Art Document

Document Issue: 1.0 Document Status: In Progress

Date Issued: Dec 5, 01 Filing Path:
Document Title: Simpson’s World Building
Author: Jeffrey Pidsadny

Revision History
Issue Date Person Reason - include problem #, ECN #, etc.

1.0 Dec 5, 2001 Jeff P. Initial draft of document

1.1 Jan 28, 2002 Jeff P. Revision

1.2 March 20,2002 Jeff P. Revision

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Simpson’s 2 – World Building Document 11/01/2022

Table of Contents
1 DOCUMENT SUMMARY......................................................................................................................3
1.1 DESCRIPTION..................................................................................................................................3
1.2 POST MORTEM...............................................................................................................................3
2 OVERVIEW...........................................................................................................................................4
2.1 WORLD BUILDING.........................................................................................................................4
2.2 WORLD BUILDING GOALS..........................................................................................................4
2.3 TERMINOLOGY..............................................................................................................................5
2.4 HIGH LEVEL FEATURES...............................................................................................................5
2.4.1 TRACKS...................................................................................................................................5
2.4.2 LANDSCAPE............................................................................................................................6
2.4.3 LANDMARKS...........................................................................................................................6
2.4.4 GAGS........................................................................................................................................6
2.4.5 STATIC OBJECT.....................................................................................................................6
2.4.6 DYNAMIC PROPS...................................................................................................................6
2.4.7 BREAKABLE PROPS...............................................................................................................7
3 HIGH-LEVEL WORLD BUILDING PROCESS...............................................................................7
3.1 PRE-DESIGN....................................................................................................................................7
3.2 DIAGRAMMATIC LAYOUT..........................................................................................................7
3.3 TRACK CONSTRUCTION/ LANDMARK PLACEMENT............................................................8
3.4 MASSING STUDY / TRACK ITERATION...................................................................................8
3.5 TRACK SIGNOFF / MASSING REPLACEMENT......................................................................8
3.6 2ND PASS – REFINEMENT – PROP LAYOUT...........................................................................9
3.7 3RD PASS – LEVEL TIME OF DAY...................................................................................................9
3.8 4TH PASS – TOONING / REFINEMENT......................................................................................9
3.9 5TH PASS – FINAL...............................................................................................................................9
4 PRE-PRODUCTION SCHEDULE ESTIMATE..................................................................................10

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1 DOCUMENT SUMMARY

1.1 DESCRIPTION

The Simpsons 2 Art World Building Document is intended to provide an initial

framework to define the world building process.

This document will be updated when necessary as we continue to refine our technology,
building process, game and evolve the world building process through trial and
experimentation.

1.2 POST MORTEM

Direction for this document comes in close response to Post Mortem issues that we have
encountered and identified in the initial Simpson’s Road Rage game. The intention of this
document are to address the two crucial issues of iteration and standardization, in the
world building process. Inclusive we are addressing issues of…

 Iteration of track design – construction, mapping, layout

 Sightlines – design and test prior to construction
 Landmarks – orientation, layout, proportions, textures
 Generic buildings – orientation, layout, proportions, textures
 Textures – standardization, level and sub-level grouping
 Level Sizes - total poly’s per level, total textures,
 Collision Placement – Bounding Volume construction and iteration

Based on the world building experiences of the Simpson’s Road Rage game, we realized
there needs to be a standard system and process in place to create worlds in a more
efficient manner and be able to iterate at a much faster rate.

The following information is the problems we faced in the past game with World
Building:

 There was no process for preplan of track (roadmap) design that made any
relevancy in terms of accuracy and gameplay methodology.

 Track was modeled with the whole terrain in mind without any thought to grid
structure layout. Two problems occurred because of this method; (1) The terrain
became polygon heavy and with triangles made everywhere as the artists iterated
on the track layout. (2) Texture tiling became a problem with swimming textures
issues, texture resolution and tile-stretching was hard to control.

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 World was modeled and textured to a close to final state before any iteration took
place. This made the process more tedious for both the artist and designer to do as
well as possibly mentally preventing them from doing so. Why, because the artist
and designer had spent so much time and effort creating and placing props and
trigger points in the world that if was felt a cumbersome added task.

 When track design had to be iterated props and buildings had to be moved
manually in Maya. This can be a time consuming tedious process.

 There was no efficient process for referencing instanced objects. Referencing is a

process of having one master (textured geometry) file that can be edited and all
instances of it will automatically update. Instead the artist used a manual method
with a search and replace mel script. Every time any iterations were made to an
object the artist would import the object in the master scene file and had to select
the objects and its instances to be replaced.

