Posted on 02/07/2019 3:43:52 AM PST by vannrox
In 2014 I provided Edge Case Games with concepts for Fractured Space. At the time, the game was in a pre-beta stage gameplay was locked down, but the team needed spaceship designs that felt genuinely manufactured and massive.
I was brought in to create convincing, engineered mega-ships for two of the games factions United Space Research (USR), and Zarek Industries fictional, militarized versions of NASA and Maersk, respectively.
Several in-depth conversations with Dan Lodge, the projects Art Director, revealed that the conventional concept art route i.e. painting in 2D and working with thumbnails wasnt developing believable designs.
I proposed a process that involved establishing core values for the two factions and then to work straight into 3D without any sketches or paints.
I was given background information about the factions and after sifting through reference I isolated some design themes that would be the consistent theme for each faction: Cylindrical modules for the USR and brutal cubist geometry for Zarek Industries.
I know that the USR will be utilizing a cylindrical module system so I start with a basic cylinder, carefully dividing and sculpting until the shape of the ship begins to emerge. I throw in basic stock components from old files so it doesnt feel too abstract.
With the design getting progressively more massive, I create annotated screenshots that keep my to-do list manageable. This is essential the design is going to be over a KM long as I zoom in to work on things at a human scale the ship becomes abstracted and I need to maintain a birds eye view with the screenshots.
I subdivide the design, carefully making shape adjustments to avoid it looking like a giant sausage. Dan is an essential pair of fresh eyes during these stages. I apply materials to get a better visual sense of the final design.
6600 components and 11.5 millions polygons later, the overall design is in place. It is however a bit overwhelming to anyone who is not familiar with the file setup so I begin a cleanup.
I break the design up for the Edge Case team so they can clearly interpret the modular sections. These blocks can be reorganized along the central pivot this way Edge Case can create many designs with the created parts.
I hand off the 3D file in chunks to Hans Palm and the team they begin the gargantuan task of optimizing and remodeling the design so that it can work within the performance parameters of the UE4 game-engine.
While the team gets familiar with the mesh and its construction I start exploring the designs aesthetics at a variety of scales this is to provide creative and technical material that will help with getting the design in-engine. First up I produce macro renders to visualize the ship under physical lighting conditions.
The renders give me a sense of scale and I weigh up the best way to execute details for the texture artist. The big issue is displaying the correct density of texture so they visually support the ships size from the players perspective.
The team will need a toolbox from me that helps them create more USR ships beyond the Flagship. I close in on a selection of modules that have a variety of materials with this area fully concepted, the team will have a transferable visual guide for USR materials.
I render several plates individually, such as reflection, specular, ambient occlusion and diffuse. I can then composite them in Photoshop with complete control. When the values are working together, I add photo reference and hand paint specific details to bring the module to life.
The guys wanted to see the design in context, so I was briefed with turning the model into an illustration that would show the design being maintained at a space port.
It was important that the ship be the center of attention, so I took care to make the port itself follow the circular design language without overwhelming the ship.
Working with the guys at Edge Case Games was an absolute pleasure Ill be showing more background info from other Fractured Space ships in the near future.
First of all, I am not from VT. Second, its SANDERS not Saunders. He was in the TV show Combat!
I know way too many engineers.
Saunders Sanders ... tomato ...toe-mah-to! and I know way way to many artists - and other self- proclaimed creativists!
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