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.
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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.
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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
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Awning
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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.
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