EnvironmentSculpting

Environment Sculpting

Environment sculpting is the process of creating a high-resolution 3D model with a series of painting strokes, using. Usually the details from these models are baked into a NormalMap for a lower-resolution in-game model.

Sculpting Tiled Maps

Sculpting techniques for creating tilable normal maps and displacement maps.

Tiled Bricks and Stones

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 - byWayne 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 atNaughty 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 - byHugo 'bugo' Beyer

Tileable textures with Zbrush ($) - byRyan James Smith ($) 3dmotive tutorial about creating tiled pavers with 3ds Max, Zbrush, and Photoshop.

File:Sculpt decals.png

Using Decals for Destroyed Structures - from theCryENGINE Art Asset Creation Guide Using alpha blended decals for broken concrete edges.

File:Sculpt nyhlen.png

Broken concrete for CE3 (Tutorial) - byValdemar 'sltrOlsson' Nyhlén Video tutorials using Zbrush and Maya to generate tiled maps for broken concrete edges.

(Tutorial) Tileable Textures - bySean 'Oniram' Marino Video tutorials using 3ds Max, Zbrush, Xnormal, and UDK to generate tiled stone textures.

Gravel Texture with Maya Dynamics - byValdemar 'sltrOlsson' Nyhlén Using Maya Dynamics to drop stones into a container and create a tiling gravel texture.

Floor Baking Tutorial - byMathias 'MrFrags' Cadyck Designing, modeling, baking, and texturing a stone floor texture, using Maya, Zbrush, Xnormal, and Photoshop.

Modular brick wall tiling - byGlynn Smith Tips and screenshots for sculpting modular brick walls.

Gears of War 2 modular modeling - byKevin Johnstone+ more info+ even more info Tips and screenshots of using the grid for modular work.

Generic wall tutorial - byBram 'Peris' Eulaers Using 3ds Max and Mudbox to sculpt tilable for a stone wall.

Tiled Cliffs and Grounds

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 - byRogelio 'rogelio' Olguin, a Naughty Dog artist working on The Last of Us. See also TheLastOfUsTerrain.

Rock sculpting videos (silent timelapse) - byBehrooz 'rooz3d' Roozbeh, a Naughty Dog artist working on Uncharted 2.

Temple Interior tiling texture process - byNicole 'Khalamea' Tan

Creating Perfectly Tiling Meshes in Zbrush for use in Videogame Environments - byOwen 'SHEPEIRO' Shepherd Using ZBrush's 2.5D canvas to tile stamped meshes, then using Maya to model tilable geometry.

Tileable Stone in Mudbox - bySascha 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 - byStephen 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 - byBobby '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 - byTravis 'Darkrusader' Castillo Painterly style sculpting and texturing using ZBrush, 3ds Max, and UDK.

Orb - My work on Crasher - byMichael 'Orb' Vicente Painterly style sculpting and texturing.

my work at PI - byAllard 'Alloa' Julien Painterly style sculpting and texturing.

Stone Placement Tools script for 3dsmax - byAlessandro 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

• Rawk - Post any rocks you make here! Polycount Forum thread

Zbrush Video Rock Formation tutorial - byHugo 'bugo' Beyer Two video tutorials about sculpting layered rocks with ZBrush.

UDK - Tristram Tunnels Test - byTravis 'Darkrusader' Castillo Sculpting a stone figure using ZBrush, 3ds Max, and UDK.

ZBrush 3 Poly Painting Tutorial I - byJosh 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 - aPolycount thread A variety of approaches for sculpting individual rocks and tilable cliffs.

3dsmax Environment Modeling #1 Procedural Stone - bySascha Henrichs Using 3ds max procedural modifiers and maps to sculpt a sandstone rock, and easily create multiple variations.

Rock Generator script for 3dsmax - byAlessandro Ardolino A scripted tool for creating rocks in 3ds max, inspired by Sascha Henrichs' tutorial.

Stone Tutorial - byPedro 'bitmap' Amorim Sculpting a rock using Modo, ZBrush, Meshlab, and Photoshop.

Rock Sculpting Tutorial - byJacob M. Christopher. Sculpting unique non-tiled rock forms with Maya, ZBrush, Photoshop, and Unreal.

Wood

Rough Wood Planks Tutorial - byPhilip '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 - bySascha Henrichs Sculpting a wooden plank, a sandstone rock, and a tiled cliff.

<<Anchor(Re-Topology_Apps)>><<Anchor(Hard-Surface_Sculpting)>><<Anchor(Optimization_And_Re-Topology)>>

More Information

• Free Custom Zbrush Brushes by Michael Dunnam
• BaseMesh
• CharacterSculpting
• ReTopologyModeling
• SubdivisionSurfaceModeling

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