Difference between revisions of "Character"

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== What is a Character? ==
 
== What is a Character? ==
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There are playable and non-playable characters (NPCs). Hero characters, which are typically provided extra visual fidelity, and characters which are deemed less important. There are animals, invented creatures, monsters, minibosses, and final bosses. Basically, if it moves and it isn't a vehicle, weapon, part of the environment or the user interface, it's probably a character.
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Characters are models in a game which represent humans, animals, monsters, spirits, etc.
 +
 
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The game player controls a "playable character" (PC) while the game controls "non-playable characters" (NPCs). Hero characters typically have extra detail, while the rest use lower resolution models and textures, to save production time and increase [[:Category:Rendering|in-game performance]].  
  
 
== Character Process ==
 
== Character Process ==
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Characters for games are usually created as a group effort, involving an Art Director, Concept Artist, and at least one Character Artist. Concept art is almost always used as the starting point because it's a more loose, fast, and efficient way to iterate and find the best character design than 3D.
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Characters for games are usually created as a group effort, involving an Art Director, Concept Artists, Character Artists, Technical Artists, Animators, and Effects Artists (usually in this order). The number of artists depends on the size of the art team: the team can be tens of people, or sometimes it is all accomplished by one person.
  
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For most modern game characters, a high poly model is first created using a combination of modeling and digital sculpting software. These high resolution models are later modeled over, or retopologized, into the game resolution, or low poly model.
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Characters are first designed as [[Character_Concepts|concepts]], [[CharacterSculpting|sculpted]] to create form and details, [[ReTopologyModeling|re-topology]] modeled for in-game use, [[TexturingTutorials|textured]] and [[Shaders|shaded]] to create color and surface materials, [[Rigging|rigged]] to a skeleton, [[Animation|animated]] to move and act, and [[Special Effects|special effects]] are added.
 +
 
 +
Concept art is almost always used as the starting point because it's a more loose, fast, and efficient way to iterate and find the best character design than using 3D.
 +
 
 +
For most modern game characters, a high poly model is first created using a combination of modeling and digital sculpting software. These high resolution models are later re-topologized into the game resolution or low poly model.
  
 
The surface details from the high poly model are transferred to the in-game model using [[:Category:Texturing|textures]] and [[Shaders]] though a process called baking. This baking process can generate a variety of texture maps that help fool the eye into believing the in-game model has more modeled detail than it actually has. The most common of these texture maps are [[Normal map]], and [[AmbientOcclusionMap]].
 
The surface details from the high poly model are transferred to the in-game model using [[:Category:Texturing|textures]] and [[Shaders]] though a process called baking. This baking process can generate a variety of texture maps that help fool the eye into believing the in-game model has more modeled detail than it actually has. The most common of these texture maps are [[Normal map]], and [[AmbientOcclusionMap]].
 +
 +
Typical character art process:
 +
* Build a blockout model.
 +
* Do a rough sculpt.
 +
* Do a final sculpt.
 +
* Polypaint.
 +
* Retopo to create the final low-poly model.
 +
* Unwrap the UVs.
 +
* Set up an exploded bake if needed.
 +
* If the engine is poorly synced, need to rely on convoluted smoothing groups techniques to compensate.
 +
* If the budget is too tight, need to rely on painful edited cage setups.
 +
* Bake it, meaning that one has to know about a whole lot of different texture passes.
 +
* OS to TS conversion in some cases.
 +
* Set up a master PSD file with all the texture passes as groups.
 +
* Use the QuickSaveMaps script for Photoshop to save all maps at once.
 +
* Texturing (either in Photoshop only, or using 3DCoat or Substance Painter, or using DDO or Substance Designer), in PBR fashion or not.
 +
* Export and refine in-engine or Marmoset.
  
