Dev Blog 6: 3D Modeling in Maya

Hey there, my name is Emily Pickhardt and I'm the 3D modeler on the team. Thus this dev blog will be about my experience making the models for the game! There aren't many organic forms we needed to model for the game, and I personally have more experience modeling in Maya, so this is why I have been working with this program. I thought I was confident with modeling in Maya before we started this game, but I've found so many new things out about the program through my experience on this project which I know will help me immensely in my future career. The first space I modeled for in the game is what has been designated as the "Hub Space". I set up a quick version of how I imagined the space as a whole to look and sent that idea off to the team to be approved. I'm not too careful at this stage and tend to make the models very messy, since it's the bigger idea as a whole that I'm trying to show and I know I will go back in and clean up or replace all the models in the space.

After this, I make a list of objects, both large and small scale, that I will need for the scene. I tend to start larger and define the space and size of the area before filling it with the necessary smaller items and furniture. After the walls and floor were erected using simple cube shapes and planes, details were added to the scene. This included furniture as well as aesthetic additions such as columns, flags, balconies, and banners. The goal was to make the space look grand and regal, but to also add a museum feel and encourage the player to move through the space. As I was modeling and adding more pieces to the bigger picture, I would regularly add lights to the Maya scene, changing their directions and angles, and render the scene to see how the placement of objects would interact with light, as I wanted to keep that in mind for implementation as well. A big goal of the game was to seem ethereal, and light was an important aspect of this.

In the creation of the models, it was important to keep an eye on a few things. Ngons and triangles are important to avoid, as they can cause issues when the model is brought into the engine, as well as when it is being UVed and textured. Another important thing with models is fencing. This comes in handy with more complex models, since we determined we weren't having issues with high poly count, which can cause issues in engine with rendering speed, we were able to smooth our assets (which is done with a tool in Maya) to get a cleaner look. Fencing, which adds a border along edges, helps secure the form and keep edges crisp during the smoothing process. The picture below shows an example of fencing.

Shown below is an example of a model with an error in its edges that causes further issues when it's been smoothed.

Below is a comparison of a model before and after it was smoothed to give a better idea of the impact it makes on a finalized model. It has an even more noticeable impact in engine as well.

The assets in the Hub Space will continue to be used throughout the game in various other levels to keep consistency, but there is a plug in through the engine we are using, Unity, which allows us to build simple models in engine as well. It's called ProBuilder and has been used as walls and floors in many of the areas of the games. It's also used to create the outline of the other levels that my other teammates are working on, and is really helpful in that aspect. It allows for easier changes for spaces and is more easily accessible to all of the members of the team. This has been my modeling experience on this project, and I have enjoyed it for the most part (it can definitely be frustrating at times). I didn't necessarily think I'd become the group's 3D modeler going into this project last semester, but it has taught me some really useful skills and I'm grateful for this opportunity.