Creating Props for Games, Vol.1: Modeling and Baking Normal Maps for Production

Creating assets for real-time game projects has become more intuitive and streamlined than ever. By breaking down the entire process into easily digestible sections, we can focus on the most important parts in the creative process while staying non-destructive and open to improvements all the way through to our final bakes. In this introduction to creating props for games, senior environment artist Nick Reynolds examines each step of the process starting with the basic fundamentals and building up to a final low poly model of a sci-fi vehicle. Beginning with easy to follow lectures using simple primitives, Nick explains how you can take detailed information from your high poly models and bake it into a texture for use on an optimized low poly object. Once the fundamentals are fully examined, the lessons are then shown in practice on a complex model using Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Marmoset Toolbag and xNormal. In the end, viewers will have a full understanding of how to create their own game assets from start to finish, moving forward with confidence through all of the steps and hurdles involved in getting a great end result for your real-time game project.