Originally produced for the "Here Be Dragons" design team, this model was designed under the criteria of creating a plausible recreation of an Anglo-Saxon church from around 750 AD. This particular setting was created with an underground crypt that was based on a pre-Christian Roman shrine to Mithras, to give further character to the setting as a game environment.

Extensive research, both into Roman ruins, and the few remaining Saxon structures was undertaken to ensure that the distinctive architectural features of the period - the round profile arch, refernced both agaisnt pre-norman archs, the "long-and-short" stonework, the roof pitch and rounded chancel, among other details - were recreated in this model, Designed for a real-time 3d application, the model was produced with a varying level of detail in the polygon mesh - those areas closest to a viewer's head height having a greater polygon density than rooftop areas viewed at a distance.

The model was produced to use depth mapping (normal map, with the potential to use real-time relief mapping if techncally possible) for texture detail that was complimentary to the polygon density for the structure. The multiple texture maps were generally produced as seamless tiling patterns, and stored as a series of separate .dds images for each surface.

To tie in with the accuracy of the physical structure, much of the texture reference has been collected through photographic studies of existing structures of saxon or norman origin, while other areas have been recreated based on alternate source material.

One particular challenge of this piece has been the production of normal maps for the distinctive ashlar rubble stonework. The limestone used is extremely varied in tone, a detail that prevented any depth map being extracted easily from a single channel - automated software solutions failed to get a satisfactory result. this eventually meant that solution was found through a high-resolution displacement model using a hand-painted greyscale displacement map. That 1.2million polygon mesh was then used to create the normal maps for this model's maps, through an export to texture process. Certainly not the easiest work I've ever created, but possibly the most satisfying to finish.