Arcane University: 3D art

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< Arcane University
AULabel.png AU Disciplines
Project Management
Writing
Concept Art
3D Art
Animation
Implementation
Level Design
Sound Effects
Music Composition
Voice Acting

The 3D Art department takes two-dimensional concept art—usually digital drawings—and uses them to create three-dimensional models to be placed in the game world. The 3d artist must also take into account any special requirements regarding pre-existing lore, and technical restrictions required by the animation and implementation teams.

General Workflow

With the concept art imported into the modelling software, blockout modeling starts. For the high-polywork flow, the 3D artist sculpts a high-poly mesh. They then bake the high-poly details into the normal map of a retopologized low-poly version of the mesh, and add textures to this low-poly model.

  1. Blockout
  2. Sculpting
  3. Retopology
  4. UV Unwrapping
  5. Baking
  6. Texturing

After this, the asset is passed to the Nif implementation team to be exported to NIF format. It is then given its physical properties such as collision and physics. It may then be rigged/skinned to bones and animated, if necessary. In some of the Partner Projects your work as a 3D artist finishes here, and an asset implementer takes over. However, in others, you are encouraged to implement your own asset. This is also what we recommend in the Arcane University, as it allows you to see and fix errors in your mesh and textures that's not visible until you see it in game.

Tutorials

General

Weapons

Armor

Landscape

Trees and Plants

Tilesets and Architecture

LOD Objects

Rigging/Skinning

Basic Software

As a 3D artist you have to use a variety of software and plugins to achieve the results you want. Below you'll find several alternatives within each category that are suitable for asset creation. You must have a 3D modeling, 3D baking and 3D texturing program in order to create your asset - this is your most basic programs in the unique 3D workflow.

3D modelling and sculpting programs

All 3D artists need a modelling and sculpting program to create the geometry of their asset.

3D baking programs

Some texturing programs are also good at baking. See list below for what options offer baking.

3D texturing program

  • Quixel Mixer - free, texturing.
  • Marmoset Toolbag [$] - baking, texturing.
  • Adobe Substance 3D Painter [$*] - baking, texturing. Free with Student License.
    • Substance Painter Plugin - free. if you're using Adobe Substance 3D Painter, you'll also want to use the PBR to Skyrim plugin.
    • Adobe Substance 3D Designer [$*] Create materials with nodes - not for applying texture to an asset, only to create complex materials. Adobe Substance 3D Designer is not required use, you can usually create the materials you want in Painter, but it's a powerful program for complex materials.
  • Blender Blender does not provide quite as many fancy features as the above programs, but it is free.

2D texturing program

These programs can be used to manually alter texture maps. These are not mandatory to download, but you might need one at some point.

  • GIMP
  • Affinity [$]
  • Adobe Photoshop [$] - Can be used with Nvidia Plugin to convert maps to DDS format. PS: you sign up for yearly subscriptions, paid monthly.

Links

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