#fasttracktutorials

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 46: Blocking Stage

Date: April 9, 2025

I'm excited to share a significant step forward in the development of my Major Study Project, Sector M17. The blocking phase of the environment is now complete. This stage involved constructing the basic forms and layout of the sci-fi facility and its surrounding terrain using simple geometry to define scale, composition and spatial relationships.

The primary goal during this phase was not to focus on detailing, but to ensure the overall structure, flow, and proportions of the environment were well-planned before moving into high-poly modelling and texturing. I've laid out major architectural elements of the facility – such as the entry platform, towers, outer walls, and central access routes.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 45: Ben Wilkins’ Mountain Launch Facility: Mastering Nature and Technology Blends

Date: April 8, 2025

Ben Wilkins' Sci-Fi Mountain Launch Facility continues to impress with its recent updates and breakdowns. His method of seamlessly blending natural landscapes with hard-surface sci-fi structures directly inspired my Sector M17 approach.

From Ben’s work, I understood:

Structures can contrast dramatically with nature without clashing — through careful color, form, and placement.

Mist, elevation, and distant silhouettes add massive atmospheric depth.

You can celebrate both organic chaos and technological order simultaneously.

This led me to consciously plan Sector M17’s facility to be boldly visible but visually in harmony with the surrounding forest.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 44: Kyryll Koziuk’s Sci-Fi Facility: Emphasizing Small Storytelling Details

Date: April 8, 2025

Kyryll Koziuk’s Sci-Fi Facility Environment is a brilliant example of how small details — like micro-surface variations, dirt buildup, and decals — enrich a setting.

His recent projects taught me during my own pre-production phase that:

Every surface should have a history.

Grime, scratches, and small signage make worlds feel real.

No texture should feel too clean in a believable sci-fi universe.

Because of Koziuk’s influence, I made specific notes in the Sector M17 pre-production document to integrate storytelling even at the texture and decal planning stages.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 43: Hans Myaard’s Apex Legends World Building: Lessons in Efficiency and Immersion

Date: April 8, 2025

Hans Myaard’s contributions to Apex Legends, particularly on World’s Edge, continue to shape sci-fi modular environment standards. His work showed how environments can feel epic and expansive while being carefully optimized and modular.

Studying his recent breakdowns helped me realize:

Strong silhouette design is critical.

Visual storytelling through environmental structure builds immersion without needing complex narrative devices.

Thoughtful repetition and modularity save production time without players noticing asset reuse.

This reinforced my pre-production choice to keep Sector M17’s structures simple but memorable.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 42: Aimee Correia’s Atmospheric Sci-Fi Skies: Pushing Skybox Innovation

Date: April 8, 2025

Aimee Correia’s recent works on ArtStation, especially her Skybox/Sci-Fi Desert Vista, set a new bar for atmospheric environmental design. Her ability to blend planetary scale elements with delicate atmospheric perspective inspired my approach to Sector M17’s sky planning.

In pre-production, I took lessons from her work:

Treat the sky as a storytelling element, not just a backdrop.

Use dramatic celestial bodies (moons/planets) to deepen mystery.

Layer subtle clouds and color gradients to enhance realism.

Correia’s work reaffirmed my decision to invest time into the sky design early during Sector M17’s planning phase.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 41: FastTrack Tutorials: Elevating Modular Sci-Fi Workflows

Date: April 8, 2025

Recently, FastTrack Tutorials have expanded their offerings for modular sci-fi environments with even more advanced courses. Their structured methods — focusing on modular asset creation, trimsheet optimization, and environment lighting — strongly influenced how I approached my pre-production document for Sector M17.

Watching their latest tutorials emphasized the importance of:

Starting with strong modular kit design

Focusing on reusability without sacrificing detail

Planning lighting and atmosphere during pre-production, not as an afterthought

Following FastTrack’s evolving workflow practices helped me refine my planning, ensuring Sector M17 would be both visually rich and technically efficient.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 40: Building a Consistent Art Style from Start to Finish

Date: April 7, 2025

Finally, one of the pillars of my pre-production document was setting a consistent visual tone. I established clear style rules:

No overly ornamental sci-fi designs

Minimalism with strong industrial functionality

A careful balance between man-made structures and overwhelming nature

Documenting these early helped prevent “style drift” — where assets might otherwise start feeling disconnected from the project’s core identity.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 39: Importance of Realistic Scale Referencing

