Page 39 - 3D World - October 2017

Feature
Creating game worlds

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as much as possible to prevent in-game geometry, rock materials 06 gEnErAtE thE Foliage can be
the characters from wandering are kept in one draw-call, with custom lAnDscAPE computationally
aimlessly. The mantra for VR is just one 4K texture with a simple With the landscape layout locked intensive but
test, test and test! Working in material to help us to achieve that down, we can now use Unreal plays an important
this manner allows the team to all important frame rate. Engine’s landscape system for the supporting role
evaluate level designs, the VR raft of navigational benefits that as part of the
experience and quickly make 05 bAtch tExturE rocks it can offer. The proxy terrain is environment
improvements if required. Once sculpted, a template imported into ZBrush and with the
file is created using Substance level that’s been viewed top-down,
04 rockbEArDs Painter. By layering up tones using the document is ZGrabbed to
The prototype goes through MG mask builders, the goal here create a heightmap.
several stages of iteration before was to highlight the rock edges, The heightmap is then imported
it’s finally ready for a detail pass. with tints of green within the straight into the Unreal Engine 4
With a library of pre-made rocks occluded areas to help push the landscape system and, with a bit
available on an Insert Multi Mesh forms of the bold rock surfaces. of tweaking, it creates an almost
brush, these could be placed With this template file setup, identical layout as the proxy mesh
efficiently but also made to blend all rocks for subsequent levels that was provided. From here
harmoniously within the landscape can then be batch processed for the sculpting tools within the
– an exercise in efficiency without efficiency and continuity by simply landscape system can be used to
compromising quality. With changing the project mesh, high refine any areas that didn’t quite
agreed technical budgets for the mesh and re-baking. transfer correctly.

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