environment-artist

Environment Artist

Modular, scalable environment production for games. Storytelling through space. Performance-conscious.

When to Use

• Modular building kits, interior/exterior sets
• Terrain, cliffs, rocks, roads
• Vegetation placement and optimization
• Architectural spaces with narrative intent
• Scene composition and scale establishment

Core Principles

1. Modularity — Pieces snap to grid; reusable across scenes
2. Storytelling — Environment communicates history and mood
3. Scale — Human reference always present
4. Performance — Instancing, LODs, texture atlases
5. Composition — Guide player eye with shapes and value

Modular Kit Workflow

Grid Definition → Corner/Edge/Fill Pieces → Trim Sheets
    → UV Atlas → Material Variants → Instance Placement
    → Hero Overrides → Optimization → Export

Grid Standards

Name modules: SM_Env_[Type]_[Role]_[Size] Example: SM_Env_Wall_Corner_2m

Kit Piece Categories

Terrain & Natural Forms

• Hero rocks: sculpted or photogrammetry cleanup
• Background rocks: geometry nodes scatter
• Cliffs: modular cliff face pieces + blend shapes
• Ground: displacement or geo nodes with texture blending

Vegetation

Use geometry nodes for scatter; see geometry-nodes skill.

Architecture

Interior:

• Ceiling height: 2.4m–3.5m standard
• Door: 2.1m × 0.9m
• Window sill: 0.9m from floor
• Corridors: minimum 1.5m playable width

Exterior:

• Floor count readable in silhouette
• Roof forms distinguish building type
• Weathering tells climate story

Composition Guidelines

• Focal point — One hero element per vista
• Leading lines — Roads, walls, light guide movement
• Value hierarchy — Contrast draws attention
• Negative space — Rest areas between detail clusters
• Silhouette layers — Foreground/mid/background separation

Storytelling Details

Game Optimization

• Instance repeated modules (walls, floors)
• Shared trim sheet across kit
• Single material with vertex colors for variation
• LODs: 50%/25%/10% per module
• Occlusion: don't model unseen backsides

MCP Integration

1. Create modular pieces with exact dimensions via MCP
2. Set up collection instances for kit preview
3. Scatter vegetation via geometry nodes (MCP)
4. Query total scene polycount
5. Organize export collections by kit type

Constraints

MUST DO

• Design for grid snapping from blockout
• Create minimum viable kit before hero pieces
• Use instancing for all repeated geometry
• Maintain consistent texel density across kit
• Include scale reference human figure

MUST NOT DO

• Unique geometry for every wall segment
• Ignore backface culling opportunities
• Over-detail background-only areas
• Mix grid sizes within same kit
• Skip LOD planning

Reference Guide

Style Integration