This is a work in progress. Not everything is here yet but it will be! 🙂
NOLA Firehouse from 1900 – I am so inspired by this building on the corner near where we lived in NOLA. I’m so excited to be turning this into a UE5 scene. There are so many beautifully intricate details of the building: from the molding, window trim, to the fluctuating exterior sides. There is so much story in the wear of it all: in the cracked and weathered surfaces. The grim. Drips. I’m so excited!
My process began with a bunch of awesome reference photos. I took a series of high quality photos and added my husband in a few shots for height reference. I was careful to capture as many details as possible so I could recreate them faithfully later.
In planning – I deconstructed the building down to it’s basic parts and materials. Each colored block in my reference sheet (above) is a major component of the plan. Of course this evolves a bit as you go, but it’s important to have a clear path forward.
Main Building Block Out – using my height reference (husband) I planned out the proportional standards of the space based on real world dimensions and started to block out the basic big shapes of the building. This was completed in Maya.
I also planned my cameras – I knew I want at least 4 key stills and moving shots. I planned these ahead of time to be sure I focus early on making these compositions the best I can as I move forward.
Environment Block Out – I also included a block-out of the major buildings around the scene as well – these will matter for cast shadows. Side note: I also have the location saved in Google Maps – and am excited to follow a process to turn this Google 360 view into an HDRI for the scene. I am so excited to see how this helps the reflections and lighting in UE5!
Environment Block Out – I also included a block-out of the major buildings around the scene as well – these will matter for cast shadows. Side note: I also have the location saved in Google Maps – and am excited to follow a process to turn this Google 360 view into an HDRI for the scene. I am so excited to see how this helps the reflections and lighting in UE5!
Windows – I made these modular. Taking a critical eye to what elements repeat while still being true to the design. The result is a lot fewer components then I expected and I was able to fit all these window designs on 1 UV sheet nicely!
The doors are modular too – more information coming soon.
The molding on the building is much more complex then I initially expected, but it is coming along beautifully.
The UV for main building is extremely important for the brick material I will be building in Substance Designer. My goal is to pay close attention to where and how the bricks will repeat to be faithful to the surface.
