3D Art Portfolio #3 - Integrated Audio Scene: Week 2

Switching gears this week after doing more research and connecting with Matt Tracy my focus became generating an audio piece against a pre-existing cutscene. I choose a night raid scene from the video game Battlefield because it has the first person shooter drop into an already immersive war scenario. I edited the scene visuals down to just under one minute because that is about how much time you have for someone in the industry to hear what you are doing and know that you have skills.

Edited scene:

I also picked the scene because it has a nice beginning, middle and end with the initial parachute descent, the hectic battle as you make your way through the scene, and then a closing with the tank smashing through a wall and firing as the climax to the scene. First I had to gather all kinds of sounds in order to simulate the experience and this is the most audio I've ever collected for a project:

I approached the soundscape similar to a 3D art approach by thinking of aural experience as having a foreground, midground and background, so there will be layers to what the audience is hearing. In my first pass I needed to incorporate all of the first person shooter weapon sounds the firing of the automatic and the reloading sounds, and also things like when the person first lands on the ground, having sound effects to give that sense of drop and hitting with their body.

By far the most challenging aspect in this initial first pass was to get each shot fired to match the kick back of the gun, and I had line up each of these shots going frame by frame slowly, playing back over and over to get it right. This was by far what I've logged the most hours on, because if one shot was off, in that split second the human eye can see and hear something isn't right. It became very specific. I also included a couple sounds in the intro and in the outro I wanted to get the tank smashing through the wall because to me this was also a main event that should be up close and visceral.

First pass video:

After I had things sounding decent for the first person foreground, I approached adding the other guns shots occurring from surrounding comrades which proved challenging almost like finding the correct rhythms against what the first person shooter was doing, and those sounds had to be heard in the midground but not compete with what I had already created. I also began adding bomb explosions both close and distant, to get the right feel for the auditory experience given where the bomb was being dropped and how much the impact would affect the viewer.

In the distant background I needed the air raid sirens which gave the aural tapestry a nice backdrop as sounds played out. Finally during this pass I tried to hone in on certain sounds that were missing from the original cutscene reference to improve the overall sound re-design such as the power line boxes that explode when they get shot, two different bullet attacks to the first person one of which injures the character. Overall the soundscape is now incredibly visceral. The next step will be to add voices from the soldiers as they yell and call out to each other during the battle.

Second pass video:

3D Art Portfolio #3 - Integrated Audio Scene: Week 1

3D Art Portfolio #3 - Integrated Audio Scene: Week 1

For this week I wanted to complete the level I plan to integrate audio into, and using a factory asset pack I was able to restructure several of the areas into a closed set of rooms to create a sort of factory corridor that I can then set the sequencer up to move through and create audio scene I am going for. Here are several images of the level build:

In the above image and its sequence the sounds I will focus will be the forklift as you pass by. In the next will be the sounds of the conveyer belt and the robot welding arms movement and welding sounds, and also noises of workers in the background moving equipment.

As the sequencer moves through the next part I want the systems and the conveyer belt to be heard and in close proximity as the camera moves above it.

There will be more robotic arm sounds and I also want to create certain electrical hums in places.

This next corridor could have certain saw type sounds that are behind the wall, and if I can find other machinery assets to add these next two or three areas could have different sounds also.

The above image shows where I can get some light bulb electrical type noises happening, and focus on how the audio would change going through a type of room like this. Then in the last image the last big open room, I would like to incorporate some crane type assets and sounds.

The next weeks phase will be gathering the audio files generating the list I first created so that I have all the audio assets I might need imported into the game engine.

3D Art Portfolio #3 - Integrated Audio Scene

 3D Art Portfolio #3 - Integrated Audio Scene

For my final portfolio project during the summer, I decided since I would like to go into military simulation and focus heavily on Audio production, I wanted to create a type of simulation room in a first person shooter style that would be for training purposes, and also incorporate a gaming feel - an integrated audio scene. In order to focus primarily on the integration of audio, I will be using existing 3D assets I have created, as well as looking for asset packs to fill out the space, so that it could be used as a VR simulation room. Once I begin work and understand the scope better, the space could become larger, but for now the goal will be to contain the scope in a smaller space.

My 4 week schedule is as follows:

WEEK ONE: create and design room concept and make a list of existing assets and/or using an asset pack and also generate a list of audio elements that will be needed for the space, and begin level build out with initial lighting pass setup.

WEEK TWO: finalize room build out and begin work on gathering audio elements and begin creating audio elements for the space and getting the assets into engine to test out levels immediately, begin work on soundtrack music to go along with the space in this initial stage so that the audio elements work together as I build the music compositional backdrop.

WEEK THREE: Finish music structure that can loop during the experience and test and finalize levels of SFX and any additional audio elements. Final pass on 3D objects and asset layout. Second lighting pass and test all integrated elements.

WEEK FOUR: Final music mastered and implemented. Final lighting pass and adjust any textures if need be. Test experience with players and get feedback on audio elements, check with Rick, Chris and Nick if they have time to check it out and offer feedback.

