Arcane University:3D art

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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

• Start to Finish Game Asset (Video on Twitch) By Bartalon
• How to Model Anything in 3D - Modeling Fundamentals (Youtube) by FlippedNormals
• 6 key principles for 3D modeling (Youtube) by CG Cookie
• What is Texel Density and How to Master it (Youtube) by malcolm341
• What is Texture Padding and How to Master it (Youtube) by malcolm341
• UDIMs - Modelling and Texturing Essentials (Youtube) by FlippedNormals

Landscape

• Hiding Texture Seams with Blended Decals

Trees and Plants

• Flora Workflow
• Tree Animations
• Creating and Texturing Grass (video) by David Pynkoski (Beyond Skyrim)

Tilesets and Architecture

• Modularity in Creating 3D Game Environments (pdf) by Mike Bernstein
• Skyrim’s Modular Approach to Level Design by Joel Burgess (Bethesda)
• How We Used Iterative Level Design to Ship Skyrim and Fallout 3 (lecture video) by Joel Burgess (Bethesda)
• Fallout 4's Modular Level Design (lecture video) by Joel Burgess (Bethesda)
• How to Create Tilesets (lecture video) by Zix (Skywind)
• Snapping Tutorial (video) by Zix (Skywind)

LOD Objects

• LOD Model Creation
• Guideline for LOD model creation (forum thread) by Grumpycat (Skywind)

Rigging/Skinning

• Rigging with Blender 2.79
• Rigging in Outfit Studio

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.

• Blender - free, modelling and sculpting. (also read Blender for Skyrim)
• Maya [$] - modelling. (also read Maya for Skyrim)
• 3ds Max [$] - modelling. (also read 3ds Max for Skyrim)
• ZBrush [$] - sculpting. (also read ZBrush for Skyrim)
• Mudbox [$] - sculpting. (also read Mudbox for Skyrim)

3D baking programs

• xNormal - free

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

• How a Team of Modders Use Substance Painter to Recreate Skyrim article on Substance Painter blog by Hayden Price