Peugeot 2008 - 2025 Model
Building a Game-Ready Car Model: A Step-by-Step Breakdown to Creation and Visuals.
Context: Creating a Game Engine Ready Peugeot 2008 3D Model
I've recently purchased a brand-new Peugeot 2008 (2025 model) and saw it as the ideal candidate for a detailed 3D creation project. Sparked by the intricacies of the vehicle's design, I aimed to create an optimized, game engine-ready asset without compromising on detail. Additionally, I wanted to produce high-quality marketing and beauty shots of the vehicle.
Topology Polycount Goal: 20,000 (On average, car models for use in games are between 20,000 - 100,000)
Let's break it down.
Car Creation Breakdown!
The creation process started with collecting album photo references of my car in real life, which served as my primary source of truth for capturing the intricate details of the Peugeot. This included nuances such as material differences, form, and specific design elements found in the car front and sides.
Initially, I tried to create the general border chassis shape using photo references. However, I soon switched to utilizing a set of basic blueprints, which proved to be a more reliable method for achieving accurate proportions. As a result, I was able to maintain the vehicle's precise dimensions, unaffected from the distortions that can occur when relying on camera lenses, noticeable in my photo references.
General References for the Form and Shape of the Car
Focusing on one section at a time, precise shape and form of the car's curves and sharp edges. By capturing these contours, I laid the groundwork for reflections that would later bring the model to life, with light interacting with the curves in the unique way that's true to the car's design.
Throughout this process, maintaining clean topology was a top priority, even at this point in the process, striking a balance between detail and polygon count to ensure good performance with compromise on visual fidelity.
Followed by unwrapping the mesh in preparation for texturing in Substance Painter, with UV shells in the second channel being utilized for Lightmap generation upon importing the model into Unity. After defining texture sets, I exported a version of the car ready for use in Substance Painter.
Below are some initial test renders of the completed geometry, which allowed me to identify areas for improvement that become more apparent in the baking process. This exercise also confirmed the correct form and shape of the car, including its accurate volume. Total polycount after finishing geometry was 19,803.
Initial Low Quality Test Render
Final Beauty Shots
The final beauty shots of the Peugeot 2008 are showcased below. These images were created by taking the raw renders from Arnold and refining them in Photoshop to enhance their overall quality.
Three shots were designed to highlight different aspects of the car, two shots focus on showcasing the form and detail of the vehicle, one action shot adds a sense of movement and dynamism.
Importing in Unity
Aforementioned above, I also aimed for the the car model to be used in a game engine, specifically Unity. Building on the exported model used in Substance Painter, I created materials for the car using the texture sets, and then composed and exported them for import into Unity.
