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A Glimpse At The Creation Of 3D Objects

By Matt Lester

Building the 3D objects for Draw a Stickman: Epic 2 involves an elaborate process, from creating an initial concept to effectively modeling that image. We give a glimpse into this process, detailing how our Epic 2 crew created a 3D drill, one of the pieces of mining equipment that will be featured in the game. 

Step 1 (Concept): In order to build 3D objects, we first begin by creating a rough concept of an image, either through traditional or digital means in Photoshop, which we then use as a basis or guide to construct the final version through 3D modeling. In this example, our artists Annie Erskine and Joy Erskine began by creating a concept image of a drill.

Step 2 (Shaping): Next, we shape the object we are trying to create. We do this by evaluating the concept image and breaking it down into essential forms, using simple polygons such as cubes or spheres.

Step 3 (Refinement): During this step in the process, we refine those rough polygons to match the subject matter exactly, preparing for the following steps. We refine these polygons by moving and shaping them with various tools called vertexes, which are the points in space where the faces of an object meet (such as the corners of a cube).  

Step 4 (UV): We then create a UV map. U and V stand for coordinates on a grid, much like X, Y, and Z. We essentially take a photo of the sides of the polygons that we want to apply texture data. We then merge the edges where needed and lay them out in a logical manner. Think of it like reverse origami—separating the pieces to better understand how it works. The purpose of this is to help the computer understand the insides of the designated shapes where all the texture information should go.

Step 5 (Texturing): For this last step in the creation process, we bring our UV map into Photoshop and either paint our texture information within the outlines of the shapes or apply the already created sprite-based images to the same shapes, which adds the colorful texture information as seen above. After that process, the object is ready for the Unity (game engine) based animation work.  

I hope you liked this simple look at the 3D modeling process. We look forward to seeing everyone enjoy the exciting adventure of Epic 2. 

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Critter Animations: Squirrel By Chad Brown Continuing with the critter animations, this week we have the squirrel. Just like the pig, we wanted these critters to be more than things that run away from you. Players can interact with the squirrel using the different pencils they pick up in the game.

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Critter Animations: Pig By Chad Brown Remember those images of piggy parts we posted last week? Well here they are in action. We wanted the player to be able to interact with the pig using the watering can, so our artist Annie created separate images of mud. The mud is animated on top of the pig, so it can be turned off whenever the pig encounters water.

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Various Critters By Annie Erskine (Lead Game Artist)

In the world of Stickman, there are many critters that roam the lands. Pictured here are just a few. In order to animate these friendly critters, we split up the images so that way the animators can make them move via Unity. Similar to how South Park does their animations.

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Wooden Props and Stuffs By Annie Erskine (Lead Game Artist) and Joy Hurt (Game Artist/Lead Animator)

Here are several different background props for the game. An important area of focus for these pieces was to make sure these everyday objects had unique characteristics. We wanted these props to help create a fun environment for the game.

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Mining Equipment By Annie Erskine (Lead Game Artist)

Rather than having to re-draw each item multiple times in order to create an animated sequence, we use a sprite-based piece method instead. This enables us to have multiple items built using the same sprites. On the right side of the image you will see examples of how the pieces can be used to build different machines and mining equipment.

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In-Game Art: Trees and Bushes By Annie Erskine (Lead Game Artist)

After a lot of experimentation, Lead Game Artist Annie Erskine took the shapes and style created by Phil Williams and Jeff Dehut and refined it into a different kind of look that will be used in the final game. This new look has a more textured, painted appearance. In this image, we have some trees.

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Concept Art: Look and Feel By Jeff Dehut These are mock-up designs for Epic 2 so as to get an idea of how the game could look. These are not the final designs but they are gorgeous nonetheless.

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Epic 2 Tiles

By Annie Erskine

These are examples of some of the repeatable tiles that will be used in Epic 2. In order to accomplish the repeatability of these tiles, lead game artist Annie Erskine used the "offset" feature of Photoshop to make sure the edges tiled seamlessly.

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Early Style Concepts/Idea Sketches

By Phil Williams

 Before the final art style was decided, we went through many drafts. Here are some of the conceptual art examples from the game's original creator, Phil Williams.

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Conceptual Style Experimentations

By Jeff Dehut

Before the game's current style was decided, we went through several versions of what it could be like. This is an example of early concept work.

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Introduction Storyboard (Part 3)

By Original Game Creator Phil Williams

Part 1

Part 2

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Introduction Storyboard (Part 2)

By Original Game Creator Phil Williams

Part 1

Part 3

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Introduction Storyboard (Part 1)

By Original Game Creator Phil Williams

Part 2

Part 3

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Conceptual Sketch

By Lead Game Artist Annie Erskine

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Epic 2: Electric Boogaloo