In-game asset, Bottle Bomb

7/27/2019 In-game asset, Bottle Bomb

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Bottle Bomb

By: Charles Smith

ITGM 505 Game Art Methods

2:00pm Fall 2013

Professor Aram Cookson


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Project Summary:

This project is designed with the intentions learning how to create an in-game asset

primarily using Maya and Photoshop. Maya is used to create the three dimensional

model that will be the geometric structure of the asset, while Photoshop is used to create

textures for the polygon surfaces. In addition to these tasks, the project also requires abasic understanding of UV layout creation, and normal, specular, and ambient occlusion

maps.

Creative Brief:

While first discussing the project, I was overwhelmed with excitement because of the

idea of creating my first digital object that could be used in a game engine. I have never

succeeded at creating art, at least not in the formal or academic sense, so that brings a

large amount of reservation and fear of inadequacy, especially when compared to mypeers who have all done this before. After rationalizing the project, I did not think it

would be incredibly difficult, as it is the first assignment, and seemed rather straight

forward. I want to create something fun and silly, since those are the things that tend to

hold my interest longest. The professor told me to make a barrel, but that seems overly

simplified, and I want to make something that is challenging for me, but still keeps my

interest. Since it is the first week of class, I do not have a large amount of objects to use

as reference for my project, but I do have my technology and drink machine. That being

said, I want to turn my drinking bottle into something interesting and fun, potentially a

childrens toy.

Research:

Since I had never completed a project like this before, I searched for what I thought was

the most detailed and impressive model sheets. Primarily to give myself some

motivation to work harder, but also to see how far programs could be pushed to create

such wonderful pieces.


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First shaded and wireframe models I have ever seen. Was impressed with the number

of polygons throughout the structure, and how detailed the geometry was. For me it

was inspiring and thought provoking as to how much work actually goes into creating

the models for something in a digital game.


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This is the first texture layout I have ever seen. Impressive detail in the leather armor

and weapons. Initially did not understand why the face was stretched out, but it quickly

made sense once my peers and I discussed it in regards to their head models. The final

still render amazed me, especially after seeing all the pieces come together.


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Since I knew I was not going to be making a character, I changed my focus to finding

weaponry and militaristic objects to try and gain a better idea of what I was trying to

accomplish.


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Another look at wireframe primarily, as well as the still render. First model sheet I saw

that included the Bake, as well as a high and low polygon version of the model. The idea

of creating a weapon was exciting, especially something with ballistics.


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My first experience with a normal map, as well as a UV layout. I really like the

presentation of the cannon in the final photo, mostly because it provides different

angles, as well as elevations. I still love the idea of creating a cannon, especially using

household items as the resources for size, color, and potential graphics.

This was another look at wireframes and mappings, especially since I wanted to make

sure I was doing this as close to professional as possible. This wireframe accomplishes a

lot and the geometry captures wonderful details, which is exactly what I am trying to

accomplish. Having never made a mapping before, I looked mostly at layout and how

they displayed each section.


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There seems to be a continuing theme with the texture, normal, specularity, and

occlusion layouts. So far, they have been in a square pattern with each one taking up the

same amount of space.


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While still on the militaristic weaponry idea, I was awestruck by the UV layout and

detail of the wireframe in this helicopter. The layout is the most compact UV layout I


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have seen thus far, and considering the amount of trouble I had with finalizing my UV

layout, this was quite impressive.


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The image has an interesting layout for displaying all of the mappings, one that I had

not seen in any other research that I did when trying to learn what all of these things

were.

Interesting design for the final still. I really enjoy the ghostly perspective in the

background.


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Great layout in regards to seeing the completed version beside the shaded model and

wireframe. Having never created anything like this before, it helped me see the

transition and how the final version greatly resembles the geometry you create. In

addition to that, I wanted to see something from a game I have played, so I could get an

idea for how things change between an in-game version, and a still render.


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These are the metal textures that I initially researched for ideas on how to texture a

metal bottle. I really enjoyed the stained metallic look, as well as some rust particles

being a part of the metal.


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For the wood texture, I really wanted to emphasize the organic grain of the wood, but

still needed some type of industrial crafted elements. The eyes of the wood grain were

what I liked the most, and tried to capture that throughout each wooden texture used for

the model.


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I wanted the second wire to be red and be more organic that the blue wire. The first

texture is patterned because I had not made up my mind as to which wire would be the

organic one. That was until I found the third texture, which has a wonderful rhythm to

it that reminds me of my HDMI cable.


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Knowing that I would want to tape the clock onto the bottle, I found multiple sets of

masking tape. Disappointingly, I could not find one that I liked without the watermark

on it.


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Thumbnails:

I did not put it together until after being told some examples of modifications that I

understood what I was actually going to do. I wanted to use my SodaStream bottle as

the source of the object, primarily because it was in front of me and gave me something

to analyze and critique myself on. I knew I wanted to make something fun, and since it

was for a game engine, I heavily considered making a toy of some kind. After discussing

with peers and the professor, the idea of a toy seemed too cutesy and I was inclined to

do something more destructive. After more discussion I settled on a bomb, because

the idea of having a burning wick in a bottle cap made me smile. After joking around

about it more, a peer suggested making it into a time bomb, and these were my sketches

that followed that discussion.


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Roughs:

After getting a clear idea of what I wanted to create, I first used Maya to create the

generic bottle shape that I would need.

