Week 3 - Statement of intent & Blockout

Project Overview:

For this project, I’m creating an abandoned temple reclaimed by nature, with a striking statue as the focal point. The scene will feature overgrown foliage like vines draping over walls and moss creeping through the temple’s ancient bricks. I chose this concept because it allows me to dive deeper into trim sheet techniques and experiment with foliage creation using TreeIt. The environment will have a stylized aesthetic—something I’ve explored before but haven’t fully mastered, making this an exciting challenge.

Tools & Software:

• Autodesk Maya: For hard surface modeling, providing optimized, low-poly base meshes.

• ZBrush: To sculpt detailed elements, especially for trim sheets and high-poly details.

• Substance Designer & Painter: Designer for creating seamless, tileable textures (like concrete walls), while Painter will handle individual prop texturing with high-to-low poly baking, generators, and filters.

• TreeIt: To create natural elements like vines and foliage.

• Unreal Engine 5: For lighting, post-processing, rendering, and adding atmospheric effects such as fog.

Project Goals:

My main goal is to build an immersive, stylized temple environment. Additionally, I want to enhance my skills in optimization techniques, focusing on trim sheets and texture atlases to improve performance without sacrificing detail. This involves modeling low-poly trims in Maya and refining the details in ZBrush.

Stretch Goals:

• Improve my workflow with trim sheets and atlases for better environment optimization.

• Refine high-to-low poly baking techniques to achieve a polished, hand-painted look.

  
  

Style & References:

I've developed a mood board featuring potential designs and modular breakdowns for the environment. The art style draws inspiration from games like Sea of Thieves, aiming for a vibrant, hand-painted aesthetic. Using Substance Painter’s baking and texturing tools, along with generators and filters, will help me achieve this look.

Rationale:I have prior experience using TreeIt for foliage and integrating assets into Unreal Engine 5. This project is an opportunity to push my skills further, particularly in areas where I’ve faced challenges, like optimization and advanced texturing techniques. By the end of this project, I hope to not only create a visually compelling environment but also grow as an artist through refining my technical workflow.

Blockout