Weekly Update #3: Progress on Ravine Greybox

1. Ravine Greybox
   1. Inspiration
   2. Greyboxing
   3. Ravine Greybox Result – Part 1 (aka this week)

This week we mainly focused on starting to greybox the Ravine area for the game.
There, the player will be able to hunt for gems, minerals, and fossils.

Ravine Greybox

With all grey boxes, the results will be quite rough and unpolished.
However, it should give me a good idea of what creating that area entails in terms of size, meshes to model, and how long it should carry on to be interesting without overstaying its welcome.

Inspiration

For inspiration, I am using Glasenbachklamm in Salzburg, Austria. I love going for a walk there; you can see the many layers of the area’s interesting geological history, and you can even find some fossils if you are lucky! The city even put up some informative signs so you can learn all about that In the summer there are even sculptures that tie into it—like an awesome sabre-tooth tiger made out of metal.

Greyboxing

First I had a look at the height data for the landscape in this area. For this I am using the GIS addon for Blender.
Using that data then in Unreal – not for the landscape this time, but purely as a mesh – I then can figure out what sizing and placement might feel about right for this area.

Once that is done and I find a size I am happy with, I start to carve out the landscape for the river and place the ravine walls.

For my greyboxy placeholder meshes, I mostly used Quixel Megascans assets for the ravine walls. For rocks and foliage a mixture of my own assets and asset packs.

One new trick I learned from my partner to help with this is putting a reference image of the real place at the entrance of the area into the level.
It really helps to keep in mind what look you are going for when dressing the level, as well as helps others understand what you are aiming for.

I did this with a simple plane and a material that fades as the camera gets closer to it – revealing the level behind the image.
It’s extra awesome because it feels a bit like a magic trick. 😂✨.

Ravine Greybox Result – Part 1 (aka this week)

After a few days of playing around with the landscape, some choice words here and there when something went wrong, all while plonking down many an asset, and shooting the FPS counter an admonishing look, we have arrived at the first part of the greyboxed ravine.

Obviously, there is much more that has to be designed here, but this is how far we got this week ☺.
I am really looking forward to the stage when we can actually hunt for some gems and fossils here. 💎⛏

Hopefully see you next week for more updates 👋.
Have an awesome week out there!