Oxford isn't Finished: Lessons in Layout

After two nights of working on the Oxford area, it's clear that it will be the bulk of the level design work. At least I hope that the interior design doesn't require nearly as much hands on detail as the exterior area design.

So far my approach has been simple trial and error. I take a model, place it on the map, see if I like it, if not, it's gone. Same process goes with textures, layout and lighting. This seems appropriate as there is no other way to learn what models are at your disposal than to simply see for yourself.

On the other hand, there is a degree of city planning that is required to properly laying out a level. Same as the model placememt, there is a degree of trial and error, but I've quickly realized that I'm going to need some kind of layout to guide the rest of the design. One could use the editor to paint the layout in texture using an overhead view, but it simply makes more sense to grab an overhead screenshot and 'Paint' in the layout. :)



As you can see, after two nights of the trial and error, I've finally conceded that I need to layout the design. I still plan on doing quite a bit of trial and error - or baking and compiling as I should put it - however I don't want to blindly lay down models without having a plan going forward.

I must say that I'm impressed with the new Windows 7 paint. It's pretty damn fun :)

The big picture (even bigger than the project at hand)

Heading Jordan's advice, if we look at the process as a whole, I would do myself a favor by measuring the models relative sizes to the layout grid and do some old school woodshop layout on some graph paper. You can see in the overhead view that I sloppily layed it out in a couple minutes because I've hit my two hour ceiling (I'm not three hours in).

Like Jordan pointed out, there has to be a balance between the big picture and the minute tasks. I have learned pretty handily how to use the tools at this point; I've become much more efficient when navigating the UI. Now it's time to step back from my task and do something that has more to do with design thinking than learning a set of tools.

The next post may or may not contain scanned graph paper depending on my patience after working a twelve hour day...

Regardless of whether or not I'm behind on the project (yes, I am) I am proud of the work that I've put in thus far based on the limited amount of free time I'm given in a day. If I were to end today, I would know that I am in a position to learn tools very quickly. And it's been fun! Now I just have to get Jordan to put in as much time as I have :)