Environment Art Organization

[dustinbrown]

What are some methods you guys use to keep your environment components organized within your scene files? Do you have all of your modular components lined up in a row along the X axis in a single scene file? Do you have a separate scene file for each modular piece, and assemble them later? Do you have work files for modeling and baking, and separate assembly files? These questions specifically come from the point of view of having come from a character art background. The entire character art pipeline is fairly self contained, where assets are concerned. For example when you're creating a cage for baking, everything is pretty much right there in one relatively condensed area, and it makes perfect sense that it all goes on one UV space.

There are way more tutorials on character art than environment art, and the ones that do exist for environment art tend to focus on creating an autonomous component: modular rocks, metal panels, etc. I'm going through the PC Wiki's Environment Art section (http://wiki.polycount.com/CategoryEnvironment). You don't ever really get to see how environment artists organize their assets in a larger context, so that they're easily accessible and so that the workflow is streamlined. Essentially, what do you guys do to keep everything from turning into a cluster-f of a situation?

[Shogun3d]

I typically use a Master_File with all the pieces in it and then individual files for exports/collision, etc.

[r_fletch_r]

Does anyone use referencing? Its something i keep meaning to check out.

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

like in xref?

[dustinbrown]

Some of this, I'm sure, is dictated by your hardware. If you have a ton of RAM, you might be able to keep all of your high and low poly assets in a single "bake" scene file, but if you don't you'll likely have to break things up into multiple files.

[r_fletch_r]

like in xref?
or containers, or Maya References.

[PogoP]

I do my main blockouts in one Max file, then save out each individual element into separate files.

For example, I'm currently working on a Farmhouse scene. I have blocked out the entire Farmhouse in one Max file, and I've started adding more detail to the porch. I saved out the porch to a separate file once I was certain of proportions etc, and then detailed it in that separate file.

[cman2k]

Recently I've moved over towards keeping everything in a single max file. I have plenty of ram, so I can work well. What I do is use the Layers system in max to keep all of my data on different layers.

I can keep highpoly separate from lowpoly, see all the stuff at once, or isolate just one set of low poly stuff at export time. It also let's me keep stuff like Master multi-sub materials that are used for all objects. Layers are different than just hiding/unhiding stuff...when it's hidden it's like it doesn't exist. This means you can even use layers with exporters that will export hidden stuff, because they won't export hidden layers.

I think having everything in one max file can be very convenient, as long as you are good at keeping it organized. It's so nice to be able to copy around details and share assets.

Another good methodology here is that during initial asset creation and even afterward you can have instances of stuff across many layers, so that you only have to make it once and have it propagate everywhere. Collapse/Attach your instances later, or do it only at export time, and you can use instancing heavily to speed up your workflow.



As far arrangement/placement, I tend to keep all objects on the grid, even if they aren't built to the grid. If I have different layers of stuff, maybe those will all be different rows of one grid.

I also keep 0,0,0 empty, as I often like to move stuff there temporarily to do different things (reset pivots, mirror geo, whatever). Since it was originally on the grid, its very easy to move it back to where it was using grid snap.

[Jeff Parrott]

I tend to do what PogoP does. Have all block out in one scene file. Export them out to Zbrush, sculpt them or export out to a separate file, do a high res model, then generate the normals. Once that is done I usually make sure all my static meshes are in one file with their shaders applied (easier for UDK with the fbx importing textures and setting up the materials). I also make sure that each object is attached to it's own layer and named what I want it named in UDK. It's easier than renaming the object each time I edit, combine, remove, etc the static mesh in Maya.

[dustinbrown]

Some excellent suggestions, thanks guys!

[Lennyagony]

To expand on this, think of how you would set-up your scene while working within a team environment.

During production you will have multiple artists working along side each other on similar assets, due to this I find splitting sets of assets out based on level and type of asset works well.

[leechdemon]

Does anyone use referencing? Its something i keep meaning to check out.

I've played around with xRef Scene a lot (xRef Object is name-dependent, and annoying, I've found). It's very finicky, but it's kind of nice. Through that, I've set up scenes and nested links, so that a city might consist of a series of blocks (saved as .max files), a block may have a junk file (trash cans and props), building files, etc. Each building may have xRef'ed exterior lighting (so that I can tweak 1 light and have it affect all the lights in a scene, similar to an instance, but across multiple files). It's sort of confusing to set up, and even more confusing to operate... but once you figure it out, it has it's uses. I've found the best workflow for something like this is having multiple instances of max open; each time you go down a level, open that level in a new instance of max so you can make and save changes to your object file, then go back to your scene file and see what happened. It operates like Smart Layers in Photoshop. I haven't played around with Containers yet, which I hear is better. /shrug.

As far as general organizational techniques, I usually save master files with all related components as I build them, then I'll save a new file for all instances. That way I can easily make changes to one model while related models are in view, and later I can select a single file easily without having to delete-out the other 12 versions in the master. Still, this makes for some very large, unsightly folders; consistency in naming must be your friend.

[dustinbrown]

I've found the best workflow for something like this is having multiple instances of max open

Ouch, you must have a monster of a computer :)

And, yes absolutely, file organization and using naming conventions for files, geometry, layers, etc is key.