# 3D Environments: Create Otherworldly Fantasy Lands | Domestika

> A course by Ale Barbosa · 3D & Animation · Intermediate
> 59 lessons (15h 47m) · 92% of the 13 student ratings are positive

‘The computer is like a pencil, it is an extension of your brain and heart,’ according to Ale Barbosa. The digital environments we witness in games and television can seem so intricate they almost look real. But they have all been devised in the brain of someone like Ale Barbosa, a 3D artist focused on Digital Environments. He spent more than fifteen years as a generalist in his field before realizing his true passion is the sci-fi and medieval settings. 

In this online course, Ale shares his workflow in building fantastical digital environments from start to finish, and teaches how to simplify what seems to be complicated. Join Ale and overcome the complexities of 3D design!

## Who is this online course for?

Anyone looking to elevate their 3D environment skills, with some basic notions of 3D art.

## What is this course's project?

Build a fantasy scenario with its own story and your personal touch.

## Requirements and materials

3D Software (Ale uses Maya, but you can use similar ones such as 3D Max or Blender), Houdini, and Clarisse.

## Content

### Introduction

Hi guys! I'm Ale, a 3D artist from Brazil based in Canada. I'm super happy you've enrolled into my course and I can't wait to see your projects! Each 3D artist has a different journey, but we all share a passion for creating places, imagining characters, and sharing them with the world. 

In this unit, I will introduce myself to you and let you know about some of my influences to try and break the ice. I would love to get to know about you and your work, so make sure to introduce yourself in the tasks later.

### Workflow

In this unit, I will introduce you to the workflow and pipeline that we will be using throughout the course. This will help you understand how the creative process will unfold and help you plan your own workflow. 

I will then analyze the mood board I have created for my project. I really encourage you to make your own mood board and scene but try not to create an environment that is too different from mine so that you can follow along. My scene has a castle which I will provide in the Attachments section later. You may want to include this in your mood board.

### The Layout and Blocking the Scene

In this unit, I will block the main shapes of the terrain before finding and animating the camera. I will mainly work in Maya, but you are welcome to use another software if you prefer.

### Houdini Terrain Modeling

It's time to work in Houdini! I will first give you an overview of heightfields and then get straight to modeling the terrain. We will then export it all to Clarisse iFX.

### Pre-lighting

In this unit, I will give you an overview of Clarisse iFX. This will be very useful as you move through the next three units. To continue, I will show you how to create an asset library. Then, we will work on a first pass of lighting.

### Look Development

With the terrain and lighting set up, I will now help you to work on the look development of your scene, including the castle, the terrain, the river, and the atmosphere.

### Dressing the Set

In this unit, I will show you how to dress the sets with rocks—big and small—grass, flowers, bushes, and trees. We will then add some volumes!

### Rendering and Compositing

In this unit, I will demonstrate how to render the image and give you a breakdown of my compositing process.

## Audio and subtitles

**Audio:** English

**Subtitles:** Spanish, English, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, ro, id

[3D Environments: Create Otherworldly Fantasy Lands](https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/4478-3d-environments-create-otherworldly-fantasy-lands)