Art Asset Workflow

Art Asset - Overview / Guidelines

What is an Asset?

In a production pipeline, (both animated films and video games), art assets are finished pieces that are ready to be used in a scene. Creating an asset is more than making a model and submitting a .blend file. A completed asset involves all of the surrounding work to enable the next person in the pipeline to effectively drag-and-drop the asset into the scene, and have everything just work.

What's expected?

For a 3D game, a finished asset includes:

Art Source Content:

In-Game Content:

Naming Conventions

All art files should use `snake_case`: all lower case letters, with underscores to separate words.

Exceptions:
* It's okay to leave reference images with their default name, just keep them in the `reference` folder next to the asset.

All content within a .blend file should be named correctly.

Please name EVERYTHING in your outliner DO NOT leave things as "cube.001/cube.002"  when naming in your outliner, use the conventions asset_name_suffix with one of the following suffixes. (e.g. fire_extinguister_sm)

# In .Blend Files:
"_sm" - static mesh
"_sk" - skeletal mesh

"_mat" - material

"_basecolor" - base color texture
"_normal" - normal map texture
"_ao" - ambient occlusion texture (mesh map)
"_curvature" - curvature texture (mesh map)
"_orm" - channel-packed texture containing Ambient Occlusion, Roughness, and Metallic maps

# Blender Output Maps:
"_albedo.png"
"_normal.png"
"_orm.png"   

# Blender File export:
".gltf"
".bin"

All artwork for the game (characters/ materials/ props/ etc) will be submitted as .blend files to the GIT repo

[BAD EXAMPLES]: cube.001 / New Material Ball / 111.blend

Name file and place in the appropriate directory

Name

All art files should use `snake_case` all lower case letters, with underscores to separate words. absolutely no spaces in file names, this can break tools and pipelines.

Multi-part assets should be named with the primary part appearing in the name first e.g. dog_main, dog_collar, dog_shoes 'dog' is the descriptive part here so it comes first so that all parts are sorted together in the file system.

Directory

All art production files will be created inside of the pounce-art repository. The output of these files will be exported into the pounce-game repository. The file paths for these files will match 1:1 between the two repositories. See the game folder structure page for more info.

All art assets should go inside of the art_assets folder within each repository.

Your prop should be categorized into the appropriate sub-folder based on its type:

Within this sub folder, you should create a folder named after the specific asset. All files for creating that asset should be saved in that folder. If you have reference images, make a reference folder inside of that asset's folder. In most cases, it should be one asset per .blend file.  It's okay to create multiple assets within the same .blend file if they are logically grouped and it makes sense to make them together all at the same time e.g. a bunch of rocks, or a fence post + fence scaffolding.

BUGJam
└── pounce
  └── pounce-art
    └── art_assets
      ├── characters
      │ └── example_character
      │   ├── example_character.blend
      │   └── reference
      │     ├── reference.pur
      │     └── reference_image.png
      ├── environments
      │ └── example_environment
      │   └── example_environment.blend
      └── props
        └── example_prop
          └── example_prop.blend
Examples

A reflective mirror object that's used as a puzzle element in the game would go here:

BUGJam/pounce/pounce-art/art_assets/props/mirror/mirror.blend

The Tanuki character that the player will play as would go here: 

BUGJam/pounce/pounce-art/art_assets/characters/tanuki/tanuki.blend

In Blender Mesh

tanuki_sk
In Blender Material tanuki_mat


Blender Textures tanuki_basecolor.png

tanuki_normal.png

tanuki_ao.png

tanuki_curvature.png

tanuki_orm.png


Blender Output Textures tanuki_albedo.png

tanuki_normal.png

tanuki_orm.png   

 

Asset Creation - Part 1: Block Mesh

The purpose of the block mesh is to spend less than 15 minutes to create an extremely rough block out version of the model that can be  used as a stand-in version of the asset. This allows us to get an early version in the game asap so that the level designers and programmers aren't blocked in their ability to do their work.

