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.
