This week, I’m working on a new project about Sector 8 from Final Fantasy 7, reinterpreting a residential section. It’s set before the explosion of Reactor 1, so the city is in good condition.
Here are some images of the environment and a walkthrough of it.
For this environment, I’m planning a modular building system and also some modular emergency stairs.
Here is the list of objects to model and their priority.
This week, I modeled the first modular building and planned the overall size of the different floors so that when I create the modular staircase, it makes sense in terms of scale and usability.
The modular system consists of three pieces.
Additionally, I started modeling the main building (Hero asset), which is inspired by a well-known building in Buenos Aires that is currently a bookstore but was originally a theater.
I also adjusted the map size, rearranged the street to maintain proper proportions for the character and vehicles, and repositioned some environment elements.
Lastly, I conducted further reference research for the upcoming work. Now that the first modular system is complete and I have the measurements, it will be easier to create the next modular systems.
For next week, my goal is to have Module 1 fully textured and ready, create the modular emergency staircase system and texture it, complete at least two more modular building systems, and plan and research the modular system for the pipelines.
This week, I made as much progress as possible on the modeling of the different buildings. I currently have three buildings completed and ready for texturing, along with the lower section of the hero asset, which I corrected and optimized significantly.
Regarding the buildings, my plan is to have two different base sizes. The two “small base” buildings are now finished, only missing texturing, and they are currently the ones where the staircase works correctly in terms of scale.
For the modular building 02, I created two variations for different parts:
Additionally, building 03, which also has a “small base,” is finished and fully functional with the staircase.
The staircase consists of two sections.
I also plan to create a different emergency staircase for the “large base” buildings.
In the video, you can see all the completed buildings so far, displayed in different configurations to show that they work as intended.
Lastly, regarding the hero asset, I modified some poorly optimized areas and optimized certain elements that had too many loops, especially the chains. When duplicating each link, I hadn’t realized how many polygons were being added to the overall model.
I also forgot to mention that my intention with the lighting is to create a nighttime environment to best capture the atmosphere of Midgar. Additionally, I’d like to give it that slight greenish tint present throughout the image and add some smoke coming out from different areas.
This week, I created the three different types of pipes that will be placed over the buildings and alongside the main pipeline. I designed:
Additionally, I built a Blueprint that allows me to generate pipes quickly using a Spline system. However, this Blueprint has some limitations, especially with very sharp curves, so in those cases, I will need to manually adjust the curved pipe model.
On the lighting side, I now have an initial approach to the final look, including the nighttime sky and the greenish tone of the game. I also tested two possible lighting types: warm and cool. I’m not 100% decided yet, but this week I plan to do more testing to determine which works best. The current idea is to have two main lighting tones:
I also researched the possibility of using a cubemap as a texture for some windows to bring more life to the city by simulating interior rooms. However, I only looked into the basics for now, so it’s just an extra feature for the future.
Furthermore, I made some small adjustments to the buildings, as some didn’t quite fit, or their repetition looked strange. I also completed the full texturing of all the buildings.
Another key change was removing a building from the main street, closing off a small alleyway I initially planned, and integrating it into the machinery area to make it more cohesive.
Now, I just need to adjust one building to prevent it from ending abruptly. There’s an alleyway that will be obstructed by pipes, but the building’s end shouldn’t be visible, as it looks unnatural.
Goals for this week:
This week, I worked on several models and made multiple changes to the map, including resizing, collision corrections, and distance adjustments. I also removed some secondary buildings and models I had planned to focus more on the main structures.
First, I created the entire large pipeline system, which occupies a significant part of the environment.
Then, I developed the modular street system. I only need to adjust one of them because a change I made disrupted its continuity.
Lastly, I created a small industrial area, which serves as the source of the main pipeline before it extends through the environment.
This week, I will focus entirely on lighting, set dressing, and fixing any errors I encounter. Additionally, I want to create the window material to display interior rooms using a cube map. Lastly, I plan to model various elements to populate the environment and finish the hero asset—I already have the top part, but it still needs texturing.
This week, I finished all the major and important assets.
First, I completed the bridge and its columns that cross the city.
Second, I created the wall located in the industrial area and in some parts of the city, acting as a boundary between different areas.
Third, I made a fourth building to use on corners and in certain situations to break repetition in specific cases.
Fourth, I had to redo all the streets. The way I originally made them caused issues when deforming the geometry, as I hadn’t considered that they needed to align properly to connect. I found that, in many cases, they didn’t match up and only made sense in one direction. So, I remade the entire street, also fixing several deformations that had gone from natural wear to completely misshapen and unrealistic. Now, the piece is a single model and is no longer modular, but this was the fastest solution to avoid wasting time.
Fifth, I finished the hero asset of the theater, where the Loveless sign will go, as a reference to FF7.
For this week, the only things left are modeling the streetlights and various elements to fill the space, bringing life and meaning to the scene. I will also continue working on the lighting, as the current setup is just a very basic approximation of the final goal.
This week, I finished the Sector 8 project based on Final Fantasy 7. It was a challenging but fun process—my first time creating a nighttime environment of this scale. I believe there’s never enough time for any project, following the famous saying that movies are not finished, they are abandoned. The same applies here; there’s always an extra detail to add.
For this week, I modeled several assets to populate the scene with more details and elements to help with the lighting.
I created a street lamp, a light post, and two variations of wall-mounted lanterns. Additionally, I modeled a tube light and vehicle protection posts.
I also made a structure that crosses the street to support the main pipeline, ensuring it doesn’t look like it’s floating.
Another key asset I modeled is the Loveless advertisement sign, an iconic element from Final Fantasy 7. I also took the opportunity to create decals with the same advertisement to place them on various walls throughout the environment.
To emphasize that the street is under repair, I added a construction supply storage area, modeling barrels and fences.
I also enhanced the environment with various pipes entering and exiting different buildings.
Additionally, I used several decals to add more details and vertex painting, mainly on the street and sidewalks, to enhance realism.
To improve the lighting, I placed extra lights throughout the scene and created the window effect using a cubemap to simulate interiors. It was my first time using this technique, and I think the effect turned out quite well. I also added Rect Lights to the windows, emitting a subtle glow to the outside, reinforcing the illusion of life inside.
As a small extra detail, I used particles in the pipes below to simulate a minor leak of the Lifestream, an iconic element in this game.
Finally, I made several adjustments to the lighting, fog, and sky atmosphere. I think the sky ended up looking too white in the renders, but overall, I’m very satisfied with the final result. I’m not an expert in lighting, so I believe the outcome is quite decent.