Goals

  1. Save a file into the correct location with the correct naming convention.
  2. Block out an extremely rough version of the model that vaguely looks like it could be the asset.
  3. Ensure scales and proportions are correct.
  4. Name all of content inside of the file appropriately.
  5. Set up an export collection, and point the file path to the in-game location for the asset.
  6. Export it into the appropriate game folder and establish it as an asset in the game.
  7. Create collision for the asset in-game.

Step-by-Step

1.) Prepare / start the task:

2.) Check your Git working directory (pounce-art):

3.) Make the Blender file:

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Have the Game folder structure  at the ready. Start in the pounce-art repository.

If you are making a prop, you'd navigate to" pounce/pounce-art/art_assets/props

  1. choose asset type

  2. create new folder in correct location named after the asset 

  3. save the .blend in that new folder named after the asset ( example.blend / wood_crate.blend) 

4.) Make the Block Mesh:

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A block mesh functions as a bounding box + rough shape for your asset, this allows us to apply physics to the object, and start using it to develop scenes + game mechanics right away. You should be able to tell what it is by glancing at it- but its far from detailed- like this chair

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  1. Create something very simple that is the size + approximate shape of your asset (no more than 15 minutes) 

  2. Set the objects origin to the lowest center point of the object 

  3. Check that the object is sitting on the floor and not clipping below 

  4. Apply all transforms

5.) Create a collection for the asset + clean up outliner:

  1. Create a new collection + name it after your asset

  2. move the block mesh into this collection

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6.) Set up the collection exporter

You only have to set this up once during the block mesh phase. Subsequent phases will re-use the same settings.

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  1. select collection and add a new exporter in the properties panel under 'collection properties'

  2. in file path option type "//" to direct the file to the relative path 

  3. select the little file icon to specify the file path, replace "pounce-art" with "pounce-game" and create new directory

  4. in this new directory name the file the same as the asset + but with '.gltf' ( example.gltf | wood_crate.gltf) 

  5. double check settings and ensure that the format is set to glTF Separate NOT glb

  6. Click the 'Export All' button in the collection exporters section + save your blend file

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If there are multiple assets in this .blend file, make a collection for each asset (a handle that is a separate object on a mug is not a new asset, a new asset would be a mug + a plate, the mug would need a collection and the plate would need a collection, the mug collection would hold both the mug object and the handle object) . + each new collection will need its own exporter

7.) Add block mesh to game

IF YOU HAVEN'T OPENED THE GAME YET->

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IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THE GAME ->

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Set up Collision for the entity:

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Add to Zoo Scene 

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Under levels in the file system, navigate to 'zoo.tscn' and open it to view the scene with all of the game assets, then go to entities in the file system, locate your new asset tscn and click and drag it into the zoo scene to see it next to everything in the game! (yay!) 

8.) Commit changes / complete the task:

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Asset Creation - Part 2: Block Mesh Plus

The purpose of the block mesh plus is to take the block mesh to the next level. Since the asset boundaries + general shape were already established during the block mesh phase, the rest of the team may have already started using the block mesh in their gray box level designs.

Now we can take the asset closer to the final shape and silhouette. Still using placeholder pieces and block-out techniques, the finished block mesh plus model should look reminiscent of the final model and be ready for approval by the art director before refining it. If the art director asks for major design changes after this, it shouldn't be difficult to iterate on since no detail work has been done yet.

It is also best to work non-destructively, using modifiers whenever possible to make style passes / changes easy and painless.  Review the style guidelines before starting

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Goals

  1. Update the block mesh model to get to the desired shape, silhouette and style of the model.
  2. Name all of content inside of the file appropriately.
  3. Re-run the 'export all' operator on the export collection, to update the mesh in the game asset.
  4. Update collision for the asset in-game if needed.
  5. Check in all of the changes to the respective repositories.
  6. Get feedback from the art director (Lexi aka Pixel)

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Step-by-Step

Prepare / start the task:

Check your Git working directory (pounce-art):

Update the block mesh model:

You should...
You should not...

