
Welcome to the Course
The structure of the course in more detail.
A quick run through of the software you will need for the course.
A brief overview of the hardware you may need.
Be sure to join our facebook group...
In this section you will learn what a game designer will contribute to your scene, and how it will guide your art, both as a concept, and subsequently in the 3D scene.
Now you will create, and step through a section from a game design document (GDD) pertaining to the scene you are going to create.
Let's take a look at how we construct an initial 2D level map...
Create your own Visual Design Brief using the blank template I've provided.
A look back on what you have learned in this section.
Concept Section Overview
A look at different techniques for composition and where it started.
A look at a human's eyeline and virtual canvas in relation to the horizon line.
What is an horizon line in art terms?
Here you will learn one point perspective.
Here you will learn two point perspective.
Here you will learn how to draw perspective lines when the vanishing point is off the page.
A look at the vocabulary I will be using to describe colour and shade.
Let's take a look at what value is, and how to use value with colour.
Conclude what you have learned in the art fundamentals section.
An Introduction to teh section on concept art.
A look at various game art styles that will help you think about your own art style.
Thinking in shapes: A useful tip to remember before you begin your thumbnail.
An important part of concept art is to gether reference images for your subject.
Here we start simply with the basics, while retaining the fundamentals.
For your assignment, create a thumbnail sketch of your scene, and show the community.
Learn how to value to the thumbnail to get quick, inital atmosphere.
Learn how to transistion from gthe thumbnail to a much larger image size.
Learn how to adjust the shapes, composition and value in your scene. It's never too late to make changes.
A quick update of progress.
Continue to adjust value and add texture to your drawing.
Learn how to add colour to your concept.
Create additional sketched and drawings to aid the 3D artist visualise the object.
Continue to studdy art fundamentals with these two books.
A look back on what you have learned in this section.
An overview of what we will learn in this section.
Download and install 3DS Max from the Autodesk website.
In this lecture, you will learn how to manipulate the viewport layout in 3DS Max.
In this lecture, you will learn the layout of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of 3DS Max.
Here I will teach you how to control the elements within 3DS Max using the mouse and keyboard.
In this lecture, we set up 3DS Max to export in the correct scale.
A look back on what you have learned in this section.
A look at what you will learn in this section.
In this lecture, we walk through the directory structure required for this course.
Here, we jump into Unity and set up the scale and project ready to begin adding to our scene.
In this lecture, I reveal a small technical glitch when moving objects from Max to Unity, and challenge you to discover it.
Rounding up what you have learned in this section.
A look at what you will learn in this section.
In this lecture you will learn some of the basic building elements of 3D Models.
In this lecture you will learn some of the basic building elements of 3D Models.
In this lecture, I teach you how polygons are drawn in a game engine.
In this lecture, you will learn what a 'Normal' is and how you can flip them.
Here I will teach you how to use the controls of 3DS Max.
In this lecture, you will begin to learn modelling techniques, starting with loop and extrude.
In this lecture you will learn how to extrude a shape along a curve.
In this lecture I explain the differences between Max's various model types.
He I teach you what smoothing groups are, and the importance of them in the final look of your model.
Here you will learn some of the hidden secrets of 3DS Max, and how to overcome them.
In this lecture I challenge you to build a basic model using all the techniques we have previously learned.
Here is show you the solution to the previous challenge.
Rounding up what you have learned in this section.
A look at what you will learn in this section.
In this lecture, I show you the result of the technical glitch highlighted in the previous section.
In this lecture, you will learn how to break down concept art into an asset list.
In this lecture, you learn how to start building simple, low poly, white box props to use in your white box scene.
In this lecture, you to build simple, low poly, white box props to use in your white box scene.
Here we discuss the importance of reference gathering and piracy.
In this lecture, you continue building simple, low-poly, white-box objects to use in your white box scene.
In this lecture, you continue building simple, low-poly, white-box objects while learning to use the Freeform tools.
In this lecture, you continue building simple, low-poly, white-box while learning to use curves.
Here you begin work on the white box main feature, while learning to use Poly Cut.
Here we build the chimney, while learning how to isolate objects.
In this lecture, we work through how to build various elements of the hut.
