docs/.vitepress/config.ts

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
             text: 'Asset Creation', 
             collapsed: true,
             items: [
+              { text: 'Concept Design', link: '/pipeline-overview/asset-creation/concept_design'},
               { text: 'Modeling', link: '/pipeline-overview/asset-creation/modeling'},
               { text: 'Rigging', link: '/pipeline-overview/asset-creation/rigging'},
             ]

docs/pipeline-overview/asset-creation/concept_design.md

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+---
+outline: deep
+---
+
+# Concept Design
+
+## General
+
+**This requires the production design**, in a complete or in-development form.
+A fairly complete previz or developing concept art simultaneously is vital too.
+
+**Concept development is an interdisciplinary task.**  
+We don't limit this to 2D artists, concept artists and illustrators.
+In our small team everyone is required to be in the loop and welcome to participate.
+Each discipline has important insights and limitations.
+Even a final concept painting is layered on feedback and the common vision of the team.
+
+[comment]: <> (Needs short info on developing and finding the art style. This involves all asset types listed below)
+
+**The outcome should be a design that is ready to be executed.**  
+The concept needs to work for the story, aesthetics, budget and technical limitations of the production.
+Test the concept with previz artwork. You don't want to end up with a concept that is not achievable or doesn't fit.
+
+## Hero Assets
+
+[comment]: <> (Could include an image example. A film character with hero props like Jay & his Boombox)
+
+These include **main characters and important props**.  
+They will be seen up close, in different environments & lighting conditions and even with multiple asset variations.
+Characters are also designed together with important props they interact with.
+
+Hero Assets require more time and effort to make sure they can be executed.
+
+A drawn concept art is a good start to find the **idea of the character**.
+Afterwards **test out the designs in 3D** as well, via modeling & sculpting. Then draw and paint over the models for annotations and enhancements.  
+This starts a feedback cycle. The 2D art is more dimensionally informed and 3D art is bending spacial limitations.
+
+**Preliminary details, colors, lighting and shading** are tested to get a close approximation of the look of the film.
+The character is posed and given expressions that are based on story moments.
+
+**Work and testing is iterative** and (where sensible) non-destructive.
+A lineup of main characters and assets is progressed simultaneously for **style consistency**.
+
+We hand over a **design model, lookdev paintings and important style guides** to the next departments to create the asset.
+Resting poses and character sheets can have their uses (like for lineup consistency) but are best as the a handover instead of a concept.
+The design model also might be close to the final asset and just needs to be cleaned up.
+
+::: info Don't forget
+Make early 3D models available to the team. Shading & FX artists can do some tests on them.
+Riggers can develop some tech or give the animators and layout artists a test for shots.
+:::
+
+* [Production Design from Sprite Fright](https://studio.blender.org/blog/sprite-fright-the-illusion-of-simplicity/)
+* [Character Design from Sprite Fright](https://studio.blender.org/blog/sprite-fright-sculpting-advice-for-production/)
+* [Character Design from Charge](https://studio.blender.org/training/realistic-human-research/chapter/design-blocking-sculpting/)
+* [Character Design from Pet Projects](https://studio.blender.org/blog/pets-expression-sculpting/)
+* [Modeling Key Assets from Pet Projects](https://studio.blender.org/blog/modeling-stylised-assets-on-pet-projects/)
+* [Expression Testing Course](https://studio.blender.org/training/stylized-character-workflow/chapter/5d384ecb3a9adc4a3852c172/)
+
+## Background Assets
+[comment]: <> (Ask Beau to contribute to background assets and Environment asset design.)
+
+TBA
+
+## Environments
+
+TBA
+
+## Color script
+
+TBA
+
+## Effects Style
+
+TBA

docs/pipeline-overview/asset-creation/modeling.md

@@ -1,9 +1,87 @@
 # Modeling
 
-::: warning
+The **approved concept design** is required at this point. But overlap in these stages is possible.  
-4 June 2023 - The content of this page is currently being edited/updated.
+The important difference for this page is the focus on **delivering a production ready model** based on an approved design.
-:::
 