Clean up the scene:

image.png

  1. Same as we did in the Block Mesh phase, but there might be new mesh pieces now, so double check everything.

  2. Ensure asset is centered and sitting on the floor (not below the grid).

  3. Make sure that you're oriented correctly forward.

    • Negative Y axis is forward, Positive Z is up (Note: these axes will be different inside of Godot).

    • Tip: Add a Suzanne monkey to the scene, check which was she if facing; Your mesh should face the same direction.

  4. Apply all transforms.

  5. Name all objects and mesh data.

  6. Remove lights, camera, annotations, and other unneeded junk.

    • Tip: Use the "Blender file" view in the Outliner to help find and remove junk.

    • You can also use File -> clean up -> purge unused data

    • Do not pack textures or other large assets into the .blend file

Export the model:

Update collision:

Commit changes / complete the task:

All changes to the .blend file need to be checked into the pounce-art repository. And the newly exported mesh / collision update need to be checked into the pounce-game repository.

Now that the asset has been pushed to the server, the art director will have access to it. Contact Lexi to let her know it's ready for review. If she has feedback for you, make the appropriate adjustments and repeat steps 1-5 as needed.

art_assets/props/crate_wood/crate_wood.gltf.import - if you see a new import file in your local changes STOP and ask for tech help in the bugjam chat, this means that a file path is incorrect somewhere and your new export isn't directed to the entity we made in godot last step


Asset Creation - Part 3: High Resolution Mesh

Once the block mesh plus has been approved, it's time to refine it into a high quality high resolution mesh. There are multiple ways to do this depending on the asset you're trying to make: hard surface models tend to rely on subdivision surface workflows and geometry nodes, while organic forms tend to rely on sculpting. We should use whatever combination of techniques are appropriate.

Goals

  1. Create a high resolution mesh that will eventually be used to bake normals and other mesh maps.
  2. Save the file as a new file with the "_high" suffix:  asset_high.blend

1: Create a new file for the high resolution mesh

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Starting from your blockout+ blend file - go to file > save as> and add '_high" to the file name, this creates a dupicate working file

This high poly mesh will NEVER be put into the game, so you can delete the collection exporter inside of this file, as well as updating the mesh data in your outliner with the suffix '_high'

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2: Create High Resolution Mesh

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  1. start by applying all current modifiers to your mesh (excluding instances) If you are working on a symmetrical mesh, use the mirroring effect in the sculpt workspace, and go ahead and apply any mirror modifiers

  2. apply a multires modifier with 3-6 iterations, this increases the polygon count to a level that is appropriate for sculpting (if you find you need more when you are sculpting, just hit 'subdivide' again) 

  3. switch to the sculpting workspace

  4. sculpt + detail your model adhereing to the style guide + following notes

  5. double check origin + reapply transforms

  6. set object(s) to 'shade smooth' 

  7. image.png

Hit ctrl + S frequently while working on the high poly mesh + sculpting! it is a very likely time for blender to crash and you don't want to lose work! when you are done, only the most recent save will get pushed to the repo so dont worry!

Polygon Notes: 

We are going to be using a high - low polygon workflow, which means you can go pretty high when working on the details of your model! Poly counts + budgets arent a thing in this step, but please be considerate of the server's capacity and dont add 20 subdivs just because you can, add as many as you need to capture the details you want, but start low and go up instead of just throwing on 1 million faces 

Just make sure there is enough to create a smooth surface- see below: when you see shading artifacts and little jagged edges, thats a sign to increase your subdivision level

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A good high res sculpt adds detail (like dents, wrinkles, seams, fur, etc.) without making noticeable changed to the silhouette or size of the object

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3.) Push to the repository

Commit changes / complete the task:

All changes to the .blend file need to be checked into the pounce-art repository. And the newly exported mesh / collision update need to be checked into the pounce-game repository.

Now that the asset has been pushed to the server, the art director will have access to it. Contact Lexi to let her know it's ready for review. If she has feedback for you, make the appropriate adjustments and repeat steps 1-5 as needed.

