

• RizomUV is an UV software, new to me, that was build for speed of workflow. This is a good opportunity to try it as I am going to model a significant amount of assets for my environment.  

Texturing and materials:

• Substance Painter for creating detailed textures and materials for my 3D models.

• Substance Designer for creating procedural materials.

• Quixel Mixer is a great tool for blending and customize materials. 

Level design / world building:

• Unreal Engine is the game engine that I will be using to build my environment.

Lighting and Rendering:

• Unreal Engine also offers real-time dynamic lighting and advanced rendering capabilities. It also works great with PBR.

Post-processing / Visual effects:

• While most of the post-processing and visual effects are possible in Unreal Engine, I will probably make use of Adobe After Effects for compositing and further enhance the final look of my environment.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

There are some relatively new technologies that I might consider adapting for my project to enhance its quality.

Real-time Ray Tracing can significantly improve the overall visual fidelity of the environment by simulating how light interacts with objects and materials in real time. It can also create more realistic reflections, shadows, and lighting effects. However, ray tracing is a demanding task and can have a great impact on performance.

Procedural Generation algorithms can be used to create vast, dynamic, and diverse game environments. This is particularly useful for large, open-world settings. I might consider this tool if I have the time and decide to go further with the development of my project and create a small exterior post-apocalyptic wasteland.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Working on a large environment project often involves managing multiple tasks, deadlines, and resources simultaneously, so I decided to make use of a powerful tool to manage my environment project and my time effectively. Trello is a web-based project management tool that uses a card-based system to help users organise tasks, set deadlines, and collaborate with team members. It is an excellent choice for individuals and small teams looking to streamline their projects.

In the initial stages of my project, I was struggling a little bit to wrap my head around all the components, tasks, and responsibilities. Trello allowed me to create boards, lists, and cards to break down the project into manageable pieces. Each card represented a specific task or goal, and I could easily drag and drop them into different lists to prioritise and track progress. Below, there are some screenshots of my project setup in Trello.

PROJECT BACKUPS

Data loss may have a great impact on development as it means losing important project files which leads to project delays or even worse, not meeting deadlines. In addition to having my project files saved locally on my laptop, I adopted a backup strategy that includes regular backups to an external hard drive as well as cloud storage on Google Drive. This way I can prevent some potential risks such as hardware fail, data corruption, or accidental deletion of files.