Creating a Texture

When creating the texture for the environment I worked a bit different to how I would normal make textures.  instead of just creating a texture In Photoshop and applying it to the model. The way I created texture for this  environment was by printing the finished Photoshop texture and cutting it out make sure i leave room around the side it create flaps. i then folded the printed texture in to the shape of the model. this create fold and paper marks. I when scan in the texture. this gave my digital texture a printed look with added folds. I then would remap the texture to my 3D model. This progress also some time influence me when model by making me change my model to look more like the paper version i created.

UDK materials

In UDK the environmental come more alive with animated material, this give the environment greater impact, a lot more than u can get from the screenshot. Creating the materiel which were animation, involved alot of trail and error. after create alot of these materiel i find then now more easier to understand and create.

below is the basic step by step progress of one of my materials. (car with light on and flashing warning lights.)
This was the hardness materiel to create because it has 3 different lights, main front lights (yellow) rear lights (red) and warning lights (orange).

Screen of materiel, when warning lights are on

Screenshot the whole material, The emissive channel is used to create the 3 different lights 

I used the Lerp node to achieve a masked effect on the texture i can control where the light show.

Warning light material section, i used the Lerp with the masked warning light areas plugged into the alpha channel. The A channel had a Constance of 0 so it didn't effect the texture. The B channel has a multiply node which splits the warning lights flash timing and the colour of the lights.

This is the main and rear light section of the material. the first Lerp nodes A channel is connected to a Add which is then connected to two more Lerp nodes. This configuration help me achieve the look i was after.  

Car versions

As mentioned is the last post, I went through different stages with some of the 3D model which looked more 1950s style but less like paper. below is a screenshot of these examples.

Environment Final

below are screenshot of my final environment.It was created in UDK. All the 3D assets were create using 3Ds MAX and the texture were created using Photoshop. I am very happy with my environment and feel it fits my theme of paper very well. The environment is of a american suburbs, The Era for the environment is 1950s, hints of the era are only very subtle, for example the car colours. attempts to make the environment more 1950s style by adding more detail, for example to the car to give them more of a 1950s flare, took them away from the paper look and as the paper look was more important I simplified them.

Idea 2 test in UDK

This make sure the ideas concept ideas was possible, I try to create it in UDK. Below are the screenshots of this level. The method I use to create the effect was not vible on a large scale do maybe able to be used with ideas 1 as a small sections.

Ideas 1 test in UDK

This is a UDK test for my first ideas. I used the standard UDK assets and used hinges, to create the physic reactive ramps. The ramps are also affected by the vehicle gun, so I could possible add shoot points to my level.

Level Design Review

This blog post was created to explain, what went well and what did for my final level.

What went well

Cameras - I feel the camera I created worked well, the added sound and light indicated to the player clearly. Also the use of green and red light to let the player know wether the camera is active or disabled.

What didn't well

Sneak system - The sneaking system does not work smoothly. the mechanic has a on/off approch creating no real emmersion or sense of painic. The meachanic was drastic from the stadard UDK options and i could not achieve an effective result under the time. if i was to do the assignment again I would have worked with what UDK has to offer first before trying to under go a mayjor mechanic like a sneak stystem.   

Paint System - I wanted to create a meachanic where the player paint colour when they walk. I managed to create a basic material on the lamp post model which changes green when the player apporch it. The look of the paint model mechanic was not the final look i was after, the piant should bleed onto the mesh and only affect the mesh the player is near. instead the material fades to green and affects all the lamp models. it is possible to have the material indivial effect the mesh, but that would mean creating a material instance for each model and because it was not the look i was after i didnt want to waste time create lots of material instances. I have left the bad paint system in the level so it s playble, but have not advertised it in my level design document.


What I would do if I had more time

Create an alterate route. I would create alternate route. this route could be a undergroud sewer or another building to explore. when players are given the option of choice I think its greate level design.

Add a extra driving section after opening the gate. by adding a end drive section to the player would add a sense of reward to the player after just opening the gate.