Killer Instinct: Season 2
Killer Instinct was the first AAA title I worked on and while it was definitely challenging I loved every bit of that challenge. The coolest thing about a fighting game like KI from my perspective is that there is so much focus on the characters that no matter which fighter you choose, there will be something I contributed with right there in the spotlight once the fight begins!
Getting down to the specifics, I was responsible for skinning the majority of the characters in the season, implemented almost all of the clothing simulations on them (as well as optimized some from Season 1 characters), rigged Cinder and Omen, and helped out with some character props and VFX models. However, what I feel was my most significant contribution to the project was an exporter I wrote in Python to separate a character into accessory sets to generate the model files the engine required. It was also capable of handling weapon attachments and of mirroring meshes, skin weights (in non-symmetrical skeletons) and simulation data when necessary. It ended up being used both in Season 2 and 3 of the project and saving a lot of time for the entire character team. Along with this tool I worked with my leads to establish solid naming conventions for all character assets to better organize the project.
For more details about all this, please continue reading!
Getting down to the specifics, I was responsible for skinning the majority of the characters in the season, implemented almost all of the clothing simulations on them (as well as optimized some from Season 1 characters), rigged Cinder and Omen, and helped out with some character props and VFX models. However, what I feel was my most significant contribution to the project was an exporter I wrote in Python to separate a character into accessory sets to generate the model files the engine required. It was also capable of handling weapon attachments and of mirroring meshes, skin weights (in non-symmetrical skeletons) and simulation data when necessary. It ended up being used both in Season 2 and 3 of the project and saving a lot of time for the entire character team. Along with this tool I worked with my leads to establish solid naming conventions for all character assets to better organize the project.
For more details about all this, please continue reading!
ARIA
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Cinder
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Hisako
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Aganos
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Omen
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Riptor
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Kan Ra
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Maya
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TJ Combo
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Season 2 Launch
I was an intern when I started at Iron Galaxy in August 2014, working on Killer Instinct Season 2. My very first task was to improve skinning deformations on TJ Combo, which also had me messing up with the rig. The team had started on the project only a few months ago and we had only a couple of months before the launch of the Season. I felt it was a huge responsibility, since I also started working on modelling the trinkets and loincloths for Kan Ra, but I'm glad the leads trusted me with important tasks right off the bat, because it allowed me to demonstrate that I could be of use to the team. After that the pacing did not get easier: we were releasing one character a month for the rest of the Season. It was an awesome experience and I learned so much in the process!