Checklists

If we were able to gather all art outsource managers in front of a giant whiteboard to discuss what are the most common mistakes that they have seen when providing feedback notes, I would imagine that it would look something like the following list of topics.

Proxy Modeling

Proxy modeling isn’t just for the art team. All the other teams need them as well and until they can get something, they are blocked. So, make a proxy model first.

Approximation - I’ve seen a lot of boxes as proxy models and although, I suppose, technically its useful enough, a good proxy model should have large shapes and any tricky details represented.

Scale - Every asset needs to be properly scaled. But the obviousness is often times what causes this crucial step from being overlooked.

  • Check to make sure the scene measurements settings are set correctly. The setting of Meters or Centimeters can make all the difference.

  • If it exists in the real world, there are measurements for it and if the asset is made up, get measurements from the concept art or from comparable objects in the real world.

  • Test it in the game to make sure the size is correct.

Proportions - While "size" refers to scale of the model as a whole. Proportions refers to the sum of its parts. Prioritize with the larger shapes to the least noticeable ones.

​Placement and Orientation of the Model - This is a quick and simple step, but if overlooked can affect a great deal of time for fixes down the line. There are different reasons for how an asset should be placed and orientated, but in general, all assets follow these simple rules.

  • The XZ plane - Maya. XY plane - 3D Max, or the plane in the top view considered the "virtual ground plane" where all assets are set on.

  • Whatever is considered the front of the asset needs to face positive Z - Maya. Positive Y - 3D Max.

The real danger is that an asset is used hundreds of times in the game and when the placement and orientation is corrected/updated, all the proxy models that are used will shift making them to be in the wrong position in the game. This is why it's so important to set this correctly at this proxy stage of work. Each project will have different needs in regards to placement and orientation. Please check with the project Art Lead if you are uncertain.

​Placement and Orientation of the Pivot Center - Independently from the position of the model, depending on the game engine, the placement and orientation of the pivot center in relation to the model may be equally important. Even if the model is physically placed correctly, it is easy to forget to make sure the pivot center is also following these general rules

  • Use "Snap to Grid" to place pivot center to either place "World Origin" (0,0,0) or the center of the mesh.

  • Apply "Freeze Transformation" to all mesh.

  • Check if there are any special orientation the pivot center needs to be.

There is an exception to these rules if the project specifically calls for it to be different. Please check with the Art Lead if you are unsure

Naming Convention - Using a naming convention is common now in game production, but strangely, it is also very common to see projects without one. The idea is fairly straight forward, by giving a final name for an asset at the early proxy stage, it is much simpler to focus on the work and make updates as that work progresses. Every project should follow a naming convention and it is a good assumption that the client will provide one for their project, but by chance if they don't, it is safe to follow a standard template.

  • category_type_description_variant_(number_map).file

For example,

  • bldg_house_duplex_base_001.fbx

  • veh_sedan_4door_destroyed_001.fbx

  • etc

Use abbreviations to shorten the names as much as possible. Some engines have a character number limit.

  • bldg = building

  • veh = vehicle

  • wep = weapons

  • char = character

  • env = environment object

  • etc

Hierarchy - In many cases, a model is simple enough that it can stand on its own in the 3d scene, but for more complex models, it may be necessary to “group” the meshes under a “Group” node.

  • Make sure the group node follows the naming convention for the model.

  • Make sure all the parented meshes also have unique names.

A Clean Scene - All clients expect clean work files. For example, Maya generates a lot of history nodes as well as empty transform nodes as meshes are combined, separated, duplicated, etc. Typically, performing freeze transformations and deleting history works well, but there are times when there is a need to hand select these empty nodes to manually delete them. Keeping a scene file clean is also about keeping the file size low and manageable.

Test in Game - Taking a proxy model and checking it in engine is one of the best way to validate the work. It allows you to quickly spot most of the issues we've covered so far, but it also allows you to see how well it works with other assets and how close the player will see it. It will also communicate quickly with the client without having to spend a lot of time which is the whole point of the proxy stage. Also, consider applying a flat base color material to the proxy as a way to separate it out from other proxy models in the scene.