{"id":1959,"date":"2025-11-02T05:18:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T04:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hectoresteban3d.com\/?p=1959"},"modified":"2026-07-22T18:49:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T16:49:54","slug":"environment-central-square","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hectoresteban3d.com\/en\/2025\/11\/02\/environment-central-square\/","title":{"rendered":"CENTRAL SQUARE | MODULAR ENVIRONMENT"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CENTRAL SQUARE | MODULAR ENVIRONMENT<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Technical details<\/strong> <\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Technical Field<\/strong> <\/td>Information<\/strong> <\/td><\/tr>
Project<\/strong> <\/td>Environment Central Square <\/td><\/tr>
Production<\/strong> <\/td>Professional Project <\/td><\/tr>
Video game<\/strong> <\/td>Tenebris Pictura <\/td><\/tr>
Studio<\/strong> <\/td>Pentadimensional Games <\/td><\/tr>
Rol<\/strong> <\/td>Senior Environment Artist <\/td><\/tr>
Category<\/strong> <\/td>Environment Art <\/td><\/tr>
Software<\/strong> <\/td>3ds Max \u00b7 ZBrush \u00b7 Adobe Substance 3D Designer \u00b7 Adobe Substance 3D Painter \u00b7 Unreal Engine 5 <\/td><\/tr>
Responsibilities<\/strong> <\/td>Moodboard & Visual Research \u00b7 Environment Composition \u00b7 Modular Environment \u00b7 Props Production \u00b7 Materials Production \u00b7 Lighting \u00b7 FX Integration \u00b7 Unreal Engine Integration <\/td><\/tr>
Deliverables<\/strong> <\/td>Environment \u00b7 Modular Kits \u00b7 Props \u00b7 Materials <\/td><\/tr>
Pipeline<\/strong> <\/td>AAA Production Workflow <\/td><\/tr>
Rendering<\/strong> <\/td>Real-Time <\/td><\/tr>
Lighting<\/strong> <\/td>Lumen <\/td><\/tr>
Geometry<\/strong> <\/td>Nanite <\/td><\/tr>
Texture Resolution<\/strong> <\/td>2K <\/td><\/tr>
Duration<\/strong> <\/td>~1 month <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Project Goal<\/strong> <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Environment Central Square<\/strong> is one of the environments developed for Tenebris Pictura<\/strong>, a video game by Pentadimensional Games<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a Senior Environment Artist<\/strong>, I was responsible for the complete development of the environment, participating in all production phases, from visual research and environment planning to asset creation, environment composition, material development, lighting, atmospheric effects integration, and final implementation within Unreal Engine 5<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project was developed following a AAA Production Workflow<\/strong>, applying a methodology based on modularity, resource reuse, and a production organization oriented toward maintaining a balance between visual quality, technical efficiency, and real-time performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responsibilities<\/strong> <\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Production pipeline<\/strong> <\/td><\/tr>
Moodboard & Visual Research \u2192 Environment Composition \u2192 Modular Kits \u2192 Props Production \u2192 3D Scan Retopology \u2192 High Poly \u2192 Low Poly \u2192 UV Layout \u2192 Texel Density \u2192 Bake \u2192 Texturing \u2192 Materials Production \u2192 Lighting \u2192 Niagara FX \u2192 Unreal Engine Integration \u2192 Final Polish<\/strong> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Workflow<\/strong> <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Moodboard & Visual Research \u2192 Blockout \u2192 Modular Kits \u2192 Props Production \u2192 3D Scan Retopology \u2192 High Poly \u2192 Low Poly \u2192 UV Layout \u2192 Bake \u2192 Texturing \u2192 Environment Assembly \u2192 Materials Production \u2192 Lighting \u2192 Niagara FX \u2192 Unreal Engine Integration \u2192 Final Polish<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Environment breakdown<\/strong> <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Production<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Environment Central Square<\/strong> constitutes the architectural core of Tenebris Pictura<\/strong>, combining modular architecture, sculptural elements, lighting, and atmospheric effects to build one of the video game's main spaces. The composition organizes the different buildings and points of interest to direct the player's attention toward the central monument, reinforcing the visual reading and the environment's identity from any perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The environment was developed following a AAA Production Workflow<\/strong>, combining different production methodologies based on the specific needs of each asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The architecture was built through a combination of Modular Kits<\/strong> and Unique Assets<\/strong>, utilizing modular systems for most of the buildings and exclusive elements for pieces that required a higher level of detail or a distinct visual identity. This approach allowed for production optimization, facilitated iteration during development, and maintained a balance between resource reuse, construction flexibility, and visual richness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All Props<\/strong> were developed following a complete production pipeline, from Blocking<\/strong> to final texturing, including High Poly<\/strong> modeling, optimization via Low Poly<\/strong>, UV Layout<\/strong> development, Texel Density<\/strong> validation, and the Bake<\/strong> process, guaranteeing technical consistency among all assets before their integration into Unreal Engine 5<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scene's main statue was based on a model obtained via 3D Scan<\/strong>, which was adapted for production through a comprehensive retopology<\/strong> process carried out with ZBrush<\/strong> and 3ds Max<\/strong>. Subsequently, the UVs, the Bake<\/strong> process, texturing, and its integration within Unreal Engine 5<\/strong> were developed, allowing a high-resolution scan to be reused within an optimized real-time pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The materials were developed using Adobe Substance 3D Designer<\/strong> and Adobe Substance 3D Painter<\/strong>. As part of the project, different Tileable Materials<\/strong> were produced completely procedurally in Substance 3D Designer<\/strong>, complemented by Trim Sheets<\/strong> and unique materials when the environment's needs required it. This combination allowed for maintaining a coherent visual identity, optimizing resource reuse, and reducing the number of exclusive textures used during production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final integration was carried out in Unreal Engine 5<\/strong>, where the complete assembly of the environment, integration of all assets, material configuration, lighting adjustment using Lumen<\/strong>, and the implementation of different atmospheric effects using Niagara<\/strong>\u2014including ambient smoke and volumetric particles\u2014took place. Additionally, wet surfaces were incorporated through the Unreal Engine Puddles<\/strong> system to reinforce the environment's setting. The process concluded with the final polishing of the environment using Nanite<\/strong> to guarantee efficient real-time geometry representation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Materials<\/strong> <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The environment materials were developed through a procedural workflow using Adobe Substance 3D Designer<\/strong>, creating a collection of Tileable Materials<\/strong> designed to cover most of the architectural surfaces in the scene. These materials were subsequently combined with Trim Sheets<\/strong> and specific materials developed in Adobe Substance 3D Painter<\/strong>, allowing for high visual consistency, optimizing resource reuse, and reducing production costs without compromising artistic quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gallery displays a selection of the procedural materials used during the development of the environment, illustrating both their structure and their application within the final scene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n