Feedback was incredibly positive for the first version of the model, but there were some

minor tweaks to make, mostly with dimensions along the base.


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This version was also met with positive feedback, except that there should be more

modifications to the object. Again, a peer suggested the idea of a clock, which I had

already sketched, but felt it might be too over the top. Everyone talking about my model

seemed to like the idea of a time bomb, and adding a clock would be the next step.

After adding the clock, I asked what everyone thought of it, and there was plenty of

criticism. The first was regarding the wires coming from the clock, and their lack of

curvature. They make a drastic turn, and should have been more consistent. I was alsotold to try making multiple pieces of the object, and then combine them all together.

This suggestion came because of my creation process, which was the extrude everything

under the sun to make my object. Instead of continually extruding, creating multiple

objects and combining would be simpler and create a cleaner object. I also commented

in jest about how a time bomb would not need a wick, unless it was a terrible fall back

plan to the timer not working. After some laughter, everyone came to the agreement

that the wick should be taken away and additional wires could be used to fill the space

and add more modifications.


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This is the final model that was used for the UV layout and mappings. There was not

any negative feedback in regards to this version of the model, aside from some

discussion on how to create curves in an easier manner than the one I used to craft

them.


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My UV layout for the final bottle model above. After many mistakes trying to use the

cylindrical and automatic mapping functions in Maya, I eventually mapped each piece

individually before combining the entire structure. That allowed for me to correctly

map the wires as cylinders, as well as the bottle and clock. I did not receive muchcriticism on the layout, because I struggled so much with it that it has not been reviewed

by my peers and professor at this point. I believe it turned out rather well, as I tried to

consume as much of the space as possible and made the portions of the object that

needed more detail larger than others.


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Comps:

Developing the textures for the model proved to be more difficult than I initially

anticipated. I found multiple images that contained portions of the feel that I was trying

to accomplish, and then used a series of tools in Photoshop to develop them into a

texture that satisfied my desires.

This is the wood texture that I used for the cap and base of the bottle. I used an organic

tree ring image to get the discolorations that I wanted sporadically throughout the

texture. I then used tools in Photoshop to darken the image, as well as use the healing

brush to remove some of the attributes that I did not want.


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For the metal texture I used a faint fill pattern in the background, which is used to give a

manufactured feel as well as organic drip markings to show some age. This combined

with speckled rust that was re-colored to be a light gray combined to finalize the metal

texture.


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These images are the textures used for the blue and red wires attached to the bottle and

clock. I wanted the wires to be different in ways that were not just color. I used a strict

pattern image that was then combine with different shades of blue to give me the blue

pattern I wanted. Lastly I used an image to add minor deformations to the texture to

give it a slightly more realistic appearance. The red wire was intended to have an

organic pattern. I wanted to recreate the HDMI cord that I use for my laptop, and it

has a mesh organic texture braided over the cable. Combining multiple images and then

darkening the organic pattern allowed for me to get the braided organic texture I

wanted.


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The clock face was created by using a wonderful image of the face of a clock that I found

and then putting some clock hand that I found over top. I then made a red rectangular

bar and repositioned it to create aseconds hand for the clock, and to add some color

variety.

The masking tape texture was created through an interesting experience. After trying to

learn, for what felt like an eternity, to create a wrinkled effect in a masking tape color I

found, I discovered that it is possible to download brushes into Photoshop. Having


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never used Photoshop before, this was a wonderful experience, as I was able to

download a series of brushes, and then use them to add depth and wrinkles along the

masking tape, which was exactly what I had been looking for. The problems came in the

implementation of the texture. The texture was overly stretched and looked terrible on

the model. So instead of using the brushed version, I cropped a simple tape strip and

used it for a cleaner look.

This texture is used along the back of the bottle, and is over the metal texture. I found

this image and after chuckling to its slogan, I felt obliged to add it to the bomb I was

creating. This texture also adds some authenticity to the object, because most people

would not know that it was not a generic bottle shape, but a replica of the bottle that I

use to make my sodas.


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Shaded image of the model before any textures are placed on it.


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Using the textures, I completed the texture mapping, image on the left, by using the UV

layout as an overlay to line up where textures needed to be placed. After everything was

correctly in place, turning off the UV layout overlay allowed for only the textures to

show. I have not received feedback in regards to my texture map, but I think it turnedout quite well. I like all of my textures, and their contrast with the other textures on the

Bottle Bomb.


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These are the normal, displacement, ambient occlusion, and specularity maps for the

Bottle Bomb.

At this stage, I am ecstatic for what I have created. Having never used Maya or

Photoshop before, being able to create something like this has given me some pride in

my project. I am happy with the geometry, textures, and all of the mappings, especially

when they are all combined together to make the final asset.


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Finals:

Final layout of the textured, wireframe, and shaded model with the UV layout, color,

normal, and specular mappings.

Final renders created in Maya.


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Final in-engine images of the Bottle Bomb.


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Overall, I am very pleased with how my project turned out, especially since I had never

touched these programs prior to the first day of class. Some improvements that could

be made involve some seams that could be blended better in the textures. The UV

layout could be a little cleaner with filling up unused space and with the orientation of

some textures. In the future I want to pursue making a collection of bottle based

weaponry using this color pallet and similar textures, as it interests me. I have learned

an immense amount of information about Maya and Photoshop in three weeks, and

implemented it to create an actual in-game asset, which is a major accomplishment in

my book.

Documents

In-game asset, Bottle Bomb