Guide to 3D Environments
PROCESS
Here is the process:
Concept and Layout phase: Initially the concept art is developed by the responsible people to get the look of the environment. Things like color theory and composition comes into place. Also the artists makes the list of assets to be used in the environment.
Blocking: To get the idea of the environment scale in game, artists create a basic version of the level with some basics shapes. Softwares: Autodesk Maya or 3ds Max.
Asset Creation: Based on the lists, the artists start to create the asset one by one in Maya/Max and Zbrush.
Texturing: Paralelly textures are also created by seperate team of artists in softwares like Photoshop, Quixel Suite, Substance Designer and Painter.
Baking: During the previous process, Artists create very low polygon models to give a better performance in game so eventually they fake the details by a process called Baking. It comes under the texturing process. Things like Normal maps etc. comes into consideration.
Importing the assets to the Game Engine: So now the assets and their textures are created. Now they have to import everything to a game engine to use it. The type of game engine depends on the studio. Some of them are available online and some of them are proprietary. This is a time taking process because there's a lot of technical work here like connecting the assets to the textures, creating shaders and so on.
Set Dressing: The assets has to be laid out based on the design of the level. Most of the time, it's not time consuming.
Lighting: Most of the time or say everytime, the lighting has to be built in the engine only. Artists take reference from Concept Art.
Finalisation and Testing Phase: By this time most of the environment work is done and is passed to testers who test it in which gameplay, simulation (if any) and animation comes into consideration. It's Art Director who approves it.
TOOLS
The advent of virtual landscapes goes hand in hand with the advent of GC and fractal imagery. We are witnessing a boom, and 3D Environments design software specializes more and more. Today, it is possible to achieve breathtaking environments and stunning realism with relative ease. Below I’ve compiled seven types of software tools you can use to create absolutely stunning 3D environments.
1. Vue
The current leader of landscaping generators, Vue d’Esprit, is published in 1992 by the French software developer e-on. At the time, Vue looked a lot like Bryce, another 3d decorating software. But while Bryce stagnated in an evolutionary impasse, Vue continued to improve. Its capacity to generate complex and photorealistic terrains has been supplemented by the possibility of setting up a sky, atmospheres, and vegetation.
The application is now regularly used by VFX companies to create sets for big-budget movies like The Avengers, How To Train Your Dragon, The Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. Vue has everything you need to create beautiful landscapes, and is available in many versions at different price levels, from the free Pioneer View to Infinite View – which is available for free in Personal Learning Edition.
2. Terragen
Another application that has existed for ages, Terragen appeared in the late 90s, version 2.0 in April 2009 and version 3.0 in October 2013. The program is a landscape generator that prides itself on its realism. It supports the rendering of global lighting, and its results are often breathtaking when detailed landscapes are associated with naturalistic skies.
It has a multi-pass rendering, generates HDR and can also export detailed landscapes for use in other applications (although the resulting files can be massive). Good results are relatively easy to obtain, but the artist’s unfriendly interface and node-based digital structure mean that it takes dedication and a lot of experimentation to master the software.
3. DEM Earth
DEM Earth is a plugin for Cinema 4D and Maya. He is not a standalone logician, but because he is unique, useful, and unreasonably intelligent, he fits perfectly in this list. DEMs, or Digital Elevation Maps, describe a planet’s terrain with real data that can be downloaded and used to move a polygonal mesh. However, finding them is difficult, and getting them to work correctly is even trickier. DEM Earth automates the entire process for you.
DEM uploads data and creating subdivision surface meshes, assembling satellite imagery to create texture maps, and even generating representations of the most important buildings on the site. Essentially, DEM EARTH makes it easy to create 3D Environments from elevation data and satellite imagery. Whether for the photorealistic representation of large areas or the rapid creation of vast fantasy worlds, DEM Earth is excellent.
4. World Machine
This Windows application exists since 2005. World Machine does not have the scenic features of other applications but focuses on creating authentic terrains – such as high-pitch maps or polygonal meshes – which are then exported for use in-game engines or applications. 3D creation.
It uses a system of nodes, connecting the functions that determine the shape and slope of the earth, as well as valleys, cracks, and crevices that give the impression of being eroded by the forces of nature. You can carve the earth much as you wish. You can navigate your landscapes in 3D Environments, then select a region of interest to export for use in the application or game engine of your choice.
5. L3DT
Product of a One-Man software company in Australia, L3DT – or Large 3D Terrain Generator – is another application for creating and editing terrain. The user creates a raw design map for his landscape, and the application generates afield from that data.
From here you can add artifacts such as erosion, terraces, cliffs and so on, or take things in hand and sculpt the shape of your choice in the 3D editor. The final terrain can be exported as with bitmaps, displace, texture, normal, bump, and even shadow data for use in other applications or game engines.
6. TerraRay
Compared to the other solutions listed here, TerraRay is pretty basic. The app is a simple field builder and rendering, allowing you to draw a landscape and then add rocks, water, and sky and produce a global rendering.
