Minecraft-ish Wold Project

Our assignment this week is to design construct, texturize, and landscape a minecraft inspired scene using Maya, Photoshop, and Unreal.

To start, we create the base building block of our new world. Just like our previous 3D cube assignment, we use Maya to create a basic cube primitive.

Using the Maya UV editor we can see the base split of our cube's UV map. After adding a bevel on the cube and rearranging the UV layout, we are left with a UV map that is a bit easier to work with and understand in Photoshop.

I then took this UV layout and generated a basic texture blueprint in Photoshop. Using color tones and directional arrows, I made sure the UVs I had mapped in Maya were labeled and oriented in a uniform and concise manner.

Using Maya's hypershader tool, I tested the shader on my cube and ensured the end result would be a clean wrap around my cube.

Once I confirmed everything was properly mapped between Maya and photoshop, I set out to create a variety of different minecraft-inspired textures for my cubes.

One final check in Maya to ensure these textures would provide the look I wanted before moving into UE4. Everything looks good to go!

Now into the Unreal engine. I begin building my scene with a base grass layer. For this project, being a tribute to minecraft, I want to recreate one of the survival modes in that game that I used to love. In my project I will be building a basic skyblock platform. This floating island gives the player very limited resources to survive on, and it is up to their ingenuity to create a sustainable world to later grow and expand on.

I start by building a grass platform.

Adding some depth, I add a layer of pure dirt blocks.

Supporting this platform, next up is a layer of floating rock.

Add a small pond for the player's crafting recipies

All that's left is to add some final touches. A tree for wood and saplings, and a chest of starting tools for the player. Our skyblock map is now complete!

As our map is intended to be floating in the middle of the open sky, I decided to not add much atmospheric fog, or any horizon elements, as the vast emptiness is part of the iconic challenge of a skyblock map.

An extra close-up shot for a bit of scale.