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Gamasutra深入探讨游戏场景设计和构图中的元素与原则

发布时间:2011-03-23 18:18:21 Tags:,,

为使游戏视觉效果达到最佳状态,画面良好的模式、质感、环境和光照至关重要。只有构图清晰,游戏环境的视觉结构才足以吸引眼球。

挑战:由于镜头或玩家的注意点不断移动,实时游戏环境中的构图与照片或绘画等静态图像存在差异。玩家在三维空间中移动,每帧都需要全新的构图。

这种情形与电影拍摄相似,不同之处在于游戏中的镜头方向全由玩家控制。因此,设计师无法保证玩家会在某个特定的时刻朝预想的方向看。游戏邦觉得,真正的艺术家能够引导玩家关注他希望其看到的地方。

相关场景的不断变更以及镜头方向的不可预测性使得游戏构图较为复杂,可以把整个场景的构图看作许许多多小构图的集合体。所有可能的观察角度和玩家/镜头的位置均需考虑在内,以这些资料为基础设计合理的构图。

构图的元素和原则

“设计元素”和“设计原则”被称为艺术的语言或基石。对游戏环境艺术师而言,指的就是用于构建关卡的模块、道具和光线。

1、设计元素

设计元素是艺术师构筑图像的工具,就好比视觉上的乐高积木。设计元素共有7种:线条、物体、大小、空间、颜色、质感和色值。

线条:线条可用于定义物体的形状、外形或轮廓。线条包含长度和方向,而对观察者的视觉冲击取决于其延伸的角度。线条分为4种:水平、垂直、倾斜和曲线。水平线暗示着场景安详宁静,垂直线传达力量和强势,斜线代表移动或改变,而曲线给人安静祥和的感觉。游戏邦获悉,线条可用于引导玩家注视某个特定的方向。

线条可引导玩家的视觉方向

物体:物体既可以通过线条的组合来构建,也可以通过颜色或色调的改变来塑造。以下是各种不同的物体:几何体——人造建筑物;有机体——自然物体或那些由不规则曲线组成的物体;阴阳——占据或不占据空间的物体;静态——稳定、不移动的物体;动态——蕴含着移动或动作的物体。

大小:大小可以通过各物体间的关系体现出来,没有对比便无法突显大小差异。物体间的大小差异影响视觉吸引力。

物体间的大小差异

空间:空间可通过物体来划定。

颜色:简单来说,每种颜色都是色调、色值和色度的混合结果。颜色分为暖色和冷色,大量对比都可以通过颜色来实现。

质感:环境艺术师对质感都很熟悉。作为设计元素之一,质感指的是外表的视觉效果。粗糙、光滑、崎岖不平等均属质感。

色值:色值代表物体、阴影或颜色的亮暗程度。增加白色或黑色以及增加或减少光照的色度都可以使色值有所变化。光源的位置及其亮暗程度均对场景的外观和玩家的情感响应有重大影响。

构图中的色值差异

2、设计原则

设计原则指的是在构图中有效安排设计元素所采取的技术手段。设计原则包括平衡、方向、强调、比例、韵律、简化和统一。

由于画面中需要融合各种不同元素,因而艺术师在每幅图画中也会使用多种原则。理解这些原则并将其运用于关卡设计中,可以更有效地制作出所需的视觉效果,向玩家传达设计师的想法。

平衡:平衡所取得的效果是玩家的视线会自觉聚焦到屏幕左右两侧的中心点,可通过合理安排两侧的元素来实现。

设计师使用的所有元素都有着对应的视觉重量,与颜色、色值和大小有关。暗色元素的视觉重量高于淡色元素,大型元素的视觉重量高于小型元素。游戏邦了解到,维持视觉平衡需要在视觉焦点两侧适当距离处放置恰当数量的“重”和“轻”元素。平衡屏幕上的元素可采用两种方法:对称和不对称。

设计原则 - 转动平衡

对称平衡看起来较为顺眼,给人平静安稳的感觉。对称平衡包括三种类型:平行对称、转动对称和轴对称。在平行对称中,所有同等高度的元素从右向左依次排开。转动对称是指所有元素围绕共同的中心转动。轴对称即保持焦点两侧的元素平衡。

不对称平衡通过在焦点周围不规则摆放各种不同大小和视觉重量的元素来实现,这些元素间各自保持平衡。不规则平衡的另一种形式是用某个大型元素来与许多小型和视觉重量较轻的元素保持平衡。不对称构图通常传达视觉上的紧张感,给玩家情感带来的影响与对称平衡相反,它逐渐灌输的是激动、好奇或焦虑的感觉。

方向:方向可通过调整元素的位置、角度和分布点来实现。设计师可在构图中利用方向产生的视觉动向来引导玩家的注意力,更为确切地说,方向可以让玩家按照设计师的想法移动。方向还可以用于强调某个地点或某片区域的深度和广度。亮暗色值是塑造方向的利器。

