'Walk About', A stylised low-poly walking simulator set in the New Zealand bush. For the project I am creating a cinematic gameplay trailer; concepting the character, designing level layout, animals, environment, 3D modelling the assets, rigging characters, animating and setting up the scene in Unreal Engine.

Walk About - Cinematic Trailer - 1801060.mp4

I created the UV-maps, skeleton, weight-paints and final rigs for both the boar and the playable character. The rig controls give me full control of the characters and I have added extra versatility than will be needed for the cinematic, this is as it is intended for a game. Some key features include, IK-Spline, IK-FK switch, Master controller, seperate cloak and hood controls and coloured controls for the L and R side to make the distinction easier. The feet are constructed with multiple IKs and use set-driven key to control foot-roll, heel-twist, toe-twist and other foot controls.

trees

plants shrubs

Above: Colour palettes selected for Forest, Character and Boar.

Far Left: Research into native Fauna of NewZealand.

Concept sheets for both Playable Character 'Aran' and the 'Wild Boar'

The next step was to create mockscenes using the colour palettes and create test 3D models to figure out how to achieve the desired visual aesthetic for the game (Low-Poly Flat colour with shaders). Once I figured out my production method I began creating the rest of the final 3D assets.

I then created new materials in Unreal Engine. I created a cel-shader material and outline material to give the game the desired aesthetic.

The Materials each feature a 'character only' section which, if turned on, will only apply the material to the desired object. The Materials also have a range on them so that after a customisable distance it will not apply it, this makes the project more efficient. The materials can also be instanced to create different versions and applied to individual sections of the map to give the effect only in one area, or different styles in different zones for example.

Left: CelShader Material Right: PP_Outline Material

Using my cel-shader and outline material I created a mock-scene using my assets and played around with lighting and material properties to get the style I was searching for

Aran Rig Development

I then created the UV-maps, skeleton, weight-paints and final rigs for both the boar and the playable character. The rig controls give me full control of the characters and I have added extra versatility than will be needed for the cinematic, this is as it is intended for a game. Some key features include: IK-Spline, IK-FK switch, Shoulder-Twist, Complete SDK driven foot set-up, Master controller and coloured controls for the L and R side to make the distinction easier.

Boar Rig Development

The same process was done for the Boar rig. featuring alot of the same key features as Aran, however the boar uses a unique split set-up. IK-splines are used in the front legs to create believable and realistic movement/deformation, whereas for the back legs a Spring IK setup is used. This splits deformation evenly between the ankle and hip joint to emulate the hind leg movement. The boar has two slightly different biomechanics for front and hind legs and so two different IK setups are used for this.

Following the creation of the rigs, I then began making a dynamic camera to use in my scene to trigger different views as the story progresses. Originally I thought that I would use a player controller with multiple trigger points for cameras set up, however after review I instead decided to use the sequencer. By using the sequencer, I can instead trigger the animations remotely on the timeline and the use of the cameras will be a lot simpler to implement.

dynamiccameratest.mp4

SequencerEnivronmentDemo.mp4

Following my decision to focus on the sequencer, I created a more developed mock scene that explores all the elements I would want to add. I used this scene to test adding animations, movement of two actors, cameras, lighting, particles and audio.

Test import of an animation to make sure my workflow works.

Beginning the creation of the scene starting with sculpting the landscape, layer blend painting and creating grass.

Creating a grass material and model that will be populated through the landscape. Using Runtime virtual textures to link the two and create grass that matches the colour of the landscape below and tapers, de-spawning on the dirt and rock colours. I ended up using this approach, changing from the initial 3D model Grass in order to optimise the efficiency of the game.

modifying the original sky sphere using my own textures to create a painterly style sky sphere to fit the aesthetic of the scene. Using a conscription to add the ability to set the time of day.

populating the scene with trees, bushes, flowers, rocks and characters.

creating materials and particles to add more interest and movement to the scene. Adding in fireflies and falling leaves.

Creating a material for a toon style water that will fit the aesthetic of the scene. Using caustics and other elements to add sparkles and movement to the water. Also added depth fades to make objects further beneath it look darker.

Video Appendix E - Animation Showcase.mp4

creating all the remaining animations that will be used within the scene.

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