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Character Creation in Unity for noobs: Is Blender to Unity best?

Discussion in 'Getting Started' started by KaraZee, Jan 15, 2021.

  1. KaraZee

    KaraZee

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    I am brand new to Unity and am working with a very talented artist w/o any 3d experience. I am creating a VERY simple mobile game (3d) that will have three character to choose from. Eventually the user will have the ability to dress and accessorize the character. She is such a talented artist and we are on such the same wavelength in terms of the art style, I though instead of hiring a 3d artist to interpret her designs, she can just learn to model her characters in 3d.

    She is also going to eventually be working on creating the environments and accessories/clothing.

    She has already drawn all three of the characters in photoshop. Should she learn and create the character in Blender than import it Unity? Or is there a better solution? Thanks for your help!
     
    JoeStrout likes this.
  2. DimitriX89

    DimitriX89

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    This is a hard task. Learning game-ready modeling in Blender can take months to years, as there are more nuances than just making things look nice in static. You need proper mesh structure (topology) in order for the character to move properly, good texture coordinate layout, do not use too many polygons, etc. So it is not something you can do on a whim. Only if she really wants to learn.
    One of the few examples of character made in Blender from start to finish. Many of such videos recommend using dosens of programs, which is both nightmare to learn, and, in my opinion, not always nessessary
     
  3. DimitriX89

    DimitriX89

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    What about "better" solutions, well there are character generator programs. Daz Studio and VRoid to name a few. Where you tweak a pre-made model with a set of sliders, then add clothing and props from a library. But depending on the character style, result may look nowhere near desirable, especially if there are complex costumes and props. Licensing may be a problem too. Not all the content in Daz market, for example, is allowed to be used in a game
     
  4. tree_arb

    tree_arb

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    I hear good things about the software makehuman
     
  5. KaraZee

    KaraZee

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    Dimitri, would you say the same thing about creating environments in unity? Even if you are an artist, it take a long time to master creating good environments?
     
  6. DimitriX89

    DimitriX89

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    Well this should be a bit easier. Unity terrain system is somewhat lacking, but intuitive to use. Has built in tree and grass systems. If you add some environmental asset packs downloaded from the store, then you won't need to model anything by yourself. There are lots of great examples on the internet

    (Level design is a topic on its own, but to make visually good environments, such techniques should be enough)
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2021
  7. KaraZee

    KaraZee

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    May 5, 2020
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    Thanks again Dimitri, I am going to have to hire someone to create the environment for me. If you think Unity terrain system is lacking, what program should I be looking for someone to have skills in. Again the artist I am working with is creating a 2d drawing of the environment, and I would be looking for someone to take the 2d drawing and create in 3d. The character in my game will not be interacting with the environment. The character will just be situated in the center of the screen/environment. The user will eventually be able to place trees/objects in the environment and watch them grow. The user will also be able to from a fixed rail perspective move around the character so they can see it from different angles as well see the environment from different angles.
     
  8. DimitriX89

    DimitriX89

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    By "lacking", I meant that the workflow is based on painting 2d height map and displacing the terrain plane based on it. Doesnt support volumetric data, so certain landscape features (like caves) will require hacks to implement.
    https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/terrain-Heightmaps.html
    Height maps can be imported from specialised programs, like World Machine, or real geodesic data. But for your task, even default Unity terrain editor will be enough. Since there is no movement and the landscape itself is simple