Chelsea Mills is an Superior Prop Artist at ArenaNet, engaged on long-running MMO Guild Wars 2, although her function stretches far past what that title may recommend. ‘Prop’ can cowl a variety of floor on the studio, from environmental set dressing and structure to character-focused gadgets like weapons, gliders, chairs, and fashion-based again gadgets. Chelsea additionally commonly handles easy rigging, animation, physics setups for material and bones, and minor results, giving her tasks a stage of polish that goes far past static props.
“I personally solely hardly ever delve into the environmental aspect of issues,” she explains. As an alternative, she usually takes items all the best way from idea to completion, whether or not that’s weapons, participant armor, creature fashions, and even creature animation. You may learn extra about Chelsea’s work in my deep dive interview, ‘How sport artist Chelsea Mills shapes the legendary props of Guild Wars 2.
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(Picture credit score: ArenaNet)
1. Maya: The all-in-one workhorse
“Maya covers all kinds of issues: modeling, UVs, animation, and rigging, in addition to our built-in instruments for issues like shader settings, results, physics, and exporting/changing the mannequin to be used within the sport engine,” the artist explains. Past versatility, familiarity performs a job: “It’s the modelling software program I first realized and by no means stopped utilizing. I’ve virtually by no means used anything!” Maya isn’t simply comfy, it’s robust, notably for animation-heavy work.
Learn our 15 finest Autodesk Maya tutorials to get began.
2. ZBrush: Sculpting natural element
For sculpting, ZBrush is indispensable. “I’m going to [ZBrush] once I must create natural shapes or the bigger particulars on my fashions,” they are saying. However it’s not about packing in each tiny scratch or grain: “Loads of that stage of element will get obliterated because of the texture decision being too low… if the small particulars have to be extra purposeful, like dings taken out of the perimeters, then I’ll sculpt these in ZBrush.” The lesson? Use ZBrush strategically for structural or intentional particulars.
Learn our listing of the 23 of the very best ZBrush tutorials to be taught this software program.
3. Substance Painter: texturing made environment friendly
Texture work occurs principally in Substance Painter. “Painter takes an attention-grabbing half-procedural strategy to texturing in the best way its layers work…you may as well hand paint masks to disclose or conceal elements of the procedural texturing,” they clarify. Painter’s procedural system isn’t simply handy, it’s reusable: “You may take a texture you created on one mannequin and apply it to a very completely different mannequin with minimal edits required. That is extremely helpful when making a set of weapons which can be all the identical theme utilized to completely different weapon sorts. An enormous time saver!”
Learn our Substance 3D Painter assessment for extra about this app.
(Picture credit score: ArenaNet)
4. Photoshop: nonetheless important
Regardless of Substance Painter’s dominance, Photoshop stays crucial. “Photoshop nonetheless has many instruments Painter doesn’t, or does sure issues higher,” the artist notes. Past toolsets, it’s about organisation: “It’s additionally a straightforward place for me to organise the entire varied textures for an asset in a single place – now we have a script that takes teams in a single Photoshop file and exports every group into their very own texture file.”
Learn our listing of the very best Photoshop tutorials to be taught Adobe’s instruments.
5. Rizom: UV mapping backup
Lastly, when Maya struggles with UVs, RizomUV steps in. “Generally Maya decides it needs to be tough and offers outcomes which can be lower than ideally suited… On this case, I’ll ship my mannequin to Rizom to have it do a fast unfold and/or structure of the UVs, then ship it proper again,” they clarify. The method is easy, environment friendly, and retains the workflow transferring. Go to the RizomUV web site for extra particulars on this distinctive app.
(Picture credit score: ArenaNet)
Talking with Chelsea, it is clear mastering the correct software program for sport artwork and 3D modelling isn’t about having the flashiest setup; it’s about understanding which device to make use of, when, and why.
Maya is a transparent favorite for normal workflow, ZBrush for intentional natural sculpting, Substance Painter for environment friendly, reusable textures, Photoshop for fine-tuning and organisation, and RizomUV as a UV security internet.
As Chelsea explains, success in sport artwork comes all the way down to considerate device decisions and understanding them inside out. However apply, expertise, and the need to enhance your artwork are additionally good locations to begin. Yow will discover extra inspiration in our listing of digital artwork to encourage.
The newest Guild Wars 2 enlargement, Visions of Eternity, is out now. Learn extra about it and the sport on the ArenaNet web site.