 There was no standard procedure or organization for creating world textures,

therefore scale of windows and buildings became a problem. Furthermore, it was
difficult to maintain a standard resolution and iteration of texture work was
difficult to provide quality.

 Building geometry was not created using standardize system, therefore again
issues with maintaining texture resolution and texture stretching was prevalent.

 Collision volume placement was extremely cumbersome in regards to creating

banner line collision. The artists had to create rows of box volumes to act as
infinite volumes. Having a spline based system of drawing lines to indicate
collision placement of walls would be a much faster method.

2 OVERVIEW

2.1 WORLD BUILDING

To develop a standardized process of designing, constructing and populating levels in the

Simpson’s World. The world building process strives for a high level of flexibility and
iteration based on a strong unit based “kit of part” that allows for an ease of construction
and interaction.

2.2 WORLD BUILDING GOALS

 Freedom in design / layout

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 Ease of testing/iteration/revision
 “Kit of Parts” construction – standardized units, standardized physics
 Unitized mapping for easier texture construction/replacement
 Pre-Design – focusing on view distances, highlighting landmarks
 Landmark Zones connected via Rails – controlled load times, texture allocation,
generic textures
 Ease of placing collision volumes

2.3 TERMINOLOGY

Game levels can be thought of in the following terms….

TRACK - Driveable ground surface incorporating the collisions mesh, landmarks

footprints, parks, features etc. Constructed from an 8m pre-mapped units.

LANDSCAPE – Non-Driveable ground surfaces, excluded from the collision map

constructed from 8m pre-mapped units.

LANDMARKS– Higher Poly, High map features with driveable footprint surrounding
them (that will be later incorporated into the track mesh). Landmark footprints are
constructed generally to accommodate the 8m base units, but should not be restricted to
them. At the footprints perimeter the 8m units should be accommodated.

GAGS – Predetermined NIS sequences that may influence the world design and layout

STATIC OBJECTS – consisting of Generic Buildings and Static Prop

GENERIC BUILDINGS – Bulk of world building objects represents the generic non-
landmark buildings. Generic Buildings will make up the “rail based” game play areas.

STATIC PROPS – props that do not react when hit (e.g. Billboards, fences, tree lines
etc.)

DYNAMIC PROPS – props that may be hit and physically move (e.g. Mail boxes, lamp
poles)

BREAKABLE PROPS – props that when hit are replaced with a pre-animated sequence
(e.g. Trees, fire hydrants)

2.4 HIGH LEVEL FEATURES

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2.4.1 TRACKS
 Base track units of 8m. Typical track subdivision of 2 x 3m driving lanes and 1 x 2m
shoulders. Units are typ. ½ of road width.
 Base Shoulder units of 8m. Typical shoulder subdivision of 2m sidewalk/grass, 2m
sidewalk/grass and 4m lawn
 Unitized track textures drawn to consistent scale of 8m units, and base layout
 Predetermined angles - 15° snapping
 Predetermined sidewalk curbs 1:2 slope - .1m rise over .2m run – typical sidewalk
width of 2m
 Preset max slopes - 45° - 1:1 slope max
 Track is deformed using Maya Wires for easy iteration

2.4.2 LANDSCAPE
 Base 8m unit
 Unitized track textures drawn to consistent scale of 8m units, and base layout
 Landmark/Track do not need to be resolved at edges as a physical barrier between
drivable and non-drivable surfaces will be present (fences, buildings, etc…)

2.4.3 LANDMARKS
 Built to a 4m base construction unit
 Maps designed to 4m scale consistent with construction unit allowing for consistent
resolution and proportions
 Footprint built from base track units but customized to address landmark
requirements. Footprint maps should re-use ground textures where possible.
 Footprint edge should conform to TRACK 8m base units.

2.4.4 GAGS
 To be accounted for, framed and supported by world design
 TBA

2.4.5 STATIC OBJECT

 Built to a 4m base construction unit
 Maps should conform to a unitized tile able texture set consisting typical building
components (e.g. Base material, door, windows, upper windows…). This will allow
for a maximum amount or re-use, multiple arrangements
 Maps should be pallet swapped for differ colours
 Static props should be constructed to similar 4m base units so that they may easily be
arranged on generic prop “base”
 All props should be filed in generic props folders for repeated use and avoid
duplications.

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2.4.6 DYNAMIC PROPS
 TBA

2.4.7 BREAKABLE PROPS

 TBA

3 HIGH-LEVEL WORLD BUILDING PROCESS

The world building process can be outlined in the following steps

 Pre-Design

 Diagrammatic layout

 Track construction/ Landmark placement

TRACK REVISIONS AND
 Massing Study / Track iteration INTERATION

 track signoff / massing replacement

 2nd Pass – Refinement – Prop Layout

 3rd Pass – LEVEL TIME OF DAY

 4th pass – TOONING / REFINEMENT

 5th pass – FINAL

3.1 PRE-DESIGN
- Description of Level concepts and features
- Flavor, look, atmosphere, mood etc…
- Compile Landmarks lists and features, level gags
- List Storyline Dependant features

* Planning the look and atmospheric feel as well as the theme of level will minimize
need for constant iteration.
3.2 DIAGRAMMATIC LAYOUT
- Orientation and layout of landmarks, relationships all purely diagrammatic
- Plan jumps, features
- Plan node points – shortcuts – storyline dependant features
- Determine world “flow”
- Build and Map landmarks

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- Build and animate gags

- Characters
- Build storyline requirements
- Choreograph world events

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 Planning on paper the layout of the level with planned placement of

Landmarks for visual composition and gameplay objectives (ie missions) is
crucial in the workflow process of worldbuilding. Think of it as how to put the
pieces of the puzzle together.

3.3 TRACK CONSTRUCTION/ LANDMARK PLACEMENT

- Connect landmarks, features, gags and storyline dependant features with 1st pass
road network diagram
- Define nature of roads and location of shortcuts
- Layout initial track from 1st pass road network diagram using pre-modeled
/mapped road pieces (planar)
- Deform planar track using Maya wires
- Layout and orient initial landmark footprints connect with TRACK
- Build and Map landmarks (con’t)
- Build and animate gags (con’t)
- Characters (con’t)
- 1st pass TRACK network – test, comment and revise.

* Physically begin laying out the track and landmarks within the level. How big
will this actually be? What will the track look like? Broad, first strokes that will be
created in Maya and tested in the game engine.

3.4 MASSING STUDY / TRACK ITERATION

- 2nd pass TRACK network – test, comment and revise.
- Begin to build out world with massing volumes frame landmarks, choreograph
“nodes”, allow framing of landmarks
- Define landmark ZONES vs. generic RAIL section, allow for sightlines, load
times, texture groups
- Layout landmarks/ bounding volumes and final mapping
- Build and Map landmarks (con’t)
- Build and animate gags (con’t)
- Characters (con’t)
- Initial collision placement.

*Geometry placeholder will represent buildings and landmarks. This process is key
to help ease of track iteration. Art here at this point of process will not have impact
here. The main purpose is to define gameflow and how the track plays independent
of art. Publishers and management will have to understand this process as well so
they know what is to be expected at each process.

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3.5 TRACK SIGNOFF / MASSING REPLACEMENT

- Finalize TRACK iteration base don playability
- Replace initial massing volumes with generic building volumes and
LANDSCAPE elements
- Finalize landmark, feature and gag location
- Props and dynamic objects layout (con’t)

*It is very crucial to have an official sign off of the track layout sometime in the
process. This process is taken from Laurent Ancessi and his experience on Need
for Speed. At this point artist can work on creating textures and detail modeled
geometry at full speed. At this point art will be reviewed at a first pass state. At this
stage designers can place their data.

3.6 2ND PASS – REFINEMENT – PROP LAYOUT

- 2nd pass TRACK network – test, comment and revise.
- Confirm final location of landmarks, features and gags
- Begin props and dynamic objects layout
- Begin to layout traffic patterns and initial pedestrian locations and storyline req’t
- Final Collision placement

*Artist can then start replacing geometry placeholder with art as track tuning takes
place. The advantage here is the ability to test in game right away will clearly benefit
this project over the last project.

3.7 3rd Pass – LEVEL TIME OF DAY

- Create alternate time of day for level, new geometry sets, CBV lighting etc…
- Evaluate textures and categorized

3.8 4TH PASS – TOONING / REFINEMENT

- Evaluation and Revision
- Toon building and props, vertex shifting,

3.9 5th pass – FINAL

- Evaluation and Revision

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4 PRE-PRODUCTION SCHEDULE ESTIMATE

Pre-Design 1 WEEK
(design team – prior to level construction)

Diagrammatic layout 1 WEEK

(per level for entire Art team – level construction begins)

Track construction/ Landmark placement1 WEEK

(per level for entire Art team)

Massing Study – Track Iteration 1 WEEK

(per level for entire Art team)

Track Signoff – Massing Replacement 1 WEEK

(per level for entire Art team )

2nd Pass – Level 2 WEEKS

(Per Level per 2 Artists)

3rd Pass – Level Time of Day 2 WEEKS

(Per Level per 2 Artists)

4th Pass – Tooning/Refinement 2 WEEKS

(Per Level per 2 Artists)

5th pass – Final 2 WEEKS

(Per Level per 2 Artists)

Total estimate per level – 4 weeks team work per level + 8 weeks 2 artists per level

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