设计原则 - 方向

强调:关卡中的强调指某场所的环境焦点。方向可用于在区域内引导玩家,但如果场景中缺乏令其感兴趣的视觉强调点,那么整片区域将变得死气沉沉,而且场景流动也会显得过快。

比例:在构图中,比例指各元素互相之间以及与整个世界的大小关系。结构比例(如天花板与地板间的距离)功能很多,可用于制造出视觉强调和重点,能够给玩家带来强势或恐惧感。

比例还包括黄金分割和三分构图法。在视频游戏中,虽然由玩家控制的动态镜头使构图中运用这些比例方法较为困难,但某些情况下依然可以用到。这些比例准则已研究数百年之久,能够给观察者带来不俗的视觉响应,因而在构图中非常重要。黄金分割比例为1:1.618,三分构图法是将屏幕横向及纵向三等分,在构图中位于这些交叉点的元素更为美观。

设计原则 - 韵律

韵律:韵律是指视觉元素的重复出现。韵律看起来较为平和,玩家在不知不觉中跟从这种富有节奏感的样式。在构图中,韵律可用于制造场景的深度和动感,或对某物体的强调。

简化:某些视频游戏的关卡中,移动、VFX和声效的频率很快,比如敌人频繁地向玩家射击等。在这种情况下,构图必须读得又快又清晰。如果过于复杂、杂乱或模糊,就有可能丢失元素。游戏邦觉得,此时就应当考虑“简化”构图。如果从设计的构图中移除某个元素后构图依然能够发挥作用,那么简化的构图可以更有效地传达信息。在构图时,无需加入丝毫不起作用的元素。设计师应该使用真正需要的东西,尽量优化构图。

统一:统一是设计的最后一项原则,指的是场景或关卡中所有独立元素间的关系。统一可赋予画面整体感,画面中的所有元素在视觉上成为统一体。缩小元素间的距离可制造统一感。以设置小道具为例,在构图中小道具堆比随意摆放的道具更为美观。重复也可以塑造统一感,包括颜色、大小、质感和其他元素的重复。延伸则是更为微妙的技术,可以在构图中控制视觉的动向并有意将其引向视觉起点。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,转载请注明来源:游戏邦)

Applying the Elements of Design and Principles of Design in Level Art

Great looking models, textures, and ambiences and lighting are very important to making our games look as good as they can. Yet without a solid composition to build upon, the visual structure of our environments will be never as compelling or attractive as they can be.

The Challenge: Creating compositions in a real time game environment is different from static images such as a photograph or painting in the sense that the camera or the player’s frame of reference is always moving. The player moves through a 3 dimensional space, which effectively creates a brand new composition with every frame.

This is similar to film, but can differ if there is a ‘free camera’, where the player has physical control over what the camera is looking at. If this is the case there are no guarantees that the player will be looking where you want them to, when you want them to. With a free camera the artist needs to persuade the player’s eye (and camera) to the places they want them to look, or go.

Due to the complications created by an ever-changing frame of reference and an unpredictable camera, level composition should be looked at as the sum of many smaller compositions instead of one large one. All possible viewing angles and player/camera positions should be considered and then the appropriate compositions built from these starting points.

Creating compositions: elements and principles:

The “elements of design” and the “principles of design” have been called the language of art, or the building blocks used to create art. For the environment artist, they are the modular pieces, tile sets, prop objects, and lights we have to build our levels.

1. The Elements of Design:

The elements of design provide a tool set to the artist similar to visual Lego pieces with which images can be constructed. There are 7 types of elements: Line; shape; size; space; colour; texture; value.

Line: Line is anything that is used to define a shape, contour or outline. It communicates length and direction, and can have an emotional impact on the viewer depending on its angle. The 4 different types of lines are horizontal, vertical, oblique, and curved. Horizontal lines: These imply calm and rest. Vertical lines: communicate power and strength. Oblique lines: suggest movement, action, or change. Curved lines (S lines): portray quiet and calm. Lines are a very useful for leading the eye of the player to a desired location, or in the direction you want them to travel.

Shape: shapes are created through combinations of lines, but can also be made by a change in colour or tone. The following are the different categories of shapes… Geometric – architectural shapes, manufactured or ‘inorganic’. Organic – natural shapes, or those created by curved irregular lines. Positive/Negative – the shapes created by the physical objects that occupy space, or lack thereof. Static – stable and immobile shapes. Dynamic – shapes that imply movement or activity.

Size (scale): Size is the relationship between the proportions of shapes, since you don’t know how big anything is until it’s placed in reference of something else. Differences in size will place a visual emphasis or lack of emphasis on a shape

Space: This is the negative space (or negative shape) created through the arrangement of negative shapes.

