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2. The Art of Procedural
-Create your worlds-
Overview of the most common procedural techniques and their use in the Industry.

3. What do we have today
What do we have today
‣ Who am I?
‣ Why Procedural?
‣ How does it work?

4. Who am I?
Overview of the most common procedural techniques and their use in the Industry.

5. About me
Education
‣ Degree at the university of Lincoln, UK in Computer Games Production
‣ Master in Games Development at the university of Birmingham

6. About me
Experiences
‣ Internship at Sony - Birmingham
‣ Co-Founder of an indie company - Dixidiasoft
‣ Freelance work, from web to 3D, Tech Art and Environment
‣ Lead Artist at Ovosonico - Last day of June
‣ Tech Environment artist at CD PROJEKT RED - Cyberpunk 2077

7. Why Procedural?
Overview of the most common procedural techniques and their use in the Industry.

8. Why Procedural
Game size and content
‣ Remarkably big worlds

9. Why Procedural
Game size and content
‣ Remarkably big worlds
‣ Human hand may not suffice

10. Why Procedural

11. Why Procedural
Game size and content
‣ Not just creating, but also filling a world

12. Why Procedural
Game size and content
‣ Not just creating, but also filling a world
‣ Make the world more interactive

13. Why ProceduralCase Study: Darkest Dungeon

14. Why ProceduralCase Study: Legend of Grimrock II

15. Why Procedural
Game size and content
‣ Games can revolve around generation

16. Why ProceduralCase Study: No Man’s Sky

17. Why ProceduralCase Study: Portal Knights

18. Why Procedural
Pipeline improvements
‣ Procedural generation is also important for the developer.

19. Why Procedural
Pipeline improvements
‣ Procedural generation is also important for the developer.
‣ Nowadays is possible to automatically do the most menial stuff.

20. Why Procedural
Pipeline improvements
‣ Procedural generation is also important for the developer.
‣ Nowadays is possible to automatically do the most menial stuff.
‣ Therefore leaves time for artists to work on more creative things.

21. Why Procedural

22. Why Procedural

23. How it’s done
Overview of the most common procedural techniques and their use in the Industry.

24. What is procedural?
There are several types of procedural approaches depending on the type of game you
want to do.
Procedural generation can be related to:
‣ Game content
‣ Game assets

25. What is procedural?
There are several types of procedural approaches depending on the type of game you
want to do.

26. Procedural content types:
‣ Low procedural (Borderlands, Civilization, Age Of Empires)
‣ High procedural (Diablo, Minecraft, No man’s sky)

27. Low Procedural
‣ A tiny fraction or a single feature is procedural
‣ In game items, game map, crafting

28. Full Procedural
‣ The majority of the content is procedural
‣ Based on “replayability” and “exploration”

29. Asset Generation
A lot can be said around it, but let’s take a look at some most common approaches:

30. Asset Generation
A lot can be said around it, but let’s take a look at some most common approaches:
‣ Map/landscape generation

31. Asset Generation
A lot can be said around it, but let’s take a look at some most common approaches:
‣ Map/landscape generation
‣ Architecture generation

32. Asset Generation
A lot can be said around it, but let’s take a look at some most common approaches:
‣ Map/landscape generation
‣ Architecture generation
‣ Character and vehicle generation

33. Asset Generation
A lot can be said around it, but let’s take a look at some most common approaches:
‣ Map/landscape generation
‣ Architecture generation
‣ Character and vehicle generation
‣ Improved texturing and detailing

34. Basic Techniques
Most procedural generation starts with noises, there are many types and is up to the user
to pick the most fitting, they are all based on algorithms

35. Basic Techniques

36. Landscape Generation
Generating the world
‣ Creating the geometry of the world
‣ We start with a heightmap

37. Landscape Generation
Heightmap is used to turn a flat sheet of polygons into a landscape, giving form and
shape to the world

38. Landscape Generation
Heightmap is used to turn a flat sheet of polygons into a landscape, giving form and
shape to the world

39. Landscape Generation
After generating a world to look nice and well done, it is important to make it more
realistic:

40. Landscape Generation
After generating a world to look nice and well done, it is important to make it more
realistic:
‣ Rain / Wind Erosion simulation
‣ Weathering simulation
‣ Coastal erosion simulation

41. Landscape Generation
Depending on how many iterations of noise we use, we can achieve a more jagged or
smooth environment

42. Landscape Generation
Coastal and sediment erosion in action on a procedural heightmap

43. Landscape Generation
Using the generated data of erosion / coastal waves / weathering and sediment we can
generate also highly detailed textures and texture maps for the procedural landscape

44. Architecture Generation
‣ Use noises and shapes to create buildings

45. Architecture Generation
‣ Use noises and shapes to create buildings
‣ Procedural architecture is great for repeatable things

46. Architecture Generation

47. Architecture Generation

48. Architecture Generation

49. Texture/Material Generation
‣ Substance is the best program for this

50. Texture/Material Generation
‣ Substance is the best program for this
‣ Their company, Allegorithmic, has ties with most companies

51. Texture/Material Generation
‣ Substance is the best program for this
‣ Their company, Allegorithmic, has ties with most companies
‣ Most Artists use Substance for texturing

52. Texture/Material Generation
‣ Substance is the best program for this
‣ Their company, Allegorithmic, has ties with most companies
‣ Most Artists use Substance for texturing
‣ Tileable textures are mostly procedural now

53. Texture/Material Generation
Substance Painter is a powerful tool, becoming an almost required software to quickly
create astoundingly detailed materials

54. Texture/Material Generation

55. Texture/Material Generation
The process is fully procedural, only parameters and structure are given to create this

56. Texture/Material Generation
One of the most common techniques is weathering — it makes the building feel real and
overall more alive

57. Texture/Material Generation
Common weathering techniques are:
‣ Particle-based simulation (rain, stains, dust)

58. Texture/Material Generation
Common weathering techniques are:
‣ Particle-based simulation (rain, stains, dust)
‣ Vertex color (randomized hues, broken parts, peeling painting)

59. Texture/Material Generation
Common weathering techniques are:
‣ Particle-based simulation (rain, stains, dust)
‣ Vertex color (randomized hues, broken parts, peeling painting)
‣ Interpolation (high details, blending materials)

60. Texture/Material Generation
Entire buildings can be replicated using only a material generated with correct maps

61. Texture/Material Generation
Obtaining a complex and photorealistic facade without even having to model it

62. Singularity?
Some companies are actually investing into tech to make 100% procedural games
Can we get to the “press button to make game”?

63. NOPE.
My answer is no.
Procedural is an incredibly powerful tool, but a tool nonetheless

64. Q&A
Overview of the most common procedural techniques and their use in the Industry.

65. THANK YOU