 
== Character Examples ==
 
== Character Examples ==
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* [https://gumroad.com/l/NYsAA Argonaut (Game Asset)] by [http://www.gavimage.com/ Gavin 'Gav' Goulden] "Originally created for my presentation with Marmoset at GDC2015. Covering PBR materials and real time rendering for portfolios with the Toolbag 2. In this download, you get my Marmoset scene (lighting setup, material setup), textures (created in ddo and tweaked later), and low poly model. Free / by donation - looking for feedback for future tutorials and assets." [https://gumroad.com/gavingoulden More models from Gavin on Gumroad]
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* [https://80.lv/articles/secrets-of-human-shaders-in-ue4/ Secrets of Human Shaders in UE4] stylized character workflow process by [https://www.artstation.com/artist/phungdinhdung Dzung Phung Dinh], interview for 80.lv.
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* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=117608 Testing the new DX11 features of ma2013.5], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5fOwSmSaW8 Youtube timelapse] - Paul Tosca has released the source files for his Nyra character "to help others that might be on the road to becoming game character artists and want to check out the model/textures/psd layout".  
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* [http://polycount.com/discussion/138341 The Great 3D Game Art Giveaway Thread!] Polycount Forum thread.
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* [[BaseMesh]] - Low-resolution polygonal models that can be used as the starting point for [[CharacterSculpting|digital sculpting]].
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* [https://gumroad.com/l/NYsAA Argonaut (Game Asset)] by [http://www.gavimage.com/ Gavin 'Gav' Goulden], "Originally created for my presentation with Marmoset at GDC2015. Covering PBR materials and real time rendering for portfolios with the Toolbag 2. In this download, you get my Marmoset scene (lighting setup, material setup), textures (created in ddo and tweaked later), and low poly model. Free / by donation - looking for feedback for future tutorials and assets." [https://gumroad.com/gavingoulden More models from Gavin on Gumroad].
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* [[:Category:Topology]] - Wireframes of meshes used in games.
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* [[NyraCharacter]] [http://polycount.com/discussion/117608 Testing the new DX11 features of ma2013.5], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5fOwSmSaW8 Youtube timelapse] by [http://www.paultosca.com Paul "paultosca" Tosca], sharing the source files for his Nyra character "to help others that might be on the road to becoming game character artists and want to check out the model/textures/psd layout".
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* [http://polycount.com/discussion/70908 SDK Master Thread] Polycount Forum thread, models to practice texturing with.
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* [http://polycount.com/discussion/38292 P&P - SDK THREAD] Polycount Forum thread, models to practice texturing with.
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* [[SkankerzeroModularCharacterSystem]] - By [http://www.skankerzero.com/ Jesse 'skankerzero' Sosa], Polycount Wiki page, how to create a modular character system.
 +
* [[Roguedevelopmentdiary]] - By [http://crazyferretstudios.com Lee 'almighty_gir' Devonald], Polycount Wiki page, sharing his female superhero creation process, step by step.
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* [[BaseMesh]] - Low-resolution models that can be used as the starting point for [[CharacterSculpting]].
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* [[:Category:Topology]] - Wireframe screencaptures of meshes used in games.
  
 
== More Information ==
 
== More Information ==
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* [[ReTopologyModeling]]
 
* [[ReTopologyModeling]]
 
* [[Subdivision Surface Modeling]]
 
* [[Subdivision Surface Modeling]]
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* [[Topology]]
  
 
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[[Category:Discipline]][[Category:Character]]
 
[[Category:Discipline]][[Category:Character]]

Latest revision as of 10:04, 9 September 2018

Character art for games.

What is a Character?

Characters are models in a game which represent humans, animals, monsters, spirits, etc.

The game player controls a "playable character" (PC) while the game controls "non-playable characters" (NPCs). Hero characters typically have extra detail, while the rest use lower resolution models and textures, to save production time and increase in-game performance.

Character Process

Characters for games are usually created as a group effort, involving an Art Director, Concept Artists, Character Artists, Technical Artists, Animators, and Effects Artists (usually in this order). The number of artists depends on the size of the art team: the team can be tens of people, or sometimes it is all accomplished by one person.

Characters are first designed as concepts, sculpted to create form and details, re-topology modeled for in-game use, textured and shaded to create color and surface materials, rigged to a skeleton, animated to move and act, and special effects are added.

Concept art is almost always used as the starting point because it's a more loose, fast, and efficient way to iterate and find the best character design than using 3D.

For most modern game characters, a high poly model is first created using a combination of modeling and digital sculpting software. These high resolution models are later re-topologized into the game resolution or low poly model.

The surface details from the high poly model are transferred to the in-game model using textures and Shaders though a process called baking. This baking process can generate a variety of texture maps that help fool the eye into believing the in-game model has more modeled detail than it actually has. The most common of these texture maps are Normal map, and AmbientOcclusionMap.

Typical character art process:

  • Build a blockout model.
  • Do a rough sculpt.
  • Do a final sculpt.
  • Polypaint.
  • Retopo to create the final low-poly model.
  • Unwrap the UVs.
  • Set up an exploded bake if needed.
  • If the engine is poorly synced, need to rely on convoluted smoothing groups techniques to compensate.
  • If the budget is too tight, need to rely on painful edited cage setups.
  • Bake it, meaning that one has to know about a whole lot of different texture passes.
  • OS to TS conversion in some cases.
  • Set up a master PSD file with all the texture passes as groups.
  • Use the QuickSaveMaps script for Photoshop to save all maps at once.
  • Texturing (either in Photoshop only, or using 3DCoat or Substance Painter, or using DDO or Substance Designer), in PBR fashion or not.
  • Export and refine in-engine or Marmoset.

Character Examples

More Information

Retrieved from "http://wiki.polycount.com/w/index.php?title=Character&oldid=8642"
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