Creating an environment/scene: what needs to be high-poly modelled?

[owenrachel7]

First off, excuse the ignorance in asking what I would imagine is a fairly straight-forward question.

If I'm making an environment scene with a number of objects, props etc. which ones get modelled as a high-poly model then baked down?

I guess for an example take a medieval market stall, which has a simple table with some unique weapons on. Would the table and the weapons get baked down, or just the weapons? Or does it vary?

Sorry for the slightly derp question, thanks in advance!

[hostilis]

In my experience creating environments, I tend to create the high poly for almost all of assets even for the things that don't need normal maps (I only do this when I have time). I always bake the AO maps from the high poly for texturing purposes.

[Polygoblin]

I think it will come down to what you can spare the texture memory for (normal map-wise) versus the size and visability of the object in question. While I don't have much proper environment experience, I'm under the understanding that small background props can usually get sufficient height info from a good diffuse map. You can probably spare the effort in things like fire hydrants, small pieces of trash/debris, bolts, some lights, and obviously models that stay off in the distance.

[Benjammin]

It helps to look at it as if it were part of a bigger game. Using your example, one could assume that its part of a medieval game which includes both tables and weapons. Your weapons would probably be high poly bakes, as they'd be used in other situations throughout the game. Your table might be a unique object, or it might be made from a generic tiling wood texture.
It really all comes down to context. What else is going on in the scene to draw the player's attention and how often a particular object would get re-used determines how it's made.

[owenrachel7]

Thanks for the replies everyone. What about from a portfolio perspective; the market stall (it's Turkish/Middle Eastern with spices, not medieval, but the point still stands!) is going to be a standalone prop, with no plans to put it into a scene yet. So would it be best to do it all high-poly, even though from what Polygoblin was saying some of the smaller objects might not have a normal map in-game?

[Ex-Ray]

There's no right answer to this, it all depends on what type of game, how much time, what's the budgets, how are you going to texture it.

For your portfolio, it all depends on is it worth your time making the high poly and how much of a gain do you feel will you get compared to a height map base normal map. It all depends on what the market stall is like and whether you need the accuracy of a high poly bake map to make it's pop.

Personally I would prefer to see the time spent making an entire scene and then later on you could add a high quality 'hero' prop piece baked from a high poly.

[Benjammin]

Since its a portfolio piece, Id normal map everything. If you're not under a deadline, you have nothing to lose making a few more high poly objects - its all learning, right?
When you actually get to the point of making presentation images, consider what normal maps you can remove while maintaining visual quality.
You can always use the normal mapped props for a different project later on.

[Iconoshaw]

Best way is to plan out the environment, and literally figure out which assets need be modelled with their own unique maps (which most of the time for next gen games is pretty much everything ha).

But I mean some stuff can simply just be tile-able textures with decals overlayed, depending on what engine or platform you're making it for. Tis pretty subjective though like everyone is saying.

[owenrachel7]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've diverted my attention towards scenes, which have 'hero' pieces within them which I might also show as individual props, if that makes sense. Modelling the high-poly and baking it down will be great practice, and much needed, but then sometimes in the scenes they're in the middle ground.

Hopefully that's an adequate idea!

Also, what's with the amount of "thank you's" in this thread?!