In this lecture, you learn a little glimpse into the animation system.
Here we learn how to shape simple flagstone shapes to use in your white-box scene.
In this lecture, I teach you how to use FFD and Noise features to help shape your rocks.
In this lecture, I continue to teach you how to use FFD and Noise features to help shape your rocks.
In this section, we round up the final rocks needed for our scene.
Rounding up what you have learned in this section.
In this lecture I take you through Unity's layout.
Here you will learn how to bring an image into Unity (your map) and display it on a plane.
This is an update video to clarify the export process from Max. You can use various formats and options including copying Max files as I've shown you, and you can also export FBX files, which I clarify in this video.
In this lecture you will learn how to bring in your 3D objects into Unity.
Here you will learn how to create terrain for your scene using the newer version of Unity.
Here you will continue to learn how to create terrain for your scene using the newer version of Unity.
Here you will learn how to create terrain for your scene.
Here you will continue to learn how to create terrain for your scene.
In this lecture you will download a Unity component that will llow you to walk around your scene.
Here you will learn how to build your white-box scene in Unity.
Here you will continue to learn how to build your white-box scene in Unity.
Here you will learn how to add collision to your scene so you can explore your objects in more detail.
Rounding up what you have learned in this section.
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Updated March 2020.
I have added a new section added to include Substance Alchemist (SA), the replacement for B2M. I have not removed the B2M lectures, they are still there if you wish to learn it as well as SA. I have also included many tweaks and updates in various parts of this ever growing course, which now sits at 44 hours of invaluable content. Enjoy.
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Creating environment art for video games can be a technical endeavor, but at its core, it's an art form. Simply pulling assets from an online store, and dropping them into an off the shelf game engine isn't enough in today's competitive industry. You need fundamental art skills, and if you want to stand out from the crowd... you need to create your own art and present your skills.
With 30 years of game development experience in an art and design capacity, I will show you, from an artist's perspective, how to create your own game ready 3D scene from scratch, as if you were working in an industry studio. You will start literally from a blank page, go through art fundamentals and the whole asset creation process, and use that knowledge to construct a visually stunning 3D game environment presented in Unity. You will create every asset yourself. You will not be using library assets.
Creating art is at the heart of this course, but creating visuals is not just about the art, it's also about the ideas and the design that spawn the art. You will start at the beginning, at the design phase, and learn how to extract art related information from a game design document and create a map for your scene.
Create an art brief for your own project.
Create a Map / Level design.
To create stunning concept art, you need a firm understanding of art fundamentals.
The Horizon Line
1, 2 and 3 point perspective
Light, shadow and value
Color
I will then take you through the process of creating concept art, and show you techniques you can use to create quick speed paintings based on the fundamentals you have learned.
Create Concept art from scratch
You will break down the visual brief and the concept art into assets and create a plan to build them yourself to a professional standard. With that behind you, you will move into the biggest part of the course, building your scene.
Learn to use 3DS Max and Substance Painter.
If you're a beginner, I will teach you how to use 3DS Max, an industry standard modelling package. If you're intermediate and you know how to use it, you can skip this part. But once you've mastered the basics, you'll begin creating a white box environment based on the design and the concept in previous lectures.
Create white box environments using basic modelling techniques.
Finally we'll move into more advanced modelling and UV mapping techniques, and build ALL the components for our scene, using our white box as a guide. We'll create PBR textures in Substance Painter; export everything from 3DS Max, and drop it into Unity where we'll build the scene using the assets you have created.
Create detailed, final assets
UV Map
Create textures in Substance Painter
Build and light the scene in Unity
This course is perfect for anybody seriously wishing to pursue a career as an environment artist in the games industry and would like to experience the process and pipeline from scratch.
It's suitable for beginners to Intermediate levels.The more advanced artists may find that you're going over old ground in some areas, but it can still be a worthy refresher course. Over time, the course will get regular updates and keep on trend with industry techniques and standards. New content will also be added in the future.
This IS NOT an animation course and it IS NOT a character modelling course. Both of those are very specific disciplines within the game industry, and here, we are primarily focusing on highly detailed, quality, environment creation.