STACK NZ Dec #69

FEATURE

GAMES

drawers, cupboards, boxes – wherever you look there seems to be something else to see. Some of these things definitely show their age, but the staff that work there are doing an incredible job of preserving these items.” It’s been well documented that DICE used a technology known as photogrammetry, a system that is based on taking many pictures with DSLR cameras from various angles. These photos are then, according to character artist Björn Arvidsson, “stitched together in a photogrammetry software program that rebuilds the images into 3D meshes." “After that step it becomes a 'regular' game asset creation – lowpoly meshes and then, of course, baking and texturing before it shows up in the game,” adds Arvidsson.   “Photogrammetry is in no way a magic method that solves all your problems and doesn’t create completed polished assets from a few photos. “It’s still a lot of work to get them working and into the game engine. The traditional way of doing assets was still used in the game, where we didn’t have source material from the archives, but what photogrammetry really does for you is that you get a really nice base (most of the time at least) to start from.” Design director Niklas Fegraeus is also quick to outline that using photogrammetry to capture the models, equipment and props at Skywalker Ranch had its limitations. “With photogrammetry, you need to be able to get around

the object to get all the angles, so, if there’s something like, for example, the underside of a car, then you are going to need to lift the car up to get good pictures,” he says. “It’s the same with capturing spaceships and the like, and that obviously

Lucas Archives, such as the varying weather and lighting conditions,” says Hamilton. “We first had to mentally break down the environments into smaller pieces to understand how we could reconstruct the environment back home in Frostbite (game engine). We would pick assets to capture that would translate well into the game, with bold shapes, walls that could be repeated, varying surface types, etc. “By capturing the major elements within the environments, we could successfully recreate the feeling and impression of the environments while not necessarily recreating it down to the finest details.” Once the photogrammetry was completed (over a period of a few weeks), the arduous task of uploading the photos from the location shoots and Skywalker Ranch into the 3D engine began. It took months to complete. But to visit the locations and to gain unlimited access to the archives were experiences that the team would never forget, eclipsing all the hard work that followed in creating the most authentic Star Wars game yet to be released. “On my second visit [to Skywalker Ranch], we had a lot more time to actually comprehend where we were and what we were actually doing,” recounts character artist Björn Arvidsson. “It was then that it hit me, how amazing the place actually is and what a once in a lifetime experience this was. I will definitely cherish this memory forever.”

can create some issues if the model is mounted. “And the lighting can be a big problem too. If you get a lot of shadows it’s very difficult to calculate the 3D model, so you need very, very good smooth lighting. If it’s bright sunlight it’s going to be problematic. If it’s too dark it’s going to be problematic. “So, that’s another thing when you use photogrammetry outdoors, lighting becomes this issue. You like overcast. That’s the best lighting you can have.” The photogrammetry system was also used to capture many of the iconic locations players fight through in the game. Obviously expense was a major factor in visiting these locations, so the team had to get it right the first time. Destinations included the scorching deserts of Death Valley for Tatooine, the Redwood forests of California for Endor, the snow-filled landscapes of Finse in Norway for Hoth, and the barren tundras of Iceland for Sullust. The team took literally hundreds of thousands of photos. Environment artist Andrew Hamilton was part of the team who travelled to the locations for the shoots. “Capturing out in nature introduced many unforeseen differences from capturing in the

This is actually the third major Star Wars: Battlefront release. Temuera Morrison voiced the Clone Troopers in the original Star Wars: Battlefront Free Radical Design had begun work on Star Wars: Battlefront III but the game was scrapped in 2008.. The Star Wars: Battlefront beta was played by nine and a half million players. As a result of the beta, DICE added over 100 changes to the game.

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