To make backgrounds for my visual novel project HERO, I'm using Sketchup to draw the geometry. These images will go through postprocessing in Illustrator and Photoshop to add proper color, textures, lighting, and additional content that is easier to draw freehand than modeling. Below is a sample of what the models currently represent. Follow our progress on sasugastudios.com and on twitter @sasugastudios.
Note that these images are not precisely what will be used as base drawings; camera position and FOV angle will be decided at a later date.
Takeizumi City
The city is fairly small, but still large enough that I had to heavily optimize. Since it mostly exists as textura, only certain areas, like the shopping district, are given detail, the rest of the buildings are low-poly, empty shells.
Bird's-eye view of the city.
Edge of the shopping district, looking downtown.
The main intersection between the two major roads.
Bus shelter at the transit hub.
Typical Bus Stop.
Vending machines and recycling containers.
Residental street.
Bird's-eye view of a park next to the shopping district.
Nagareboshi High School
The main setting is at Nagareboshi High School, so it receives the highest level of detail.
Bird's-eye view of the school.
Entrance & shoe lockers.
Typical Classroom.
Typical Clubroom.
Typical Corridor.
Staffroom.
Conference Room.
Headmaster's Office.
Infirmary.
Music Classroom.
Art Classroom.
Library.
Small Workroom.
Cafeteria.
Student Council.
Auditorium.
Auditorium Control Room.
Greenhouse.
Gymnasium.
Gymnasium Storage Room.
Natatorium.
Central Courtyard.
Hirayama Residence
One of the characters lives in a traditional Japanese residence. This building was modeled following the specifications that would have been used to build it.
Bird's-eye view of the residence.
View of the interior with roof removed.
Four different room sizes (3-mat, 4½-mat, 6-mat, 8-mat).
Four window types (round, flame, bay, transom).
View of a shelving nook (tana).
View of a study nook (shoin).
Shizen Shrine
A portion of the story takes place at a shinto shrine. I modeled it in the gongen-zukuri style.
Main approach, with the purification fount in the foreground.
The main shrine, worship hall (haiden) at front right, sanctuary (honden) at back left.
Front of the worship hall (haiden) with bell pull and offertory box.
Ritual dance hall (kagura-den).
