So, yeah... I feel like it's been a while since I last posted on my blog, so I thought I'd stop in and talk about what I've been working on over the past week. I've been taking a break from my Hat In Time mod and trying to work my 3D modeling skills, and the best way for me to do that right now is with SketchUp. Since I was trying to work on improving my skills with modeling, I decided to do something basic, and just make a city building,. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with what I made, but wanted to reflect on it here and what I think went well and what could be improved.
*Just to Carify
This project is not meant to be viewed as if I am a game artist. It is purely to improve my skills as a level designer in a 3D space so I can communicate level block-outs I make effectively.
Overview
When I started making this, I wanted to make it look a little interesting, which is why I put that balcony in. From there, I just went into making some interesting parts of buildings that I could add onto the main part and make it more complex. I know there's definitely more I could've done on this, but I want to try and move on to another project that has a bit more game design process around it.
Favorite Part
I think my favorite part of this project was the set of stairs on the side of the building. I've seen those a lot on city buildings, and I really wanted to do my best to make it look good. It was also probably the thing that took the longest since there were so many separate bars and steps.
What Could've Been Better
There's a lot of things that could've been better about this. Let's get the obvious thing out of the way, and just talk about the basic design. I think if I were to use a different tool like Maya or ProBuilder, I could've made everything look much more defined and it would've gone a bit faster. I still think that if I were to use this for a level block-out though, it's purpose would be served. I also think that I used windows as a scapegoat too much. What I mean by that is if there was a wall with a lot of space on it, I would usually cover it with windows, and I think I could've found a more interesting way to occupy that space. Lastly, if I were to keep going on this model, I would want to add more stuff to the roof and balcony so they don't feel empty, like antennas for the roof and furniture for the balcony.
Other Pieces I Made
Sliding Door
Awning
Now that my skills with SketchUp have improved a bit, I'm really excited to start a level design project using it. I've already got an idea of what I want to do, so stay tuned for that.