Solved Problem?

So today i was thinking about ways to improve my workflow to decrease time to an amount acceptable in the games industry, because now it clearly isn't. A mesh and texture realistically should only take a day or two for a professional and that's the standard i'm aiming for. 

Unfortunately, my time at university didn't allow me the diversity needed in this current day, where knowledge of real life reference like a tree, car or mountain wasn't attained.

Therefore i'm forced to do it now in pivotal situations, However, the problem that i may have solved is in regards to having multiple UV sets for a tree so the UV maps can be bigger resulting in higher texture resolution. 

Quixel does not accept one complete model with multiple Uv sets however it does support a series of grouped meshes, therefore allowing bigger UV maps for each. If i were to detach the branches and separate the mesh into multiple, and then group them up that would not cause an issue because the seams then presented are no different from the ones visible with a individual mesh.

This is because the only way i know how to uv map a tree is to un-stitch the separate branches attached to the main trunk, and Pelt them. It would be possible to then, in photoshop get rid of the seams by tiling a texture that has been cut out in the form of a uv though, which i may attempt with the use of spot healing and Cloning. 

So hopefully this new idea will work out well, and i can have a high res tree that doesn't require 8k textures to look good, Even though i can't seem to attain that resolution from anywhere, would be nice though :D 

More Tree!!!

This week has mainly been about finishing up Uv Mapping and starting and finishing the texturing Phase.

Unfortunetely i've run into a few problems this week, errors with Quixel, when starting a new project with imported maps that put me on hold, which are usually solved by changing imported formats from something like Jpeg to TGA, silly stuff, and when Importing a mesh from FBX the Mesh is all flat and distorted and is solved by importing the mesh as an OBJ file instead, which leads to my next problem.

I want to import and texture a mesh with 2 uv channels so the uv maps can be bigger on each, giving crispier textures for the tree. However, i can't seem to get that to work because of the latter, and even then, i can't seem to figure out how to select and texture individual uv channels on quixel, if it actually supports that which apparently it does when stated in this forum

Post.http://polycount.com/discussion/150862/answered-multi-uv-sets-capabilities

The guy says it's possible but the obj file has to have saved different groups within. But i can't do that on a single mesh unless i detach and separate the mesh into different groups. Don't really wan't to do that. Just want multiple UV channels to texture in Quixel without having to detach elements from the main mesh.

Was hoping this kind of stuff wouldn't halt me too much but it has, and i'm merely just getting a texture set up and normal Mapped but here are some Pictures of where am at so far.

I was originally going for a smooth pine Texture tree that has the horizontal wrapped flow but i might have to settle for this, can't keep spending too much time trying to perfect small things. Gotta get this done as well as learn as i go.

Might have to move straight onto the leaves and branches to put onto the tree. With planes.
 

Asset:

Tree:

Thus begineth the modelling.

My first asset will be the victim in the picture.  

I'm still deciding whether to model a variety of tree's similar to this or stick with one model with a variety of leaf and texture's differences such as color and age defining textures.

Anyhow, Uv Mapping can be a pain if not done right.

Only way i know how to do it is by splitting a part the base trunks and pelting all the parts individually,

I'm hoping i can cover up the texture seams in Quixel somehow.  

Will have to wait and see. 

                                                                                                       

 

Environment:
Ue4:

Basic Prototype Sculpt of the terrain is done with imported Vehicle blueprint.
I've added a landscape spline with a default road and random texture to test the feel of the road of done before getting to deep into the environments looks. 

I will be able to work as i go along on the terrain based on the reference i have but i can't spend too much time sculpting even though i could spend all day doing it.

Gotta do assets now, once they are done it's a matter of placement and painting nature randomly onto the terrain. not random enough for it to not look similar to Usui pass though :)

Usui pass.

It's a road in japan that i will be building an Environment inspired from.

I've collected inspiration from the closeup mode in Google Maps as well as geographical data from google earth that will help me sculpt a general prototype terrain that mimics the way the area is formed.

From what i can see in this environment and the variety of foliage and nature, as well as shrubs, textures, assets, flowers, grass, Curly twigs, and a ton of weeds and leaves that will need to be painted by the sides of the roads because i wan't to keep to the autumn/spring look, i've got my work cut out.

Better get started. 

  

Basic plan:

So here is a basic plan i wrote up.
It'll help with progress and writing a plan on paper helps get clear what needs to be done in order to provide good results.

Things are missing and things will change but this is a brief structure that i will be following. 

New Project.

I've been approached recently about a new opportunity to work with Playground-games on the Forza Horizon Series, so this project will feature progression of the work i will be doing for that to show i am worth considering to take there graduate position alongside the professionals.

http://www.playground-games.com/