Critique on Evironment for Trailer/Short Film

Hello there everyone,
We’re a group of people working on a game design in UDK.
Currently, we are working on preparing a trailer for it, and used a general layout of this image by atomhawk on DeviantArt:

In that process, we made this:


So we’re looking for critique and suggestions on improving, without using the exact reference :wink:

Attachments


Man I think right now is too early for giving a good critique, there are a lot of details that you need to work out, I suggest giving it textures at least, the balcony has no door, the front window bars are not placed in symmetry, and the cables in the left window/frame don’t fold realistically.

wilco :slight_smile: will post after modeling and applying base materials

Yeah,I agree,textures are important for this project.
The concept art is very nice!

Hello again, everyone…now I’ve completed the texturing and rendered two different scenes, so now, I’d like to know more on where I can improve this model…thank you, in advance :slight_smile:

Rendered in actual light, using a spot lamp.


Rendered in false light, to throw light on the textures.


Points of doubt:

  1. The material of the concrete and the cobblestone: they look okay in the realistic light, but they are too glossy in the false light. So, if I could know how to improve upon that, I’d be grateful. :slight_smile:
  2. The far end of the wall: I have no idea how to populate the end. I’m currently facing artist’s block, and am not able to think of anything that can help :frowning: Please help me

1: actually they don’t look ok in the realistic light. They are still way too glossy. Also, change the color of your lights. I am guessing to an orange’ish shade if you are matching the reference image. I think the wall texture looks kind of fake. Maybe use a brick texture? And the bump map (or what ever you are using on the ground) looks a little too strong. Maybe back it down a little?

2: how about a brick wall with a faded advertisement?

IMOHO, there seems to be a lot of nothing going on in the scene. You need to add a lot of objects, trash cans, pallets against the wall, garbage maybe? And more things on the walls. (and I understand that you may already be planning on those things)

If you’re matching the reference picture you have the wrong sort of lighting.

First you need a sun lamp aiming towards the upper half of the front buildings pointed down and front and very short. Then another sun or area lamp at the rear as in the reference pic. To light up the scene you can either add a small area [or hemi] lamp headed directly between the buildings so that it doesn’t do odd glint or if you’re any good at compositing - and there’s bunch of tutorials on it - you can light up the scene that way.

Second - you have the displacement on your stones and concrete far too high. Doesn’t look real in the slightest.
http://raeleenmautner.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/cobblestone-roads.jpg?w=300&h=225 Is not the best of images but that’s the general idea of what a cobblestone road looks like.

Third everything is far too glossy, even the power lines / clothes lines are too glossy. If they’re clothes lines they are usually made out of rope or nylon and that is hardly as glossy as you have it. If it’s power lines it’s rubber which again isn’t that glossy.

You have an incredibly starter image but your texturing needs a lot work. Look up youtube there’s dozens of blender tutorials or cgcookie is another site.

Thank you for your input :slight_smile: …yes, I was planning for more debris and clutter, and I’ll try out the brick wall suggestion. Again, huge thank you for your input :slight_smile:

Thank you! :slight_smile: I never realised that the clothes line problem :stuck_out_tongue: thank you for pointing that out.

And, GREAT tip regarding the lighting :slight_smile: I never was able to figure out until you helped me there :slight_smile: (Thank you!)

I’ll work more on the texturing :slight_smile:

Hello everyone, it’s thanks to you that I was able to finish this scene well.
This is a pre-final image, rendered two days ago…


In the final, I’ve added ivy to the far walls and some more clutter
Again, a big thank you :slight_smile: I will post the final in the finished projects forum :slight_smile: