Biggest thing holding most environment artist back from starting a modular environment project is the amount of assets you think you need to create.
They think they need to create hundreds of assets and different variations of them right from the start.
That usually is enough to stop you wanting to work on the project.
Instead, ask yourself: "What is the smallest part of the environment I can create with the minimum amount of workable assets to showcase it? Before expanding to the rest of the environment?"
Instead of creating 5 different mesh variations for walls, windows, floors, doors - create just one that works. You can always expand and add variations later. But do just one first.
This is what I've been doing when working on modular environment assets.
I focus on building a small prototype of one small area using only a handful of modular assets. Then I expand to the rest of the environment.
In this tutorial I will share my current workflow for prototyping blockouts for modular environments...
In product development there is a term called MVP = Minimal Viable Product.
"A minimum viable product (MVP) is a version of a product with just enough features to be usable by early customers who can then provide feedback for future product development."
I changed this to MVE = Minimal Viable Environment or MVL = Minimal Viable Level.
Create the minimal part of the environment - a small room, small section, small corner of the larger environment that contains workable set of modular pieces.
Now you are not going to be releasing this to anyone just yet. Just is just for you to prototype before expanding to the rest of the environment.
You just need minimum amount of modular assets to get feedback on the scale, theme and space to get initial feedback as fast as possible.
My current process of blocking out modular asset environments without getting stuck on the amount of work I might need to do.
Important Note: this is only for getting started on the modular asset environments, for prototyping and blocking them out before moving on to the modular modeling process.
Continue going back and forth between Maya and UE5 making your adjustments. Include basic primitive shapes for props you may want to include to see if the space can hold them.
Once you like what size, scale and the space down, you are ready to start creating the minimal amount of these modular pieces.
There are other methods you can use to help you prototype and blockout modular environments.
Such as starting entirely in UE5 and using BSP Brushes, Modeling Mode or Primitive Shapes.
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