game environment/level creation workflow?

(I dont intend on programming the game. I am just learning environment art. Also, console games only, not applicable to mobile games).

I am familiar with 3d workflows of tv/film but now want to learn game environment art. Can someone pls tell me what the major tools used are? I take it something like vue, speedtree, etc may not be compatible with unity? So is it just creating assets and putting then in the scene in unity? How do u go about making foliage, terrain?

I am mostly familiar with maya, 3ds max. Do i need to work in unity to create a game environment level or can it be created in a 3d package like maya/3ds and then imported by programmer to unity/unreal.

I cant find anything online. Its either tuts on creating general 3d environments or its importing 3d assets into game engines. Nothing about the workflow on creating a game environment workflow.

My guess is:
1. create assets and texture them in maya/3dsmax/modo. Import into game engine.
2. but what about procedural meshes like trees, terrain, etc. Maya has dynamics and paint effects which can help with generating such procedurals but will they be viable for in-game envirnoments??

Hence I am asking for a workflow specific to games.

 

http://www.speedtree.com/unity/ < yes on speedtree,,,soon ish from what I see here anyway. Vue should be no biggie I would think, given it can output to obj or raw format I imagine.

http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/unity-vue-terrains-plants.40814/ < vue stuff

Did you try searching on this stuff ? )

Depends on the game, but faik yes you can make what you want in your 3d app and import it into unity. I don't think there are any 'scene importers' per se, so I imagine its one thing at a time ,,never tried so I could be wrong, no idea.

Your procedural maya meshs, etc, will be viable, if the vert count is applicable for the app/game you are making Tri count matters of course and I"ve never used maya for the procedural things though I can see the tempetation

good luck
jb




I am mostly familiar with maya, 3ds max. Do i need to work in unity to create a game environment level or can it be created in a 3d package like maya/3ds and then imported by programmer to unity/unreal.

I cant find anything online. Its either tuts on creating general 3d environments or its importing 3d assets into game engines. Nothing about the workflow on creating a game environment workflow.

My guess is:
1. create assets and texture them in maya/3dsmax/modo. Import into game engine.
2. but what about procedural meshes like trees, terrain, etc. Maya has dynamics and paint effects which can help with generating such procedurals but will they be viable for in-game envirnoments??

Hence I am asking for a workflow specific to games.[/QUOTE]

 

yeah, thx for that. I was looking at the workflow of AAA games and just checked unity's and unreal's AAA features and I think I know now what I was looking for. I myself specialize in characters and wanted to find the environment workflow for big games. thx