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Boat Building

Right
from the start of my vision, I knew I had to create a 3D model of a boat. Whether that was towards paint-over concepts, illustrations, renders, or for a first-person on-board experience, I knew a fishing boat would be at the heart of the video game.

Below is a side view of the Scully's hull in its early stages; within the 3D modelling software Maya. Behind the highlighted model, is the image of my model sheet (see here) which I used like a blue print to work and build up from.




One of the greatest challenges while modelling the vessel for me, was not having any clear reference other than my model sheet and a few photographs to work from. This was okay to an extent but several features below the water line, for this type of fishing boat, are not well documented. This was a real test and I spent a great deal of time trying to interpret 2D images into a 3D space to the best of my ability.

Another thing I struggled with, and for some time, was the shape of the bow (the first version highlighted in white above). At the top is a raised forecastle which changes to a flat keel at the bottom. I was unsure how to shape it in low poly with no guide or tutorial. I decided to leave it and come back to it another day. To my surprise, after rest away from my screen and a good night's sleep, my prefrontal cortex had whipped up some magic, as I somehow knew how to model it and with some speed too!!




Above is the blocked-out hull model, complete with the magic bow! I decided to extend the length of the vessel slightly, which can be seen by the split in the model sheet reference. This was due to the original reference I used being in different measurements. I also feel the new length boosts the overall appearance and balances out that of the upper decks at the aft (rear); whilst allowing for more possibilities of exploration and gameplay.




Here we have a later stage of the model. In the upper aft of the boat (the wheelhouse), I have placed a Human IK skeleton rigged in a 'T-pose'. This built-in Maya feature, used by animators, also acts as a very useful way to measure and judge scales. Furthermore, you can assign a new camera to the head of a Human IK skeleton and gain a first-person perspective; again, great to quickly estimate scale and get an early player viewpoint!


 Thanks for reading :)

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