Level Creation Pipeline

from Sketches to the Level

Sketches

• Sketching and designing the different elements of the game before starting the highly technical process of modeling. [characters, environments, props etc…]

Modeling

• The Process of creating the 3D mesh in Blender

• Skeletal meshes and Static meshes are modeled using the same techniques

UV Mapping and TexturingThe Process of Laying out the UVs and using them to paint the texture in photoshop.

Rigging and Skinning

• The Process of creating “Bones” for the character and attaching them to the model in order to deform, pose, and animate the character.

Animation

• Using the rig [bones] to pose the character and setting keyframes to animate it.

Material Editor

• Putting the texture(s) together into a material in order to apply it to the mesh

Static Mesh Editor

• It is where matierls can be attached and collisions can be set.

Skeletal Mesh Editor

• Where Animation sets can be imported and setup.

Level Prototyping

• Paper prototyping to test the game layout, mechanics, and game-play elements

Level Blocking

• Blocking in the basic layout of the level in order to further test the playability of the it.

Dressing the Level

• Adding all the textures, meshes, lights, scripted events, etc to the blocked level to get it to a more finalized state.

Lighting

• Setting up lights to achieve the desired mood of the level.

Kizmet

• Setting up interactive elements and animations [i.e. opening doors or turning lights on and off]

Effects

• Creating Particle Effects [i.e. Fire, smoke, blood, mist]

Sound

• Importing and placing sounds in the level.

Terrains

• Sculpting and setting up the level’s landscape.

Level Optimization

• The last step of the pipeline before exporting it as a map.

• It includes testing and debugging the map and making sure it performs smoothly.

• Then you’re DONE!