Understanding the Defence 3D Modeling Pipeline

Warfighter Podcast

Tom & Colin introduce the first episode of Season 1's education episodes.

This episode is designed to be referred to when you (the listener!) have a need to 'gen up' on 3D modeling. Specifically related to the defence industry.

3D Modeling Topics Covered:

1. Scoping the work/Design

A careful process that can take several discussions with a new client. Setting expectations; defining deliverables. Most projects succeed or fail in the planning phase, and it happens all the time (e.g., recent M4A1 model).

a. Technical Specifications

1. Target engine
2. File format requirements
3. Shader inputs
4. PBR (metal/rough)
5. Spec/gloss
6. Special textures
7. a. Thermal

b. Fresnel

1. Animation requirements
2. Special functionality requirements
3. Geo LOD
4. Shadow stencil LOD
5. Dimensional precision requirements
6. Polycount
7. Texel density
8. Naming conventions
9. Stylistic requirements (photorealism, stylized, brand new or grungy?)

b. Reference Gathering

1. Photo references
2. Technical drawings/blueprints
3. 3D scans
4. Measurement data

2. Modeling

The beginning of the “real work”. There are many different pipelines.

a. Highpoly

b. Low Poly

1. UV Map

• Overlapping vs non-overlapping UVs, number of UVs.
• UDIMs -an automatic UV offset system that assigns an image onto a specific UV tile

1. Texture baking

• AO
• Normal (world space, global space) , Y-/+ (OpenGL vs DirectX), Mikk-T vs not
• Curvature

1. Texture authoring

• 3D authoring has become standard
• Gloss/Rough the most important for overall “feel” of materials

1. LODs

• Auto-LODs (there are some limitations)
• Do one or two by hand, the rest automatically

3. Export

4. Rigging/Integration

5. Testing

Hosts:

• Tom Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/
• Colin Hillier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinhillier/

Guest:

• Chris Torchia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjtorchia/
• Website: https://vigilante.us/

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Links:

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