Colour: Simply put, every colour is the result of mixing a Hue, a Value, and an Intensity. Colours can be warm or cool. A wide range of contrasts can be created using colour.

Texture: Environment artists are well acquainted with textures. As an element of design,’ texture’ refers to the way a surface looks. Matte, shiny, bumpy, etc. are all textures.

Value: Value refers to the lightness or darkness of an object, a shadow, or a colour. Value can be increased or decreased by adding white or black, or increasing/decreasing the intensity of its lighting. The location of light sources and their intensity has a huge influence on a appearance of the scene and on the emotional response of the player.

2. The Principles of Design:

The “Principles of design” are the techniques used for the effective arrangement and distribution of elements into a composition. The principles are: balance; direction; emphasis; proportion; rhythm; economy; unity.

Just as multiple elements can be combined together, so can multiple principles. Artists are definitely not limited to one principle per image. By understanding and applying these principles to our levels we can be more effective in achieving our visual goals, and communicating our ideas to our audience.

Balance: Balance is a result of the fact that the player’s eye will unconsciously use the middle of the screen as a fulcrum, a center point of the left and right side. Balance is achieved by arranging elements so that neither side is visually overpowering or heavier than another.

All the elements an artist has to work with have a visual weight associated with them, depending on their colour, value, and size. Dark elements weigh more than light elements, large elements weigh more than small elements, etc. Maintaining visual balance requires consciously distributing an appropriate number of ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ elements on either side of this fulcrum, at appropriate distances. There are 2 ways to balance elements on the screen, symmetrically, and asymmetrically.

Symmetrical Balancee is pleasing to the eye and has an emotional effect of peace, calm, and tranquility. There are 3 different types of symmetrical balance… Translatory, Rotational, and Axial. Translatory Symmetry is where elements at the same height in the Y axis are copied from right to left. Rotational (Radial) Symmetry is the rotation of elements from a common pivot. Axial (Mirror) Symmetry is where elements are balanced equally on both sides of the fulcrum

Asymmetrical Balance: Asymmetrical balance is achieved by arranging elements of differing size and weight unevenly around the fulcrum so that they balance each other respectively. Another asymmetrical balance is one large dominant element offset by many smaller/lighter elements. Asymmetrical compositions generally have a greater sense of visual tension and have an opposite emotional effect on the player than symmetrical balance. They instil a feeling of excitement, curiosity, or anxiety.

Direction: Direction is given by the arrangement, angle, and distribution of elements. The visual flow created by direction is used to lead the player’s eye through a composition, or even more literally, used to physically lead the player where the designer wants them to go. Direction can be used to emphasize depth and the scale of a location or area. The placement of dark and light values are very powerful tools for creating direction.

Emphasis: The emphasis in a level is the environmental focal point of a location. Direction can be used to lead a player through an area, but you don’t stop them with emphasis points of interest, the area will not be interesting and they’ll run past all your hard work.

Proportion: Proportion in composition refers to the size relationship of elements versus each other, and vs. the world as a whole. Structural proportions (like the distance between a ceiling and floor) are used for a number of things. They can create visual emphasis and importance, and can have an emotional effect on player such as power, intimidation. Proportion also refers to the Golden Mean and the Rule of Thirds.

In video games our dynamic and player-controlled camera’s make it difficult to implement these aspects of proportion into our compositions, but in certain circumstances they can be a used. These proportional ‘rules’ have been studied for hundreds of years, and are very important in composition due to the emotional response it brings from the viewer. The golden mean is 1 : 1.618, or this… The rule of thirds is the division of screen into 3 equal sections vertically and horizontally. When elements are placed at these intersections the composition will be more pleasing to the viewer.

Rhythm: Rhythm is the repeating occurrence of visual elements. Rhythm is visually soothing to our eyes and people instinctively will follow a rhythmic pattern. In a composition, Rhythm can be used to create depth in a scene. It can create a sense of movement, or place emphasis on an object.

Economy: A level in a videogame is typically filled with movement, VFX, sounds, and maybe a little too frequently someone trying to shoot you. With all of this action (and distraction) a composition needs to read very quickly and clearly. If it is too complex, cluttered, or subtle, it will be missed and lost. This is where ‘economy’ comes in. If you can remove an element within a design and the design still works then you can communicate your composition more efficiently. When creating a composition there is no need to offer more than what is required. Use what you need, optimize where you can.

Unity: The last of the principles of design is Unity, also called ‘unity within variety’. Unity is the relationship between all the separate elements of a scene or level. It creates a feeling of ‘wholeness’ to a scene, the sense that everything is tied together visually. One method of achieving unity is through proximity. When placing props for example, small clusters or groups is more aesthetically pleasing to a composition than randomly scattering them about. Repetition also results in unity. This can be the repetition of colour, shape, texture, or other elements. Continuation is a more subtle technique involving controlling the eye movement and intentionally leading it back into a composition. (Source: Gamasutra)


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