In-House and Third-Party Tools

Overview

Our team has developed a suite of in-house tools to streamline the development process and ensure that we can create high-quality content efficiently. These tools are tailored to the specific needs of our project and allow us to work more effectively and collaboratively. These include tools

Asset Creation Tools

Our asset creation tools are designed to help artists and designers create high-quality assets for the game. These tools include:

Character Tools

ModMesh

A tool that allows artists to modify the mesh of characters to create unique variations and customizations. This tool is used to create different character models for NPCs and enemies fast and efficiently. The tool is used in ZBrush and allows artists to sculpt and modify these meshes as a starting point for creating new characters.

Mesh to Metahumans

A tool that allows artists to convert character models into Metahumans. This tool streamlines the process of creating realistic human characters with lifelike animations and facial expressions. The tool is built inside of Houdini using their Topo Transfer node.

Metahumans DNA Plugin New

We were fortunate to be selected to Beta-test a new Blender plugin create by Polyhammer. The new tool allows us to convert character meshes into Metahumans directly in Blender. This plugin takes the mesh and UVs of a character and converts them into a Metahuman character with the same topology and UVs. This allows us to create custom Metahumans directly in Blender and skip many of the steps in the Metahumans creation process previously done in Houdini.

Rigging Tools

A set of tools that allow artists to rig characters for animation. These tools streamline the rigging process and ensure that characters are ready for animation quickly and efficiently. The tool is built inside of Houdini and uses the base Metahumans rig as a starting point. The tool then cleans up the rig to be imported into Unreal Engine for their modular rigging system.

Level Design Tools

Our level design tools are designed to help level designers create immersive and engaging environments for the game. These tools include:

Level Editors

We developed a custom set of tools that can be used in Unreal Engine, through the Houdini Engine, to create complex environments, effects, and other elements procedurally. This allows us to generate detailed and dynamic levels quickly and efficiently.

Lighting Tools

There's a custom set of tools that allow us to create dynamic lighting and atmospheric effects that enhance the visual quality of the game. These tools are used to set up lighting scenarios, lightmaps, and post-processing effects to create a visually stunning game world.