Environment Sculpting
Environment sculpting is the process of creating a high-resolution 3D model with a series of painting strokes, using 3D sculpting software. Usually the details from these models are baked into a NormalMap for a lower-resolution in-game model.
Contents
Sculpting Tiled Maps
Sculpting techniques for creating tilable normal maps and displacement maps.
Tiled Bricks and Stones
Creating Tiled Textures and Displacement in Mudbox 2009 - by Wayne Robson
Painting in Mudbox on the middle of a 3x3 grid where each quad has the same overlapped UVs. (video is about halfway down the page)
Pixologic - ZBrush - ZClassroom Digital Sculpting - Environments With Tate Mosesian
Video tutorial from Pixologic about using Zbrush to create tiled textures, by the Lead Environment Artist at Naughty Dog.
Pixologic Release - Learning Series: Tileable Textures
Video tutorial from Pixologic about using Zbrush to create tiled textures. Includes a free ZScript called Layer Shift that will enable you to shift all layers on your canvas half the width or height of your canvas (similar to the Offset Photoshop filter).
Tileable textures with Zbrush ($) - by Ryan James Smith
($) 3dmotive tutorial about creating tiled pavers with 3ds Max, Zbrush, and Photoshop.
Using Decals for Destroyed Structures - from the CryENGINE Art Asset Creation Guide
Using alpha blended decals for broken concrete edges.
Broken concrete for CE3 (Tutorial) - by Valdemar 'sltrOlsson' Nyhlén
Video tutorials using Zbrush and Maya to generate tiled maps for broken concrete edges.
(Tutorial) Tileable Textures - by Sean 'Oniram' Marino
Video tutorials using 3ds Max, Zbrush, Xnormal, and UDK to generate tiled stone textures.
Gravel Texture with Maya Dynamics - by Valdemar 'sltrOlsson' Nyhlén
Using Maya Dynamics to drop stones into a container and create a tiling gravel texture.
Floor Baking Tutorial - by Mathias 'MrFrags' Cadyck
Designing, modeling, baking, and texturing a stone floor texture, using Maya, Zbrush, Xnormal, and Photoshop.
Modular brick wall tiling - by Glynn Smith
Tips and screenshots for sculpting modular brick walls.
Gears of War 2 modular modeling - by Kevin Johnstone + more info + even more info
Tips and screenshots of using the grid for modular work.
Generic wall tutorial - by Bram 'Peris' Eulaers
Using 3ds Max and Mudbox to sculpt tilable modular sections for a stone wall.
Tiled Cliffs and Grounds
Rock sculpting videos (silent timelapse) - by Behrooz 'rooz3d' Roozbeh, a Naughty Dog artist working on Uncharted 2.
Temple Interior tiling texture process - by Nicole 'Khalamea' Tan
Creating Perfectly Tiling Meshes in Zbrush for use in Videogame Environments - by Owen 'SHEPEIRO' Shepherd
Using ZBrush's 2.5D canvas to tile stamped meshes, then using Maya to model tilable geometry.
Tileable Stone in Mudbox - by Sascha Henrichs
Sculpting in Mudbox, loading the displacement map in Photoshop for the offset filter, then fixing the seams with more sculpting in Mudbox.
Tiling Rock Tutorial in Zbrush - by Stephen Jameson
Sculpting in Zbrush, loading the normal map in Photoshop for the offset filter, then fixing the seams in Photoshop.
Tiling Rock Wall in Zbrush and Crazybump - by Bobby 'crazyeyes' Rice
Creating displacement map in Crazybump, then sculpting in Zbrush.
Sculpting Individual Objects
Sculpting techniques for creating individual non-tiling meshes.
Bricks and Tiles
UDK - Tristram Tunnels Test - by Travis 'Darkrusader' Castillo
Painterly style sculpting and texturing using ZBrush, 3ds Max, and UDK.
Orb - My work on Crasher - by Michael 'Orb' Vicente
Painterly style sculpting and texturing.
Stone Placement Tools script for 3dsmax - by Alessandro Ardolino
A scripted tool for creating stone walls and floors in 3ds max.
Tiles for normal map in Zbrush 3.5 - by 'manjurian'
Silent timelapse showing the sculpting of a section of distressed tiles, with grout.
Metal
ZSketch Ironworks - by 'plunq'
Silent timelapse showing the sculpting of a wrought iron screen, from reference.
Weld Seams
Thread on Polycount about modeling weld seams.
Rock and Stone
Zbrush Video Rock Formation tutorial - by Hugo 'bugo' Beyer
Two video tutorials about sculpting layered rocks with ZBrush.
UDK - Tristram Tunnels Test - by Travis 'Darkrusader' Castillo
Sculpting a stone figure using ZBrush, 3ds Max, and UDK.
ZBrush 3 Poly Painting Tutorial I - by Josh Jay
Using ZBrush, 3ds Max, and Xnormal to sculpt a rock model.
Quickly Making Large Scale Rubble - by Timothee Yeramian
Using 3ds max procedurals to quickly sculpt a concrete chunks.
Rock modeling approaches - a Polycount thread
A variety of approaches for sculpting individual rocks and tilable cliffs.
3dsmax Environment Modeling #1 Procedural Stone - by Sascha Henrichs
Using 3ds max procedural modifiers and maps to sculpt a sandstone rock, and easily create multiple variations.
Rock Generator script for 3dsmax - by Alessandro Ardolino
A scripted tool for creating rocks in 3ds max, inspired by Sascha Henrichs' tutorial.
Stone Tutorial - by Pedro 'bitmap' Amorim
Sculpting a rock using Modo, ZBrush, Meshlab, and Photoshop.
Rock Sculpting Tutorial - by Jacob M. Christopher.
Sculpting unique non-tiled rock forms with Maya, ZBrush, Photoshop, and Unreal.
Wood
Rough Wood Planks Tutorial - by Philip 'Philipk' Klevestav
Sculpting and painting a rough wood texture using Zbrush, 3ds Max and Photoshop. More sculpting tutorials at http://www.philipk.net/tutorials/materials/materials.html.
Sculpting for environment stuff - video tutorials - by Sascha Henrichs
Sculpting a wooden plank, a sandstone rock, and a tiled cliff.
More Information
CategoryEnvironment CategoryEnvironmentModeling CategoryEnvironmentTexturing CategoryTextureTechnique