In lesson we were tasked with modelling and texturing a tree. I used a cylinder primitive to start my model of and the added edge loops in so I could manipulate the vertices to create the desired shape of the tree trunk, once completed I then moved onto the branches. To create the branches I used Photoshop to create a 2048×2048 texture file and then and opacity mask of the same dimensions to use in Maya on a plane primitive so I can give the illusion of a transparent background on the branch with a lower polygon count.
An opacity mask is an inverted silhouette so black for the background and white for the image which lets maya know not to display any texture in the blacked out area. This method of modelling is good because I don’t have to model the branches using more polygon-heavy primitives therefore taking up less of the computer’s resources when trying to run in unreal. I found this quite easy as I already knew what I was doing and completed it with little to no problems.
I then duplicated the branch in rings all the way up the tree till I got the look of a fir tree. The Fir tree modeled will be a part of my night scene in unreal and will be used in a foliage brush so it was key to make it as low poly as possible.
In all honesty i don’t really like my tree model as the texture was stretched and it is not to a high enough standard. If i was to redo this project i would have redone my whole asset as i don’t like the outcome i have created. I would completely redo the model and textures to a better standard.
Games Designer: James Green 