GAME DEVELOPMENT：FINAL DEDIGN

 game development：final design

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This blog is about the 3d modeling process of "Iron Rain". At the beginning of the modeling, we discussed with the team members approximately which models to make in blender. After determining them, we began to make them.

 

The first weapon we modeled was the most important one. It is the most important and also the most difficult one, because we have never made a model for driving the drawing before. Based on the gun designed in the game design stage, we thought that there could be two mechanisms on the weapon. For instance, when the button on the left is pressed, the umbrella can open and close. Press the button on the right, and the tip of the umbrella will release a purple current for about three seconds. The effect is particularly cool.

This is the reference picture we were looking for at that time, but the shape and details in it are relatively complex. During the actual production process, we will make appropriate simplifications to it. After organizing and clarifying the overall design concept, we officially entered the modeling stage of Blender

 

In Blender, we broke them down for modeling, treating the main column, gears, handles, and pipelines as independent objects respectively. This way, the time can be reduced to a certain extent. The four of them worked together and made a static gun in about a week. Then the main structure is mainly shaped by the Extrude, Scale and Loop Cut of the cylinder, and the curved pipelines are modeled using Bezier curves to facilitate later adjustments. This step really requires a lot of patience. We kept debugging and piecing them together before we could connect them as one. 

After the model was completed, to match the motion effect display, we added bones to the scene. After applying the Transforms (Ctrl + A → All Transforms), we selected each mechanical component and matched it with the bones. Then, we bound the objects to the corresponding bones via Ctrl + P. Finally, the Rotation and movement of gears and components are controlled by inserting keyframes (I → Rotation). But it has to be admitted that for this step, we checked YouTube tutorials and asked the ai and previous teachers before sitting the bound bones in.

Next, we will start modeling the house. Similarly, before modeling, we first looked up some reference pictures to determine the overall shape and proportion. Compared with the previous weapon model, the modeling of the house is more inclined towards the combination of geometric shapes, so the modeling difficulty is relatively lower.

 

In Blender, we use a square Cube as the basis for solid structures. After entering the editing mode, we used Extrude, Scale and Move to adjust the overall proportion of the cube. After editing the main cube, start adding multiple cubes on its outside, respectively serving as the roof, window sill, raised structure or decorative block... Then manually change their size and position to gradually approach the appearance of World War II houses. Here, Loop Cut is used at most to add structural lines and make the shape clearer.

This is the most primitive modeling without adding materials.

At first, we wanted to use the materials that blender came with, but we found it very difficult to present that sense of dilapidation from World War II. So we used the PBR map in Blender to simulate the texture of different building surfaces. The wooden parts of the house are textured with wood grain and the Roughness value is increased, so that the roughness can be reflected. Then, the grey buildings use concrete or plaster textures found online to emphasize the uneven surface texture. The roof is relatively simple. Part of it simulates the old metal material by adjusting the Metallic and Roughness parameters. In this way, we made adjustments bit by bit and eventually achieved this effect.

Our team sourced several images that blended with our game's aesthetic to extract all elements for integration. I selected gears, tables, photo frames, and chandeliers as reference materials for the design.

Ding Jiaqi designed the gears and rendered them, Yao huier created the table with a white film, Wang Xiangyi handled the lamp design and rendering, and Li Yuhan worked on the table lamp rendering. Before finalizing any step, we held discussions with team members to ensure the models were developed as intended.