Tips and Tricks for Modeling
for Next-Gen Games

There are many different ways to generate final normal maps for
low-poly models, and knowing when to use certain techniques to
achieve the best possible results is essential.

While these tips are presented within the example of the Epic art
pipeline, they can be easily applied to similar packages and
production environments.
Pete Hayes - Artist, Epic Games Inc.

Previous to joining Epic, worked as a multimedia specialist in the
corporate industry and a 3D modeling instructor at the Art
Institute of Dallas.

Worked on UNREAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2, primarily in creating
high-poly pre-rendered matte paintings.
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He was co-speaker of the Art Content Creation for the Next
Generation Unreal Engine track at GDC 2005.

Currently a weapon/vehicle/mech modeler for Epic Games on
their Xbox 360 title GEARS OF WAR.
Presentation Overview

Basic familiarity or some with some/all of the programs
covered. Existing knowledge of normal maps and creating
3D assets for next-gen games.

General Practices – Work smart, coordinate, & ends
justify the means.

3ds Max – Techniques, modifiers, & scripts/plugins.

Zbrush - Techniques, asset libraries, & tools.
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Lowpoly/Processing – Lowpoly, unwrapping, &
processing.

PhotoShop - Techniques, asset libraries, & tools.
Thanks

Everybody on the Gears Team and everybody at Epic
Games. The following contributed directly to the WIP
images used in this presentation:

Jerry O'Flaherty – Art Director
Chris Perna – Lead Artist
Jay Hawkins - Concept Artist
Maury Mountain – Texture Artist
Mike Buck – Texture Artist
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
DISCLAIMER: The images used in this presentation are
WIP images that I or the above artists produced for
weekly art meetings and DO NOT represent final Gears of
War art assets. All images are for internal demo purposes
only and are not intended for public release. All images
are copyright Epic Games 2006.
General Practices
- Work Smart

Too Much/Not Enough: Always keep in mind poly/map/physical
size. Low poly count & smaller map size = bolder & more simple.

Streamline Interface: Always hotkey or create custom menus,
quads, etc.
Mike Buck Skin
General Practices
- Work Smart

Digital Kitbash: Create asset libraries of pipes, bolts, fasteners
techno greeble, alphas, tools, etc.

Sharing is Caring: Don’t feel you have any ownership over your
models or techniques, share everything for the greater good!

Right Package: Always choose the right tool for the job to
maximize productivity.
General Practices

- Coordinate
Art Director, Lead & Concept Artist: Keep everybody in the
process updated, make sure you are always on track.
General Practices

Jay Hawkins
- Coordinate
General Practices
- Coordinate

Animators: Double check sizing, placement, moving parts, etc.

Texture Artist: keep in close contact with whoever is going to
skin your model.
General Practices
– Ends Justify Means

Not Hi Poly: You are not making a model for rendering … you
are simply modeling a detail map for a low poly.

Modify in Post: Keep in mind how much can be added/fixed in
post.
Chris Perna Skin
General Practices

– Ends Justify Means
Your Process: It’s all about capitalizing on each artists strength and
what pipeline and tools is best for the project.
Chris Perna/Maury Mountain Skin
General Practices
– Ends Justify Means
General Practices
– Ends Justify Means
General Practices
Chris Perna Skin
– Ends Justify Means
General Practices
Chris Perna Skin
– Ends Justify Means
3ds Max
- Techniques

Float Geometry: Cuts, holes, insets and other superficial detail
can be floated.

Paper Clips & Duct Tape: Model in chunks, slap stuff together,
countersink meshes, etc.

Smooth Edges: Make sure everything in your hi poly has
smooth edges.
3ds Max
- Techniques

Exaggerate: Exaggerate details, make things a bit larger and
more defined than what they would typically be.

Work in Stages: Try to get the entire model roughed in first then
go back and make detail passes.
3ds Max
- Techniques

Organization: Use layers logically to group large chunks of your
model.