Environment Concept: Factory hallway or corridor / military type hallway with objects and machinery

For the space concept I'd like to work with the idea of the player moving down a long hallway and passing by different types of machinery. This will be a heavy opportunity to work with attenuation and sound levels, so that when the player is passing by different machinery or sounds they might hear, such as workers talking loudly or shouting at each other, the player will have more of an integrated experience. In terms of the music composition, I would like to generate a track that runs the distance of the hallway, with the possibility of the music loop changing as the player gets to different check points. This will be the first goal of the space, and to have different sounds occur down the space, but this way I can work with the idea that the player is only really traveling forward to keep the scope more limited.

I will use a factory asset pack to build out the space quickly and then generate some lighting, so I will immediately have a working level without having to full design a space, and can work directly with integrated sounds on a linear passage way, which also gives me an opportunity to focus on stereo sound, such as what the player is hearing on their left versus their right ear, and develop a three dimensional approach to stereo sound in the experience.

I want the hallway to have the feel of a music video film production shoot, so the goal will be to see if I can get the kind of drama I want from the experience while still creating realistic soundscapes to go along with the music.

Here are some reference examples of the type of hallway I will create with the asset pack:

Audio Assets: preliminary list

Machine types of sounds:

1. Metal saw

2. Grinder

3. Welding

4. Hammering

3. Oil Pistons

4. Electrical charge

5. Intercom

6. Water Hydraulics

7. Gears

8. Forklift hidden

9. Forklift visible

10. Conveyer belt

11. Workers talking / shouting

12. Ventilation

13. Machine drone

14. Machine arm

15. Machine shutdown

Music ideas: industrial electronic - 4 different sections (solitude, trepidation, intensity, havoc)

3D Art Glock Textures

 3D Art Glock Textures

For this week I was trying to get the Glock into Substance so I could do what texturing I was able to which wasn't as much as I wanted. Right now I have basic textures on it and there is definitely more work to be done to give it a more authentic look. I am hoping that I make another push to finish it as I move on to the 3rd portfolio piece, or continue work on it during venture track. Overall right now it has the base textures I will use, but I still need to add more details such as the grip and the lettering, as well as get the surfaces to look more natural.

3D Art Post - Glock Game Res

 3D Art Post - Glock Game Res

I am currently still working on the Glock game res, there is more work to do than I thought, but I think it will be worth it once I can get the poly count as low as possible and still retain all of the geo I want. Right now it is at about 11K tris, and I think I can get it down to 10K if I work more on it. My goal this upcoming week will be to keep pushing it through and finish texturing it:

High res:

Current bake in substance:

3D Art Post - 2nd Portfolio Project

 3D Art Post - 2nd Portfolio Project

I decided to change and finish two existing pieces for this portfolio sprint. I am going to make sure I can get the hatchet I began for the first project finished, and in addition I am going to push the Glock gun I did for the 2nd industry review through the pipeline. I will resume work on the Hatchet and update next week, but here is where I am at with the Glock and its High Res as well as currently working on the game res:

3D Art - Grenade Block Out

 3D Art - Grenade Block Out

For this first week I gathered some reference images and a 2D concept created by artist Sabrina Weeks for a type of sci fi grenade. My goal is to show I can be given a concept from an artist in 2D form and then create that object in 3D. I haven't made all of the decisions yet in terms of the final realization and its textures, but I do like the original 2D design of the handle of the grenade on the far right:

Here is my block-out in Maya:

Here are some reference I gathered for texturing ideas. I haven't made set in stone decisions yet, because I am hoping as I get into texturing I can see what looks best and which direction to head towards will become more apparent once I'm actually applying the textures:

3D Art - Hatchet - Week 3

 3D Art - Hatchet - Week 3

For this week I wanted to get my initial bake and base texturing done. I plan to add surface detail like dust etc on my next texture pass. I wanted to make sure if I need to revise anything in the meshes before moving onto that level since it will affect edges etc. So for there a few areas that need attention but I'm feeling confident about how the textures will match my reference. I also need to address the inside inner lower part of the blade, because in the reference there are pretty detailed lines in terms of how the metal was cut or created at the factory:

Reference image:

3D Art - Hatchet - Week 2

 3D Art - Hatchet - Week 2

For this sprint I wanted to get the hatchet into Substance Painter with a first bake. I'm at around 7K-8K tris so I have some wiggle room in case I want to change something or add more geo in certain areas after I test the bake out:

I-ray render of mesh in Substance Painter:

3D Art Hatchet - Week 1

 3D Art Hatchet - Week 1

5/28 Reference images & proxy block-out
6/4 Game Res & UVs
6/11 High Res & Texture
6/18 Final texture & Lighting display

To begin I gathered reference for the military hatchet I want to create:

And I also started a proxy and moved to constructing topology for the blade the most difficult part:

3D Art Portfolio - Week 1

 3D Art Portfolio - Week 1

Schedule Breakdown:

Week 1: Proxy block-out, Game Res & Upres models

Week 2: High Res model & UVs

Week 3: Texturing

Week 4: Lighting Display & Final Renders

I decided since I would like to go into military simulation that creating a tactical hatchet would be great to build off my previous experience making the tactical knife. Here are the reference images I showed in class to decide which concept might be best for my first portfolio project:

It was decided in class with Nick that the third and last image would be best for this portfolio project. The overall design and shape is strong with different surfaces to deal with in terms of texturing.

The next step Nick suggested would be to find other reference images that showcase the hatchet as a product with a better background and lighting display. Here are several reference ideas for that:

3D Vehicle Post 4

 3D Vehicle Post 4