procedural tools
These tools procedurally align mesh based off custom scripts to help alleviate time consuming art tasks. Splines seamlessly layout arrays of mesh along a specified path, making it much quicker to populate levels with modular kits. After learning about procedural spline placement, I took the same concepts to automatically align mesh to create low poly car variants. All content shown on this page was made by me.
programs used:
Mesh spline tools
Spline functionality
The first spline tool populates mesh along a spline, automatically snapping mesh together and deforming vertices along the rotation of the spline.
The second tool is a simpler tool for quickly laying out straight lines of mesh with optional offsets and rotations.
This scene was made as a tool demo explaining how to use the tool and its best uses for when I sent the project to teammates or friends.
Spline use examples
This scene heavily features the use of both of these splines.
The Mesh Deformation tool was used to create things like curved bridges and railings.
The Mesh Layout tool was mostly used to create straight walls, stairs, and railings, as well as evenly spaced out columns. This spline was also used vertically with random rotation to create natural variations of ivy vines.
tool blueprints
I started these blueprints off following some documentation from Unreal Engine, then added a bunch of extra functionality as new use cases were needed throughout working on the above project.
Procedural car tool
initial car mesh
These are the initial versions of the silly lowpoly cars made for an overcooked x madmax style game.
With just 3 unique wheels, 3 unique side add-ons, and 3 distinctive car models each made of a hood, body, and trunk mesh, we had the possibility for more than 162 different combinations.
ease of use
The generator automatically randomizes from the provided array of mesh, and snaps them all into the correct position. All the artists have to do is to select the mesh they want the generator to choose from. It takes into account differences in height and width to place the side decals and tires so each car component doesn't need to be perfectly the same size.
variation
I also added in a few extras like adding unique colors from a set palette and varying how high the car body sat on the wheels.
This tool quickly and easily let us add lots of car variations to the game without needing to manually make each one.