It is straightforward to use and, with a little work, can be helpful to create images that could be useful for backdrops or as a starting point for a more detailed matte painting. It’s a shame that maps can not be exported for external use, but for ten dollars, it’s not a bad deal to get into creating environments.
7. Bryce
Developed by Eric Wenger and German artist Kai Krause, KPT Bryce appeared in 1994 as a fractal landscape generator. MetaCreations then bought it and was the leader in environmental design, before losing notoriety by becoming slower and completely buggy.
It was sold to Corel in 2000, again to DAZ 3D in 2004. Version 7 of Bryce is now available as freeware, but it is unlikely that it will work on your operating system unless you are still on Win7 or Vista or OS X 10.6 and lower. It seems that this app is in agony, which is a shame because, in the right hands, it can do wonders. His good days are clearly behind him, but for the honor, and all of the work he put in, we include him in this top all the same.
Try out these wonderful additions to your photographic work and make a 3D environment that others only dream about.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Event Spaces
Retailers
Architecture
SELLING 3D ENVIRONMENTS
Thanks to the adoption of 3D design by big brands such as Apple and Facebook, there are a number of online marketplaces geared towards the buying and selling of digital 3D graphics.
Some focus on general use, like CG design, 3D illustrations, presentations, and UI. Others cater more specialized towards niche markets, such as architectural models, or industry-specific product models, like jewelry or furniture.
Each marketplace has its own requirements, benefits, and profit share rates, so make sure to weigh your options before committing to a particular platform.
To help get you started, here are five 3D marketplaces for you to consider:
1. TurboSquid
Founded in 2000, Turbosquid has championed growth in the 3D space through partnerships with leaders in the industry. Their collaborative efforts have led them to co-creating products like CheckMate, which defines quality specifications for the 3D industry, and StemCell, which allows 3D models to be converted to every major 3D application.
It comes as no surprise then that TurboSquid is considered to be one of the largest sources for professional 3D models. They're also the official 3D content licensee for Ford, General Motors, USPS, etc. In 2021, TurboSquid was acquired by Shutterstock.
Benefits:
List your 3D design content across various Turbosquid platforms and partner sites with just one upload.
Earn up to 80% commission when joining their affiliate program, SquidGuild.
Get insights and reports, with more detailed info about lucrative keywords and popular categories.
Customer support is handled by Turbosquad.
Used by: game developers, news agencies, architects, visual effects studios, advertisers, and creative professionals around the world.
Payment platforms: PayPal and Payoneer.
2. CG Trader
CGTrader was established in 2011 with the intention of being the first designer-friendly online marketplace for 3D content. It’s one of the largest sources for licensable stock and custom 3D models and offers two solutions for sellers and buyers.
CGTrader Marketplace is a community-based, self-service platform with a strong designer community with 4.52 million members. CGTrader Enterprise 3D Modeling is the enterprise solution that allows businesses to convert 2D product images into photorealistic 3D models for Augmented Reality and other 3D customer experiences.
Benefits:
Earn between 70-80% in royalties, which is one of the highest royalty rates in the market.
Immediate access to tips and a knowledge base with an ever-growing design community.
Access to potential clients requiring custom 3D projects.
Insights and reports to help maximize your earning potential.
Used by: 3D artists, design studios, and businesses all share and trade their models on CGTrader. If a business cannot find a specific 3D model on the platform, they can hire from the designer Marketplace community for custom jobs.
Payment platforms: There are four methods for royalty and freelance payments. PayPal, Payoneer, Wire transfer, and Webmoney.
3. Renderosity
Renderosity is a community-driven platform for digital artists. With nearly 800,000 members, the platform caters to both 2D and 3D art.
If you choose to sell in their MarketPlace, they offer free advertising options while also giving competitive industry rates.
Benefits:
A community created by artists for artists.
More artistic approach vs. commercial content.
Numerous features that maximize community learning and creativity.
Store marketing support is available.
Used by: 2D and 3D digital artists, animators, photographers, and writers.
4. Cubebrush
Described as an "eCommerce platform for artists, game developers & designers," Cubebrush's aim is to provide ongoing value to its sellers. The platform givers creators freedom and control over the digital items they sell.
Benefits:
Easy-to-use, free platform.
Two revenue stream options to maximize income: (1) When sharing your store URLs directly or via social networks, you make approximately 95% on each sale generated. (2) For sales generated by Cubebrush, you receive 70% of profits from a sale.
A broad range of payment types is accepted, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, PayPal, and most major credit cards.
A variety of digital projects can be sold, e.g. 3D assets, materials/substances, CG tutorials, 2D game assets, etc
Used by: digital artists, game developers and designers.
Payment platforms: PayPal
5. Sketchfab
Sketchfab has a “paid download” feature for models hosted on their site. Users wanting to sell models and have them featured in the Sketchfab store, need to apply to become sellers. Read more about becoming a seller in the help section.