Instance Objects: Instance and mirror as many objects as
possible.

Smooth on Render: Smooth on render only, display as box.
3ds Max
- Modifiers

Shell: Create metal plating & other hard surfaced objects.

FFD: Excellent for molding things into shape, fitting parts
together, keeping objects smooth, etc.
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Symmetry: Great for mirroring halves of models, can generate
unusual shapes if stacked.
3ds Max
- Modifiers

Bevel/Extrude: Create base shapes with splines then
beveling/extrude to create mass.
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TurboSmooth: Render only if you aren't working on the shape,
don't over smooth if not necessary.
3ds Max
Mike Buck Skin
- Modifiers
3ds Max – Scripts/Plugins

PolyBoost: www.polyboost.com - A collection of scripts that
expands your modeling functionality in Max.

PolyCruncher: - www.mootools.com - Essential if you need to
bring your zbrush meshes into max for processing.
3ds Max – Scripts/Plugins

Advanced Painter: Great for “painting” on bolts & greebly bits.

Additional Scripts: www.scriptspot.com - Max scripts. Align to
face is great for fine tuning placement.
Zbrush
- Techniques

Organic Strengths: Focus on using Zbrush for it's main
strengths.
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Avoid Silliness: Don’t get too carried away and add wasted
detail.
Zbrush
- Techniques

Exaggerate: Overmodel crevices, dents, organic elements, etc.
to make sure they pop on the normal map.
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Normal Material: Hand paint directly over photo reference then
use the normal material to export.
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Polygroups: Always use polygroups and keep them under 500k
if you are going to export.
Zbrush
– Asset Libraries
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Alphas: Create stock alphas, rock, wrinkles, wood, dents,
scratches, etc.
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Models: Store a multitude of base models at various stages of
detailing.
Zbrush
– Tools
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Zmapper: If it’s a 100% organic piece then process normal in
Zbrush.
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Layer Shift: Great for creating tile able normal maps.
Mike Buck Tutorial Excerpt
LowPoly/Processing
– Lowpoly

Lowpoly is King: Always modify the hi poly to fit low poly
needs, make sure your low is structurally solid and clean.

Model Over: The closer the low poly matches the hi poly the
cleaner process you will get.
LowPoly/Processing
– Lowpoly

Smooth Lowpoly: The fewer number of smoothing groups the
better.
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Modify Post Process: Path deform, optimize, tweak the
proportions subtly, etc. (as long as you don't disturb the unwrap
boundaries).
LowPoly/Processing
– Unwrapping

Organization: Maximize texture space as possible but not at the
expense of logical organization.

Fewer/larger: Fewer/larger chunks, even if it means subtle
stretching, always consider texturing.

Keep Clean: Even though normal maps can compensate for
small anomalies in the unwrap get it as tight as possible for best
results.
LowPoly/Processing

– Processing
Render to Texture in Max: Create base material libraries in
Max and apply to hi poly before processing to generate
additional maps.
LowPoly/Processing
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– Processing
Explode Objects: Break apart major components and/or
animated components so they can process individually.
Mirroring Issues: There are a lot of ways to deal with mirroring
issues and it’s dependent on the type of game asset, engine
used, processing application, etc.
PhotoShop
– Techniques

Normal Map Filter: Use to create normal maps from photo
source or hand painted images.
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Rubber Stamp/Healing Brush: Clean up processing glitches
easily.

Actions: Creating an action library is helpful for all sorts of utility
manipulation of normals.
PhotoShop

– Techniques
Normal Overlays: Add additional non-modeled details.
Mike Buck Original Skin
Chris Perna Interior Detail
PhotoShop
– Asset Libraries

Easy Minor Details: Dents, scratches, skin pores, bolts, etc.:
can be layered onto existing normal maps.
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Brushes: Custom brushes can speed up the process of
modifying you normal maps.
Summary

Love Pushin Polys – Log serious hours and everything comes
together and each model gets better, faster, cleaner! 