EnvironmentSculpting
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 normal map 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
Zbrush/Photoshop stylized tiled texture workflow - by Fanny "Faf" Vergne. From the Polycount Forum thread Texturing - Siege Of Orgrimmar - WOW.
Tiled Sculpts in Zbrush Using Offset SubTools - by George "gsokol" Sokol.
Environment Art Blog - by Richard 'pipes' Piper and Rogelio 'rogelio' Olguin, also see the Polycount Forum thread.
ZBrush Tiling Sculpts - Zbrush methods to tile directly on a tool using brushes. One uses a double-size sculpt, the other uses WrapMode.
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).
Tiling Rock Wall Tutorial - by Hugo 'bugo' Beyer
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
Muddy/wet/grassy/rocky/watery/many things ground walkthrough by Jacob "jacob07777" Norris.
Tiled rock wall tutorial by Mathieu "Boyo" Gasperin.
Solutions for sculpting tileable textures (other than bricks) in zbrush 4 - Zbrush method to tile using an imported mesh and brushes with WrapMode.
The Last of Us Art dump / Rogelio Olguin - by Rogelio 'rogelio' Olguin, a Naughty Dog artist working on The Last of Us. See also TheLastOfUsTerrain.
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.
my work at PI - by Allard 'Alloa' Julien. 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
Rubble Breakdown by Michal '_Michal_' Hoz
Rawk - Post any rocks you make here! Polycount Forum thread
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 - Polycount Forum 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
- Free Custom Zbrush Brushes by Michael Dunnam
- 3D Sculpting Software
- BaseMesh
- Category:Topology
- CharacterSculpting
- ReTopologyModeling
- SubdivisionSurfaceModeling
