MAILBOX - 3D ASSET
MARCO XAVIER JARA MORA
Production
Continuing with high to low poly bake workflow, I tried with this Mailbox hardsurface 3d asset, using new learnings maintaining the game ready asset format, with separate smoothing groups not Chamfer-weighted normals. Mailbox is part of a Urban 3DModels set available soon.
I used PureRef to collect images of different mailboxes with similar proportions/forms and materials/details like edge rust and highlight effect, corrode paper, etc.
3D MODELING
Starting with extrusions for the body, using a working pivot to extrude at a curved angle to close it. Using inset and extrudes to make the remaining details.
Separated the mesh due to the resolution of UVs that was necessary for the rust effect in edges. Finally optimized topology to reduce total polys.
For high poly, I used the low poly unreduced version to work almost with quads for better loops and cleaner results. First I tried to use crease set for learning but control edges proved more useful, using manual edges for difficult zones such as general chamfer to create them. For this model, I used floating geometry to create high poly details like screws.
UV MAPPING
Applied two material IDs, UVs created in 3dsmax, setting UV islands by smoothing groups to avoid hard edges errors when baking, trying to hide seams. Reescaled all islands once, then, used a workflow with reescale deactivated while packaging to respect texel density, trying, due to this, to optimize uv space and straighten borders.
TEXTURING
Into Substance Painter, When baking, I used matching by name to avoid errors at 4096 px channel maps just to link the floating topology into its MatID, using average normals projection cage to avoid hard edges missing data, but keeping topology with its own UVs separated where the baking projects high poly details, for better results. Thanks to a non destructive workflow I could go back to the mesh when baking errors were presented and fix it.
I used an ID map to separate floating topology from mesh for a simpler workflow. First, I used a base metal with grunge roughness and highlighted edges, then, I applied a blue paint layer with bare spots and variations/thick color.
Added a layer of dirt and dust using Position lighting and gradients, also applying a new learned rust effect.
The textures were exported in 4096 x 2160 px PBR Metallic Roughness and packed for UE using Base color, Normal and ORM.
RENDERING
For Mesh Channel maps, UVs+matID and Highpoly I used substance Irray render.
Into UE5 I created a scene with 3 point lighting setup, Key, Fill and backlight to separate mesh from background, plus a Skylight with interior studio cubemap for not to lose details.
Using the MRQ applying Pathtracing render with denoiser and antialiasing.
For the environment render, I used Deferred plus nanite/Lumen render using the Soul: City Project map by Epic Games, to try to capture ingame.
Marco Xavier Jara Mora
Dellarosse Studio
Modelado 3D – Texturizado
Level Design – Enviroment Artist
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