Welcome to my weekly showcase where I’ll be taking you through the step-by-step process of recreating the essence of Chamartin Madrid Subway in Unreal Engine. Follow along as I create modular pieces like stairs, columns, walls, and the standout feature – the subway train itself.
Each week, I’ll dive into the details of how these pieces come together, making them versatile and adaptable for various scenes within the subway environment. From the bustling platforms to the quiet confines of the train interior, we’ll explore how every element contributes to the immersive experience.
In this first week update, I’ll be sharing my progress on the “Chamartin Madrid Subway Tribute” project. I have focused on the basic building blocks: crafting the shapes and structures for our modular assets and using them to start building within Unreal.
I have started by creating the basic shapes for things like stairs, columns, walls, train parts and other elements that will make up our subway environment.
In this week’s update, I’ve been focusing on refining our modular assets .
The main tasks included improving the geometry and UV mapping of handholders and working on the floor texture.
The handholders required adjustments to ensure they fit seamlessly into the environment. Similarly, creating the floor material involved using an RGB mask and a tile sheet for texturing, which took up a significant portion of my time.
Also I focused on improving the walls, here’s a quick rundown:
Created Wall Template: A 1x1 wall static mesh was designed in Maya.
Maya Recreation: Using this template, we recreated the walls in Maya.
CSV Export: A script exported wall transform data (position, rotation, scale) to a CSV.
Unreal Implementation: An actor in Unreal read the CSV data, dynamically generating instanced static meshes for accurate wall placement.
I’m excited to see how your Chamartin Madrid Subway Tribute turns out. Especially considering the texture reference you’re using, it’s an excellent choice! Everything is coming together nicely so far. Keep up the great work!
This week, I’ve been focused on refining the modular assets. My main goal was to enhance the geometry and UVs of key elements like escalators and stairs, ensuring they seamlessly blend into the setting.
In addition, I spent considerable time optimizing textures to maintain quality across the expansive surfaces of walls, floors, and roofs. Through rigorous testing of various techniques, I’m aiming to achieve optimal texel density while preserving the narrative of abandonment that defines the environment.
This week marked a significant step forward as I began work on lighting to evoke the ambiance of an abandoned subway station, setting the tone for the environment. To achieve this, I focused on modeling and texturizing linear lamps, drawing inspiration from Chamartin lamps.
Implementing these lamps involved a methodical approach. I created an actor with randomized boolean parameters, allowing me to swiftly iterate through various configurations of point lights until I found the perfect seed that captured the desired atmosphere. This iterative process provided quick feedback, enabling me to make necessary adjustments and refine the lighting setup.
In addition to lighting, I worked with the material used on large surfaces within the station. To improve the visual appeal, I developed a material function aimed specific criteria: scalability to the world while maintaining pixel density, generating random patterns to prevent repetition and blur, and accommodating rotation and scaling based on object position.
This material function received input parameters such as texture, rotations or patterns scale, allowing for customization and flexibility. By calculating rotation and position similar to the world-aligned texture technique, I achieved seamless integration of the patterns into the environment. The result? A nice look for the floors and walls, lending greater visual interest and cohesion to the space.
While the material refinement is a significant improvement, there’s still room for polish. Moving forward, I plan to further enhance the patterns and introduce decals to weave specific narratives into the environment, enriching the storytelling experience.
This week, my focus remained on creating the modular train for our subway environment. I decided to take a step back and completely redo the meshes, as the previous ones were causing some blockage issues. Now, with the new meshes in place, they fit together seamlessly and enhance the overall flow of the train structure.
In addition to refining the meshes, I also began the texturing process. The screenshots you see now represent just the initial attempt, but I’m already starting to see promising results. The textures are beginning to align with the mood and atmosphere of the environment, contributing to the overall.
However, there’s still work to be done. While the textures are heading in the right direction, they require further attention to detail to achieve the level of polish I’m aiming for. I’ll be dedicating more time to fine-tuning the textures to ensure they seamlessly integrate with the environment and enhance the immersive experience.
I wanted to give you a quick update on what I’ve been working on lately. I’ve been putting a lot of effort into improving the overall feel of our environment.
First up, I decided to redo the floor design. It was looking a bit dull and repetitive before, so I gave it a makeover to match the level of detail we have in our modular train. Now, it’s got a much more polished look that I’m really happy with.
I’ve also been adding some new elements to make the scene feel more lively. I created a couple of props to add some visual interest and help tell the story of our environment. And to really make things feel authentic, I added a subtle dust effect in the air. It might seem like a small touch, but it goes a long way in making the scene feel more immersive.
Here’s an update on the latest improvements I’ve been working on for the environment.
Based on feedback, I adjusted the metal parts, which were too reflective for a dusty setting. Now, they have a more appropriate level of reflectiveness (with an small dust layer) that fits better with the overall atmosphere.
I also tweaked the lighting. The previous lighting was a bit too neutral, so I decided to make it a bit brighter, which helps to enhance the visibility.
In addition to these adjustments, I’ve been focusing on polishing two key shots that represent how I envision the entire environment. These shots will guide the refinement process as I add more details like manual decals, small props, and other elements to bring the scene to life.
I wanted to provide a quick update on the project. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to make as much progress as I’d hoped in the last few days due to time constraints.
While I couldn’t dedicate as much time as I wanted, I’m still proud of the work I’ve accomplished. These latest shots showcase the current state of the environment and serve as a snapshot of where the project stands.