+## Organic
 
-* [Stylized Character Creation Workflow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-mx-Jfx9lA)
+**The requires the production design and concept design.**
-* [Updates](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJHede3Oagw)
+There needs to be a handover of design material:
+* Concept Design. Typically sculpted
+    ([T-Pose](https://studio.blender.org/films/sprite-fright/39362c69939a56/?asset=4319)
+    & optional [Hero Pose](https://studio.blender.org/training/stylized-character-workflow/6-pose-test/))
+* [Deformation Tests](https://studio.blender.org/films/sprite-fright/39362c69939a56/?asset=4356)
+    (Like [expressions](https://studio.blender.org/films/sprite-fright/character_lineup/?asset=4340)
+    & [poses](https://studio.blender.org/films/sprite-fright/sprite/?asset=4243))
+* [Style guides & limitations](https://studio.blender.org/films/sprite-fright/3993b3b741b636/?asset=4910)
+
+**The outcome usually is a final topology**. More can be added if required:
+* Basic UV maps
+* Animation Shape Keys
+* Baked textures from sculpted details
+* Pivot Point Markers (via empty objects)
+* Helper Shape Keys (Closed eyes, open mouth)
+* Hero Pose Shape Keys
+
+### Topology
+
+**The goal is to create an optimized topology** for next asset creation tasks (shading, texturing, rigging & animation).
+**A full UV unwrap** is also added at this stage and the modeling is done with them in mind.
+
+Typically we do a retopology since the shape and design was already developed via sculpting and loose modeling.
+For more, read the [full explanation of our workflow and theory](https://studio.blender.org/blog/live-retopology-at-bcon22/).
+
+We also have a [deeper look into the workflow for stylized characters](https://studio.blender.org/training/stylized-character-workflow/chapter/5d384edea5b8f5c2c32c8507/)
+as well as [realistic characters](https://studio.blender.org/training/realistic-human-research/chapter/retopology-layering/).
+This information can be extrapolated to other types of assets.
+
+* [Retopology in Blender](https://studio.blender.org/blog/live-retopology-at-bcon22/)
+* [Retopology & Layers from Charge](https://studio.blender.org/training/realistic-human-research/chapter/retopology-layering/)
+* [Retopology Course based on Spring/Coffee Run](https://studio.blender.org/training/stylized-character-workflow/chapter/5d384edea5b8f5c2c32c8507/)
+* [Retopology Cheat Sheets](https://studio.blender.org/training/stylized-character-workflow/chapter/5e5fea8470bde75aac156718/)
+
+### UV Unwrapping
+
+[comment]: <> (There are no user guides or other material on UV unwrapping yet. This would a good thing to prioritize and link here.)
+
+**The topology heavily influences where UV seams can be placed.** Especially for clothing this is vital to keep in mind.
+
+The focus is mostly on **minimized stretching and texel density**.
+UDIMs are great for this to order uv islands by needed detail level.
+Areas that are closer to the camera are given higher texture resolution,
+while covered or hidden parts could be heavily reduced in resolution or even stripped of textures.
+
+**Pattern aligned UV maps** are useful (for example on clothing).
+These will make it easy to map texture patterns and they will correctly align the pattern to the surfaces.
+These can cause additional stretching, which is why they can be a secondary UV map.
+
+* [UV Mapping Live Steams for Snow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LI28r-Nk5g&list=PLav47HAVZMjl5VQRoVPd0481fsJNNQi9J&index=9&ab_channel=BlenderStudio)
+
+### Sculpted Details & Animation Shapes
+
+Existing sculpted surface details are ideally reprojected onto the subdivided retopology and refined for production.
+For this the **multiresolution modifier** is used and the final topology should be made of **relatively evenly distributed quads for the best results**.
+
+For the use of sculpted animation shapes and detailed sculpted layers we use Shape Keys extensively as well as the
+[Sculpt Layers](https://blenderartists.org/t/sculpt-layers-addon/1288145) addon when needed.
+Also see the use of [Corrective Shape Keys](rigging.md#corrective-shape-keys) for already rigged characters.
+
+* [Layered Sculpting from Charge](https://studio.blender.org/training/realistic-human-research/chapter/shapes-and-baking/)
+* [Manual Clothing Dynamics from Charge](https://studio.blender.org/training/realistic-human-research/chapter/clothing-shapes-rotation/)
+* [Baking Sculpted Details from Charge](https://studio.blender.org/training/realistic-human-research/chapter/baking-and-exporting/)
+
+### Helpers
+
+WIP
+
+* pivot point markers
+* helper shape keys
+* transferred hero pose
+
+## Static / Hard-Surface
+
+TBA
+
+## Sets
+
+TBA