How to Make Abandoned Subway Station in Blender & Unreal Engine

Introduction

Hello, I am Atilay Oznur. My 3D art journey began in 2012 with graphic design, but I was introduced to 3D in 2014. I started my first job in this field in 2016, and since then, I have been working in the game industry. Since childhood, I have always wanted to be part of game development, so my goal was clear, and I followed it.

I have worked in many game companies and have been involved in countless game projects. In recent years, I have been developing game-friendly asset packs and making them available for sale on digital marketplaces. At the same time, I provide mentorship, guiding new artists entering the industry.

Abandoned Subway Station

I started this project inspired by my interest in post-apocalyptic atmospheres in games. I wanted to challenge myself with a detailed scene, and I thought an abandoned metro station would be both detailed enough and rich in atmosphere. I began by studying the old metro stations of cities like New York, London, and Tokyo in detail. I focused particularly on rusted structures, damp concrete surfaces, and station elements that had started to decay over time.

During the reference-gathering process, I used real photographs as well as scenes from films and games. I created a detailed reference board using PureRef and used these references throughout the project.

For this project, I used Blender and Substance 3D Painter. Since my main goal was to create a game asset, I used Unreal Engine for rendering. I designed the station using a modular system so that developers could easily adapt it to their own projects.

One of the parts I enjoyed the most was adding ceramic details to the columns and graffiti elements on the walls. The most challenging aspect was lighting, as the environment was neither completely enclosed nor fully open, making it difficult to achieve the right effect for the light seeping in. To enhance the atmospheric feel, I used decals for graffiti and dirt details, which also saved time. This approach also provided flexibility for developers purchasing the asset.

Before adding details to the models, I always save the base mesh version with a lower polygon count. This significantly speeds up the retopology process.

When unwrapping UVs, I categorized certain objects to optimize performance and mapped the UVs of objects in the same category within the same texture space. This allowed me to atlas textures, improving performance while maintaining visual quality.

Texturing

During the texturing phase, I extensively utilized smart materials and mask systems in Substance 3D Painter. I created the main materials procedurally. Automating elements like rust, dirt, and wear sped up my workflow significantly.

On the Unreal Engine side, I avoided complex material structures as much as possible to ensure maximum optimization. Instead of creating new materials, I prioritized using material instances whenever possible.

For the decal system, I followed an overlay texture approach and created a suitable material for it. This helped me set up the scene more dynamically. Using masked textures for the underlying layer and exposing them as parameters also allowed users to customize the scene as needed.

Lighting

I had previously created a blockout scene in Blender based on the references I gathered and updated the scene as I detailed the models. Since everything was modular, rebuilding the scene in Unreal Engine was not difficult.

I used Unreal Engine 5's Lumen system to create a realistic and atmospheric lighting setup. To enhance the light leakage effect, I used volumetric fog and added low-intensity area lights to dimly lit areas. In the post-production stage, I optimized effects such as color grading, bloom, and ambient occlusion.

Conclusion

I completed this project in a total of three weeks. The biggest challenge for me was balancing this project with my full-time job, as I could only work on it after hours or on weekends. After a full day of work, dedicating limited evening hours to this project was quite exhausting. If I hadn’t meticulously planned each step of the process, it would have taken much longer to complete.

For those looking to create modular asset packs, my advice is to design each piece with the bigger picture in mind. When working on a large-scale project, every element you place in the scene should be compatible with each other. Additionally, using a grid system for modular components will be highly beneficial. Deciding in advance on the unit measurements of each modular piece will greatly accelerate the project and prevent bottlenecks. For example, while dimensions vary depending on the project, I generally use 1x1 meter units for floors and 1x3 meter units for walls, ensuring other assets conform to these measurements.

If you plan to sell your asset on a marketplace, make sure to review the platform’s modular modeling guidelines. These guidelines likely specify the minimum unit size required for modular structures.

Atilay Oznur, Senior 3D Artist

Interview conducted by Amber Rutherford