Designing a 3d character for an established game world
Morar, Denis (2025)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025053018296
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025053018296
Tiivistelmä
The primary objective of this thesis was to explore various techniques and
approaches in order to create a 3D concept of a character that could potentially be
integrated into the existing game environment in a manner that aligns with the
stylistic and narrative standards of the original game. The scope of the project
incorporates the entire 3D concept development cycle, from the conceptual design
stage and reference collection, through 3D sculpting and modelling, and the
creation of the final render.
The author employed comparative analysis, a qualitative research method, to
compare the final 3D concept created by the author with another 3D concept based
on the universe of the selected game. Case study was utilized in the thesis to
achieve the required level of narrative and stylistic consistency for the selected
game. This approach involved examining the characters’ visual style. The study
covered a range of visual elements, including primary and secondary shapes,
silhouettes, proportions, color usage, and the level of detail. Furthermore, various
visual elements in the design were also considered to convey the character’s role
in the game universe and the consistency with the style of the project. The project
was developed using ZBrush, Maya, Plasticity and KeyShot. The designing
pipelines demonstrated in this thesis can also be applied to similar software.
This study showed effective methods for designing a 3d character concept, with
the objective of achieving design quality that is consistent with the visuals of the
original game. The outcome of this study is likely to be a useful pipeline for 3D
artists, both in the creation of an independent 3D concept and in its integration into
the visual environment of an existing game.
approaches in order to create a 3D concept of a character that could potentially be
integrated into the existing game environment in a manner that aligns with the
stylistic and narrative standards of the original game. The scope of the project
incorporates the entire 3D concept development cycle, from the conceptual design
stage and reference collection, through 3D sculpting and modelling, and the
creation of the final render.
The author employed comparative analysis, a qualitative research method, to
compare the final 3D concept created by the author with another 3D concept based
on the universe of the selected game. Case study was utilized in the thesis to
achieve the required level of narrative and stylistic consistency for the selected
game. This approach involved examining the characters’ visual style. The study
covered a range of visual elements, including primary and secondary shapes,
silhouettes, proportions, color usage, and the level of detail. Furthermore, various
visual elements in the design were also considered to convey the character’s role
in the game universe and the consistency with the style of the project. The project
was developed using ZBrush, Maya, Plasticity and KeyShot. The designing
pipelines demonstrated in this thesis can also be applied to similar software.
This study showed effective methods for designing a 3d character concept, with
the objective of achieving design quality that is consistent with the visuals of the
original game. The outcome of this study is likely to be a useful pipeline for 3D
artists, both in the creation of an independent 3D concept and in its integration into
the visual environment of an existing game.