Asset Creation - Part 4: Low Resolution / Game-Ready Mesh

Since the high resolution mesh often has hundreds of thousands, if not millions of polygons, it can't be used in-game. We need to create a low-resolution version of the mesh. Usually the involves re-topology, but we can usually get a good start by copying the high resolution mesh and removing and subdivision / multi-resolution modifiers - or working from our blockout + file

Goals

  1. Replace the old block mesh plus file with a mesh that has the final topology that will be used in the game.
  2. Name all of content inside of the file appropriately.
  3. UV Unwrap
  4. Set up materials
  5. re-export to game.

1: Create a new file for the low resolution mesh

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Starting from your blockout+ blend file - go to file > save as> and add '_low" to the file name, this creates a duplicate working file

This will not be put into the game, so you can delete the collection exporter inside of this file

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2.) Link the High- Res Mesh to this file

In blender, go to file > Link and and a popup showing your asset's folder should appear. Double click the folder to show data inside the _high blend file

go to objects > and select the object for your high resolution mesh 

your high res mesh should appear in the same location as your blockout with some z-fighting (this is a great sign). Because it is linked in, you wont be able to edit the high resolution mesh in this file, only your new low resolution mesh. 

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3.) Apply Modifiers + Optimize Topology 

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Identify where your topology needs to be repaired! Signs of bad topo are N-gons (left), poles (middle), and unnecessary loops (right)

NGONS

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An N-gon is a face with more than 4 vertices. The easiest way to spot them is to use select > all by trait > faces by sides > not equal to and set to 4. (triangles are okay sometimes, but should be minimized or avoided when possible. 

N-Gons are often caused by beveling and boolean modifiers, if those were part of your workflow always check using the above selection

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Solutions include cutting strategically with the knife tool to turn n-gons into quads (left), or re-directing edges + dissolving unnecessary cuts (right)

every time you use the knife tool make sure you are in vertex mode (1) so that the knife can snap to vertices, this is an imperfect system so always cleanup afterward by hitting m > merge by distance

POLES

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poles are points where many triangle meet, that are often made by poking faces, insetting circles, and merging many vertices. They are fixed by selcting the entire series of triangles and selecting face > grid fill

keep the span low unless the extra faces are necessary for a rounded part

UNNECESSARY LOOPS

The goal is to have as few faces as possible without changing the silhouette, a cylinder that has 32 segments could be reduced to 16 for example, without significantly affecting the shape of the object. Similarly, a shape with lots of supporting loops can be reduced carefully, to leave only what is necessary for the silhouette of the object- this is also referred to as optimizing the mesh

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keep high poly toggled on with "retopo" enables in viewport to see where the geometry is necessary or unneeded. Also consider using a second viewport set to flat shading, with a black object + white background to easily check the silouette

3.) UV- Unwrapping

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Now that your low poly mesh is done, its time to unwrap and prepare it for baking, to unwrap, cut seams on the low poly mesh strategically so that it can unwrap with minimal stretching.

Apply a checkerboard pattern to preview scale of the UV map and trouble areas, but make sure you delete the checker material after use to clean up the blend file. 

A good UV map has all islands within the image space, with no faces or islands hanging outside, or overlapping

It should also be optimized, meaning you use "average islands scale" and arrange elements so there isnt excessive crowding in corners of the texture space. Also ensure that there are enough seams so that the unwrapped face isnt crammed to a small area, this allows the resolution of the texture maps to remain consistent 

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too close to the edge + overhanging the texture space. Fix by moving or scaling island

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inconsistent island / face scale: fix with average islands scale 

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stretching / warping: fix by adjusting seam placement + re-unwrapping

4.) Push to the repository

Commit changes / complete the task:

All changes to the .blend file need to be checked into the pounce-art repository. And the newly exported mesh / collision update need to be checked into the pounce-game repository.

Now that the asset has been pushed to the server, the art director will have access to it. Contact Lexi to let her know it's ready for review. If she has feedback for you, make the appropriate adjustments and repeat steps 1-4 as needed.

