Hello again,
welcome back for part 2 of this post, today I’ll give you some insights of the artistic process of creating 3D models for bikes and riders in SBKX.
In the first part I’ve told you about the complex process of reference gathering, and how this is important for us. Back in Milestone studios, the real job begins: different and specialized 3D artists take care of riders, on one side, and bikes, on the other. The tasks are widely different, ad require different skills and competences. Let’s start with the riders.
From the pictures we identify the brands and models of helmets, suits, gloves, boots. We build individual outfits and helmets as close as possible to the real ones, taking care of all the materials’ and textures’ details: from the glossy helmets to the opaque or partly reflective leather.
We even take particular care also of the hard-to-see face inside the helmet, obviously.
When the model’s ready, then comes the Animator artist. As you can see in the pictures, the model is originally in the so called “T pose”, because it’s the easiest one to bend in all other positions.
The artist creates all the riding stances and animations for the models, differentiating them, depending on the real riding style of the rider itself. This knowledge comes from watching SBK footage and pictures over and over.. and over again.
On the other hand, there’s the bike. Building a mechanical model based on a set of pictures is a job that requires great skills and a keen eye. It involves, too, a big degree of knowledge of how a real bike is built, and behaves, from the geometry of the frame, to the aerodynamics.
The details and the models are so many and so complex that we usually go through series of refinements, and at each step we cross-check the model to find every tiny difference from the real thing. Here’s a typical except from a discussion between the producer and an artist:
Producer: “The texturing is fantastic, but there’s something wrong in the rear suspension”
Artist: “Hmm.. tell me, i can’t spot any difference from the pics”
P: “Looks like it’s a bit shorter than the real one, and a bit more compressed.”
A: “Wait, you’re right, but it’s no more than.. one inch?”
P: “Yes, but it makes the bike look less aggressive, and breaks up the proportions”
A: “Ok, i’ll fix it for the next build!”
Because, you know, when you get to the track, the result is much, much more that the sum of its parts.. but this is all another story!
So, as usual, see you next time, don’t forget to check out this blog, and join SBK®X on Facebook, in case you haven’t done yet!
Michele Caletti, SBK®X Game Director
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