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
- Modularity — Pieces snap to grid; reusable across scenes
- Storytelling — Environment communicates history and mood
- Scale — Human reference always present
- Performance — Instancing, LODs, texture atlases
- 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
| Kit Type |
Grid Unit |
Snap |
| Interior walls |
2m or 4m |
0.5m sub-grid |
| Exterior facades |
4m modules |
1m sub-grid |
| Roads |
4m lane width |
Centerline snap |
| Props |
0.5m |
Free placement |
Name modules: SM_Env_[Type]_[Role]_[Size]
Example: SM_Env_Wall_Corner_2m
Kit Piece Categories
| Role |
Purpose |
Count Target |
| Corner |
90° turns |
2–4 variants |
| Edge |
Straight runs |
2–3 lengths |
| Fill |
Blank panels |
3–5 variants |
| Door/Window |
Breakups |
2–4 types |
| Trim |
Transitions |
Shared trim sheet |
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
| Type |
Approach |
Poly Budget |
| Hero tree |
Hand model + cards |
5k–15k tris |
| Mid tree |
Simplified + impostor LOD |
2k–5k tris |
| Bush |
Cards + cluster |
500–2k tris |
| Grass |
Cards or geo nodes scatter |
2–50 tris per blade |
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
| Detail |
Narrative Signal |
| Peeling paint |
Neglect, age |
| Barricades |
Conflict, danger |
| Personal items |
Former inhabitants |
| Damage patterns |
Event history |
| Lighting state |
Occupied vs abandoned |
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
- Create modular pieces with exact dimensions via MCP
- Set up collection instances for kit preview
- Scatter vegetation via geometry nodes (MCP)
- Query total scene polycount
- 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
| Topic |
Reference |
Load When |
| Modular kit design |
references/modular-kits.md |
Kit creation |
| Composition |
references/composition.md |
Scene layout |
| Pipeline |
../references/asset-pipeline.md |
Phase context |
Style Integration
| Style |
Approach |
| horror-style |
Claustrophobic corridors; sparse lighting |
| lowpoly-style |
Large flat shapes; minimal modules |
| stylized-style |
Exaggerated proportions; bold colors |
| realistic-style |
High detail hero; scanned textures |