 

 

 

Asset Creation - Part 5: Baking Mesh Maps

For the materials we will extract information from the high resolution model and apply it to the low resolution model. This information can be used to mix materials and make the assets look professional.

Goals

  1. Bake mesh maps from the high poly to the low poly mesh
  2. Use mesh maps to mix PBR materials / create smart materials
  3. Export final texture set
  4. Create in-game materials

1) Start in your asset_low file with the high resolution mesh linked 

If you followed last steps, this is very easy to do! If not, revist the last page andmake sure your assset_low file is completely ready to bake. that means it has 

2) Make sure you have a current working version of the bakery

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To make sure you have the most up to date version of the bakery

Edit > Preferences > Get Extensions , then in the repositories menu, hit the little plus icon 

Select "Add Local Repository", name it "BUGJAM", check "custom directory" and then, after clicking the file icon, you can select the directory with the blender pipeline that should look as follows 

Users............\BUGJam\pounce\pounce-art\pipeline\blender\releases\

Hit Create, done! You should see 'BUGJam Pipeline for Blender Users" now listed as installed

IF it is greyed out, navigate to your add-ons (still within preferences) and check the box next to the pipeline to enable it

Hit "save preferences" and then restart blender

if you have manually downloaded the bakery as a zip file, delete it or disable it in blender add-ons and follow this installation path instead, this way bug fixes come through automatically

3) Set up the Bakery + Bake

Make sure both objects are set to 'shade smooth'

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At this step, the bakery will be located in your render properties panel, scroll down to bakery - mesh maps and hit "initialize"

Then, setup is fairly simple, check that output path is going to the same folder as your blend file

then name the texture set the same as your object but with '_mat'

DO NOT change the name template 

Under destination object, select your _low mesh | Under source object, select your _high mesh

SAVE YOUR BLENDER FILE FIRST then hit 'bake mesh maps, this can take up to 5 minutes but if it is taking longer reach out for support

4) Check your maps

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The easiest way to spot changes is with your normal map, if you see lots of yellow, that means the bake missed those areas, this is easy to fix by increasing the extrusion amount a little bit, or by double checking your UV maps. 

A tiny but of 'mustard' is expected in areas that overlap or fold over themselves in the mesh, but minimize it as much as possible. 

If all has gone well, you should have 5 maps baked into your asset folder. Save your .blend file again

Go ahead and make a push to the repo with these to make sure nothing gets lost. The commit message can be "Mesh Maps Baked"

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Asset Creation Part 6: Applying Textures

1) open your original .blend file 

Go ahead and delete the original blockmesh

Import your low poly mesh by going to file > append 

select the _low.blend version of the asset, then navigate to objects and select the object

2) Set up the asset library

In edit > preferences > file paths 

hit '+' to add a new asset library path, and navigate to the texture library for this project

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users...\BUGJam\pounce\pounce-art\asset_libraries

then save your preferences

3) Set up shading workspace

delete everything except for the material output in the existing texture that should have been created with the bakery 

rename the texture to asset_mat

then in the upper left viewport, toggle to asset browser, and select the "asset libraries" library- you should see a bunch of cool textured jackets!

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in your mostly empty material, right click and select 'setup mesh map nodes'

shift+click to select all 5 baked texture maps and import them (make sure to uncheck relative path)

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You should have two nodes now, the texture bundle, and the output

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Now, back in your asset browser- drag and drop the BSDF parameter to shader node group into the shader graph and conenct it to the material output

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4) Set Up Material

with that added, the area in between is where you can drag + drop desired materials from the asset library! just connect the mesh maps to material node to BSDF parameters node- then you can edit the color of the material you'd like to use from the library

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5) Bake Texture Set 

in the material properties panel, there is another bakery option called "texture set" go ahead and click initialize when you are happy with the texture + color of your object

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make sure to set up the file path like the original exporter, with it set to pounce 'game' instead of pounce 'art' and name it asset_mat 

DO NOT edit the name template

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and hit bake! 

6) Export to Game