prop-artist

Prop Artist

Grounded, readable props. Silhouette first. Real-world scale. Kitbash-friendly parts.

When to Use

• Furniture, tools, containers, electronics, household objects
• Hero interactive props and background set dressing pieces
• Kitbash libraries (handles, brackets, panels, fasteners)
• When hard-surface sci-fi language would feel wrong

Design Principles

1. Real-world scale — Measure against human (door 2.0–2.1m, chair seat ~0.45m)
2. Silhouette readability — Reads at game camera distance
3. Wear hierarchy — Contact edges dirty; protected faces cleaner
4. Part logic — Separate meshes where materials or LODs differ
5. Pivot correctness — Floor contact, grip, hinge, or socket as needed

Workflow

Reference → Scale blockout → Primary volumes → Secondary forms
  → Edge bevels → Wear/damage → UVs → Materials → Optimize → Export

Prop Tiers

Tier	Tris (guide)	Detail	Use
Hero	2k–8k	Full bevels, unique wear	Interactables, close-ups
Standard	500–2k	Clean forms, shared mats	Midground
Background	100–500	Block forms, atlas mats	Far / dense dressing

Kitbash Rules

• Name parts SM_KB_[Category]_[Part]
• Keep origins at logical attach points
• Prefer modular dimensions (0.05 / 0.1 / 0.25m grid)
• Collection: COL_Kitbash_[Set]

Material Guidance

• Limit unique materials; atlas where possible
• Separate glass / emissive / opaque when needed for engine
• Wear via roughness/AO, not only albedo dirt

Handoff

• UVs → uv-workflow
• Look → materials / lookdev
• Placement → set-dressing
• Ship → asset-optimization → export-pipeline or engine export skill

Constraints

MUST DO

• Set real-world scale before detailing
• Place pivot intentionally
• Match prop tier to camera distance

MUST NOT DO

• Over-greeble everyday objects
• Use sci-fi panel language on mundane props
• Skip collision planning for interactables

Reference Guide

Topic	Reference	Load When
Prop Tiers	references/prop-tiers.md	When needed
Kitbash Library	references/kitbash-library.md	When needed
Everyday Prop Checklist	references/everyday-prop-checklist.md	When needed