Review

So all that can be done has been done. It's now time to hand in my work for marking. This project as expected has been the hardest project on the course. The amount of time I've spent staring at the same objects for is enough to make any normal person go mad. I'm quite ready for a nice long break now.

The start of the project caught me off guard. I thought my original idea of making my own disco/nightclub was a good idea and I had started making plans to do it. After being told that it would be very boring, I was pointed in the direction of the L.A.X theme building. I had to start again from scratch and bin all the research and concepting I had on my Disco and move onto this new idea. The building itself I found interesting but It wasn't something I would have chosen.

My research and concepting wasn't as thorough as I would have liked due to me dedicating time to my scrapped idea. The stuff I did produce though was at a standard that I found acceptable for the time frame I did it in. I also started to research the architectural movemement that the building was designed by so i could understand what I would be modelling a bit better. I would have loved to have spent more time planning but I knew I had alot to start modelling.

The actual blockout of the level went very smoothly. I had the whole level (barring a few assets that I realised I needed at a later date) modelled quite quickly. This was a blessing aswell as a curse. Thinking that I had modelled certain to perfection meant I didn't check them in relation to others. This led to some errors with spatial irregularities in the level. As soon as they where pointed out they were corrected and I was able to carry on with progress.

The rest of the project proceeded with more minor problems but none that I can think of right now that would deserve a place in this post. So my final thoughts on what I have produced.

I think I succeeded in producing a level of the Encounter Restaurant in accordance to the original models and sketches. However I do think that I still made some mistakes with some of the fixtures.
I believe you would be able to tell that this is the LAX theme building but I wouldn't count it as a realistic interpretation of it into 3D. So in that respect I think I faulted on that front. I do however not consider this a failure nor do I see this as a success.

Everything that I have learnt and produced over the last 3 years has been part of a curve of learning that I didn't think I was capable of. I've said it before and I'll say it again. When I started the course I had no experience with 3D modelling or even what really went into making computer games. I'm glad I chose to do this course.

My friends have decribed my workloads as ridiculous at times and I've fallen distant with alot of them because of the course. I have enjoyed the work really, It's kept me busy and out of trouble. I would love to have done enough to warrant consideration for job position somewhere. However being the pessimist I am, I'm not to sure I have. What ever happens after my final week I will continue to produce 3D art, but maybe not at the rate I have been as I might be working a 9-5 somewhere.

So concludes my final post on this blog, unless I upload some extra pieces in my own time if I get around to tweaking the areas I don't like. My other blog I think I will continue with. I haven't posted on it in a while due to work. Or I may just leave these blogs as shrines to my University days and start up another blog where moan about the world and be brave on the internet.

Cheers for reading/skimming.

Final Renders

I've taken alot more renders but I wasn't sure if I was going to break blogger with the upload size.

Few more shots

Just a few more screenshots of what the level is looking like now.

I've been doing housekeeping on my files this week and have put together the graphics and layout of my style guide. I have my camera flythrough to do still. I watched a few videos earlier and my brain just wouldn't take it in. I even fell asleep watching one, so I'm leaving that for another day.

Not long to go now but I am starting to feel the effects of the project not to mention the state my hair is in from working all the time.

Outside

All of the inside on the building is near enough done. So I moved on to making the outside of the level.

Started off by making a quick layout plan to build base meshes on for the buildings and roads.

I changed the layout slightly when I realised I would end up with certain areas travelling extremely far back. So I moved some taller buildings around to hide the horizon line more.

Overhead shot of the size of the outside. The little yellow box just to the left of the centre is the playing area.

Screenshots of what I have finished with.

First shot is from outside the level. Was just trying to show the scale of the outside better, however I may have failed.

Next couple are from inside the level.

Almost finsished now. Have a few things I want to tweak and add in still.

I will most probably be posting another short blog later tonight as I have some other shots to upload of meshes that I added to the level a while ago but I forgot to post on here...

Bar surface texture fix

It was pointed out to me earlier today that the top of the bar was lacking density in the texture. I edited my texture and moved some UV's about and I think it looks alot better now.

But here are some comparison shots for you to judge yourself.

So hopefully you will see that the first two are with the original texture. The three that follow are the new texture that I think is better.

More of the same...

Every asset is now in the level apart from little tweeks and surprises that I have planned to do when I have the rest of the more important things finished.

Thought I would post a screen cap of my asset list. I haven't posted one for a long time after I realised on how many assets I had to make. I will have to make a correct asset list when I have some time that will have the exact amount of assets on it. I appear to have missed quite alot off.























So in these screenshots I have placed the tables and chairs and have the lighting I wanted. There are still a few tweeks on the lighting to do of course. There are a few dark patches where people would be sitting in darkness. Also the toilet assets are now in.


































































To my count I have 14 assets left to texture. Some I have already made the texture for, they just require some nifty UV'ing. After this I have collison to put on alot of assets. The skybox is next. Then I can get on to kismet and other fun things.

Lift is in!

As It says above. The Lift is now in place. This is the starting point for the level so was about time I imported it.

Here are some screen shots. Again the lighting in the restaurant isn't final. It's just there so I can check everything looks ok. The lights in the Lift however are almost what I am looking for.