Date: April 7, 2025

In pre-production, I realized that without careful attention to scale referencing, the environment could feel off. To avoid this, I:

Collecting real-world size references (doors, walls, platforms)

Studying character scale relative to structures (using Apex Legends references)

Planning modular pieces around a realistic unit system

This early focus will help Sector M17 feel grounded, believable, and physically logical once built.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 38: Setting Up the Terrain Material Plan in Pre-Production

Date: April 7, 2025

Another key aspect covered in my pre-production document was the terrain material setup. I planned to use:

Procedural blends (rock, soil, moss) in Gaea

Material Layering inside Unreal Engine 5 for dynamic landscapes

Manual adjustments at key visual spots (like near the facility)

Planning this ahead meant I could later avoid generic-looking terrain and ensure that the ground textures matched the world’s tone and story.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 37: Planning Prop Variations to Avoid Repetition

Date: April 7, 2025

In pre-production, I made sure that even reusable props would feel diverse by:

Planning slight color variations

Designing small changes in decals or surface wear

Changing scale slightly across instances

These small details were outlined in my document because repetition kills immersion. Early planning for prop diversity ensured Sector M17 would feel lived-in and authentic, even with a modular asset set.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 36: Asset Categorization in Pre-Production: Defining Core and Secondary Assets

Date: April 7, 2025

When developing the Sector M17 pre-production document, I categorized assets into:

Core Assets: Major structures like buildings, stairs, and power units

Secondary Assets: Props like storage boxes, pipes, and small environment objects

This separation helped prioritize what needed the most attention during production planning. It also clarified where I could reuse modular pieces to save time and maintain visual consistency.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 35: Ben Wilkins’ Sci-Fi Mountain Launch Facility: Natural and Tech Integration

Date: April 6, 2025

Finally, Ben Wilkins’ Sci-Fi Mountain Launch Facility deeply impacted how I approached blending Sector M17’s high-tech facility into the natural forest. Ben’s environments prove that:

Nature can feel overwhelming and majestic

Technology doesn’t need to "hide" — it can boldly exist within natural spaces if integrated thoughtfully

This inspired my pre-production plan to make Sector M17 bold and visible, not camouflaged — instead, it would become part of the legend of the mysterious forest.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 34: Kyryll Koziuk’s Sci-Fi Facility Environment: Worldbuilding Through Details

Date: April 6, 2025

Another big influence during pre-production was Kyryll Koziuk’s Sci-Fi Facility Environment. Kyryll’s work demonstrated how small decisions — like surface grime, warning labels, or slight panel damage — could tell powerful stories without needing characters or text.

This made me include plans in my document for:

Slight wear and tear on trims

Functional storytelling via props like storage boxes and pipes

Ambient storytelling in terrain composition (paths, rock placements, small natural details)

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 33: Hans Myaard’s Apex Legends Structures: Lessons in Modular Design

Date: April 6, 2025

As I built my reference library for Sector M17, the work of Hans Myaard on Apex Legends stood out immediately. His modular structures showed me that:

Simplicity plus detail = believable sci-fi

Strong silhouette design matters even more than complex detailing

Repeating shapes and modules can create visually rich, optimized worlds

These observations influenced my own pre-production planning for architecture, especially regarding how Sector M17 would feel massive yet efficient.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 32: Aimee Correia’s Skybox Art: Setting Atmospheric Goals for Sector M17

Date: April 6, 2025

Inspiration struck when I saw Aimee Correia's "Sci-Fi Desert Vista" on ArtStation. Her use of a vast, colorful skybox with:

Dramatic lighting

A distant celestial body

Atmospheric perspective

This inspired me to aim higher when planning the sky and mood for Sector M17. During pre-production, I set the goal that the sky shouldn’t just be a background — it should enhance the mystery and otherworldliness of the entire facility.

[mitheshkotianmajorproject]

Blog Post 31: Learning from FastTrack Tutorials: Structuring My Pre-Production Workflow

Date: April 6, 2025

One of the most important early steps in creating my Sector M17 pre-production document was following FastTrack Tutorials. Their structured courses taught me:

How to break down environments into modular components

How to maintain art consistency through material planning

The importance of planning lighting and scene composition early

Without their guidance, my document would have lacked the professional flow needed to organize such a large sci-fi environment project.