Evolution Studios’ David Wilson on building Monument Valley
Evolution Studios, the guys behind the PlayStation 3 cliff racer MotorStorm, showed us how they mapped Monument Valley in its entirety. They slapped on a high-definition cam on the snout of a chopper, did a couple of flybys past the beautiful rock monuments in the Arizona valley and collected all their footage to be used for the game.
But how exactly were they able to use the footage? With some Maya creativity and graphics know-how, of course! As Guy Cocker of GameSpot UK found out when speaking to English “laddy” (and art director) David Wilson, everything in the game was designed to be dynamically altered with an engine that renders graphics photo-realistically.
Utilizing Maya, they were able to create a backdrop of the scenery into more workable 3D surfaces. Here, they were able to mimic the appearance of the uneven ground and the rocky edges of overhanging cliffs. Through this mapping, they created a world that is realistically just 3D all throughout, allowing the source of light (the Sun in this case) to be changed in real-time.
Now while many visually appealing games already have this feature, MotorStorm takes it to the next level by just simulating light and shadow (including reflections) on the entire world. That’s right: the entire world. Cracks and crevices also leak light or cause soft overcasts in the steep rock walls, the vehicles cast darker silhouettes on the mud.
Speaking of mud, the three road layers (sand, clay, mud) actually disperse, and with enough disturbance caused in the same areas, will degrade the sections of the track to messy mud patches. The engine also is a showcase for realistic physics, allowing high-speed dashes into bumpy terrain to result into fantastic vehicle topples and tosses.
While North America is already enjoying the desert dash under the Arizona sun, Europe will have to wait for March 23 for the release of their version, side-by-side with the PlayStation 3’s Europe launch.
Via GameSpot
Evolution Studios, the guys behind the PlayStation 3 cliff racer MotorStorm, showed us how they mapped Monument Valley in its entirety. They slapped on a high-definition cam on the snout of a chopper, did a couple of flybys past the beautiful rock monuments in the Arizona valley and collected all their footage to be used for the game.
But how exactly were they able to use the footage? With some Maya creativity and graphics know-how, of course! As Guy Cocker of GameSpot UK found out when speaking to English “laddy” (and art director) David Wilson, everything in the game was designed to be dynamically altered with an engine that renders graphics photo-realistically.
Utilizing Maya, they were able to create a backdrop of the scenery into more workable 3D surfaces. Here, they were able to mimic the appearance of the uneven ground and the rocky edges of overhanging cliffs. Through this mapping, they created a world that is realistically just 3D all throughout, allowing the source of light (the Sun in this case) to be changed in real-time.
Now while many visually appealing games already have this feature, MotorStorm takes it to the next level by just simulating light and shadow (including reflections) on the entire world. That’s right: the entire world. Cracks and crevices also leak light or cause soft overcasts in the steep rock walls, the vehicles cast darker silhouettes on the mud.
Speaking of mud, the three road layers (sand, clay, mud) actually disperse, and with enough disturbance caused in the same areas, will degrade the sections of the track to messy mud patches. The engine also is a showcase for realistic physics, allowing high-speed dashes into bumpy terrain to result into fantastic vehicle topples and tosses.
While North America is already enjoying the desert dash under the Arizona sun, Europe will have to wait for March 23 for the release of their version, side-by-side with the PlayStation 3’s Europe launch.
Via GameSpot