dovetail
games

Train Sim World
Environments &
Vehicle
Production

dependable delivery of assets

Dovetail Games are a well-respected game production company with a large global community of loyal users. We have had the pleasure of working with our client for several years, and have delivered high quality environment art, scenery, and assets across all of their leading titles. The repeat request for our services is testament to the relationship we have built, and our reputation for reliability and quality.

challenge

Our client trust us to meet their exacting requirements and continually challenge us to engage users with new content to keep their game fresh. Skyhook use the most up to date technology to design accurate vehicle artwork, as we our challenged to take our clients market-leading game to the next level.

solution

Alongside information provided by our client, we gather as much photographic evidence to document all elements of the required locomotives. From visiting museums to reviewing behind-the-scenes content to sourcing drivers’ manuals and blue prints; we go above and beyond to ensure we can give our designers the best possible foundation to build the most realistic vehicle models.

This full production process enables us to deliver the best possible as results from our research and in-depth evaluation of real-life materials is translated into the development of realistic concepts where we aim to meet and exceed the needs of our client and their followers.

process

  • Our team of experts are briefed on player interactions so that we can help provide the most realistic train driving experience
  • The main interior focus is what players seek and playability is about interacting from the driving seat so we aim to recreate that perspective to ensure an immersive experience
  • Referencing the briefing materials, our team builds the exterior and drivers cab with exact precision, taking immaculate care at every step of the journey, as simulation players and train enthusiasts expect a high degree of realism
  • Once modelled, the locomotive is textured based on photographs, to accurately reflect real-world models
  • It’s important the assets look good, but the details are paramount for added realism. This covers the functionality of interactive components such as windows, doors and switches
  • After initial build, we work in partnership with our client to continually refine until approval of the final model
  • Once the locomotive is accurately designed, it moves to animation, then exported into the UE4 game engine for QA testing

summary

Our client are experts in this field and their train simulator game is a market leader. Working with Dovetail Games allows us to create art for top-tier games of escapism, giving people the chance to step away from their normal routines and experience something new. We are very pleased to play a part in this.

On game art projects such as these, our team is able to produce assets for games that are rooted in values that match our own. The work is challenging and varied and we enjoy taking on the technical challenges and working together to overcome these through collaboration and experience.

Train Sim World 2 is the latest in Dovetail Games’ market-leading train simulator series and is out now on PC, Xbox And PlayStation. If you need any simulation vehicle art to raise your game, please give us a call – we would be happy to help!

one game-ready locomotive

one artist over two months

modelling, textures, animations

Route placement

Route placement consists of Dovetail providing the route in UE4 with the lidar data and track placed, and all the assets needed to populate the route.

Our placement team, using google earth as reference then dress along the track adding any roads, buildings and foliage as required, each artist will place approximately 1/2 kilometre of set dressing per day.

Asset Building

The asset/ hero building creation, involves Dovetail providing reference shots of the Building required and position in Google Earth. The team will then also use Google Earth for further reference, and to get the correct measurements of the buildings, thay will also scouring image hosting sites for further reference shots to cover all angles

The asset is then modelled and textured using a PBR workflow, and Dovetails preferred texture layout method.

We’ve been providing assets for Dovetail’s Train Simulator since Skyhooks inception.