How to Make 3D Impulse Rifle Look Like It Runs DOOM

Introduction

Hi everyone! I’m Julien Détriché from France. I’m a Hard surface Artist at Shiro Games in Bordeaux, France.

I've been working in the video game industry for about 2 years. I'm interested in the hard surface as a whole, but more particularly in science fiction (environments and props) and modern/futuristic weapon art. 

Impulse Rifle

When I start a new personal project, I work according to the free time I have (depending on my job) as well as the feeling of the concept or the desire to learn. I always try to go the extra mile in my work, whether in terms of quality or speed. 

While browsing ArtStation, I came across Pavel Proskurin's work and absolutely loved it. , so I decided to get to work on one of his concepts.

I began by establishing clear references and my goal in this project. I used Pinterest, ArtStation, and PureRef for weapon references.

Modeling

I start my projects with a blockout on Fusion 360, which is perfect for blocking a mid poly very quickly and is an integral part of my workflow. 

I don't have to think in terms of optimization/vertex/polycount, only in terms of volume, which is really nice. 

I often switch back and forth between Fusion 360 and Marmoset Toolbag, which allows me to see the volumes and scales made by my blockout.

After blocking my mid poly in Fusion 360, I create two versions of my blockout via Fusion 360/3ds Max. The first version is triangulated with a fairly high flow of triangles and is imported into ZBrush via a workflow with DynaMesh/polish and a few retakes according to each mesh to create the high-quality high poly. Don't forget to decimate before exporting the HP.

The second version is imported in NGon with a lighter flow (to be managed according to the project's objective: production or portfolio) in 3ds Max where I'll have to clean up the mesh, merge different elements, and manage the polycount.  

UVs

After cleaning my mesh, I move on to unwrapping. I do UVs in equal parts in 3ds Max and RizomUV.

RizomUV is the best UV packing software, and it's also very useful for everything related to optimization and pixel ratio.

Once the UVW map and IDs are done, I move on to baking in Marmoset Toolbag, which is the best software for baking for me. 

I bake all the different map IDs and textures separately. I put a lot of importance on the normal map/AO and curvature, the most important parts for the rest of the process. 

Texturing

As for texturing, I spend a lot of time analyzing my references and trying to reproduce what I see. I create all my materials from start to finish, using classic metalness/roughness methods from the weapon art industry. 

I always go back and forth in Marmoset Toolbag while I'm texturing so I don't have any nasty surprises later on. 

I start with the material basics (albedo/metallic/roughness) and then add wear and patina, machining object by object.

Rendering

For the DOOM screen, I had to create a UHD screen generator in Substance 3D Designer, which allowed me to plug in any image and transfer it to the visual effect of the touchscreen. 

Then, I had to compose a flipbook of this animation. Thanks to a custom flipbook shader that a friend of mine helped me set up, I was able to animate this flipbook. 

I use very few lights for my Marmoset renders, but I spend a lot of time and attention on HDRI. I really prefer an orthographic camera for weapon renders, I find it really enhances the projects. 

Once I've found the mood I want, I highlight my mesh with a few rim lights. I have, on average, 1 to 2 directional lights for highlights, and this is more than enough. 

I often use Megascans, other meshes, or backdrops to highlight my work. For backdrops, I pay close attention to the perspective of the photo/render and to the lighting of my HDRI in relation to the backdrop. 

Conclusion

To conclude, I'd say that I try to enjoy every step of my personal projects and never miss a single one. Trying new things and sticking to workflows is essential. I think the most important thing is to be proud of what you do and to be happy with it. 

I wanted to give a special thanks to Gloria Levine and the 80 Level team for giving me this huge opportunity. 

Also, my deepest thanks to my friend Edouard Boudet for helping me a lot and to all of my friends for giving me some help and especially for giving me motivation every day.

Thanks for reading, I hope you could learn something! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me on ArtStation or LinkedIn!

Julien Détriché, Hard Surface Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine