Hello, everyone.

I'm writing this post to inquire about the standardized process for creating a character to be used within a gaming environment. The programs I am currently working with are, Maya, Mudbox, and Unreal Engine 4.

My main questions are, what process would you go through to ensure the character you design meets quality standards as well as personal desire? Do you estimate a certain amount of time that creation of this asset will take? Do you have any pointers for how one can expedite the process? Any tips or tricks to streamlining workflow? Do you find any other programs to execute tasks more efficiently?

Thank you and I look forward to our discussion.

Okay this a loaded question ( or series of questions) that can't really be answered without getting some additional information about you and your background. For instance:

(1) what is your skill level with the programs that you have on hand?

(2) what is your current workflow/ work-habits that may or may not affect your overall design time?

(3) what equipment are you using? (as some intense models/ renders may drag your computer to a standstill)

(4) what areas are you good at, what areas are bad at, what areas do you not understand…etc.

If you are looking for general practices altogether then that could be something that others can answer here. But the overall consensus is that there's not really a standardized process across the board because there is always for than one way to get a job done. Each game is different and requires a different level (or set) of skills in order to make the game come alive. As long as the end result is of a quality that is usable in engine and doesn't make the game crash then half the battle is won.

@Osiris2k19 ,

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

My skill level with the programs is intermediate at best I believe.

My workflow is consistently adapting to newfound methods and techniques as well as my comfortability with these programs so, it's difficult to say exactly what it is at this moment. The time I can actively work with these programs is in-between my 2 jobs and school so, some days it is lacking and others it is abundant.

I'm using a Razer Blade Pro, with an i7-7820, 32gb of ram, and a GTX 1080. I believe all of the parts are stock to this model of laptop. I've yet to run into any standstill at this time and have worked with models at 20mil poly+.

As of right now, I'd like to say I'm at least “good” at building a model, texturing, rigging, and animating but, that all depends on what my abilities are being compared to. The same can be said for how “bad” I am at all of it. The areas I don't understand are the ones I haven't used yet. I hope to improve on all of it regardless.

I am currently looking for any information anyone wishes to contribute to this discussion that may assist me in forming a new or more in-depth understanding of the processes involved in designing a character and the processes therein.