Mind Map
I love the game Black Myth: Wukong and Akira Kurosawa’s samurai movies, so I get inspiration from them. The cabin has an Eastern style, combining elements of Chinese temples, Japanese shrines, and torii gates. The atmosphere is mysterious, with mist, gloomy light, and bamboo groves around, making people feel as if they are in a magical East Asian world.
Mood Board & Sketch
In the “Scene & Atmosphere” section, these images capture the hazy, mysterious and grand vibe I want. The “Architecture” section shows weathered, old – style buildings—they reflect Eastern beauty and a sense of history, matching the architectural style I aim for in the scene. Under “Other Elements”, torii gates, mossy wooden fences add more details.
This is a sketch I drew. I imagine a wooden cabin nestled in a bamboo forest. Beside it, there’s a river flowing. At the entrance, there’s a torii gate, and some stone lanterns are also placed around.
Blocking
A wooden cottage surrounded by bamboo groves, with a torii gate and stone lanterns in front.
Landscape Blockout
I used the Landscape Editor to sculpt the basic terrain and arranged the overall layout of the scene.
Cabin Modelling Process
I gathered references of the architecture and used Maya to build the basic structure of the cabin, including the walls, pillars, windows, and the roof.
I refined the model in Blender by cleaning topology, adding details, unwrapping the UVs, and checking the geometry to prepare it for use in UE5.
Lighting, Atmosphere, and Final Look
I imported the model into UE5 to apply materials and further refine the environment. After adjusting the landscape, adding vegetation, water, and props, I set up lighting and atmospheric effects to enhance the overall mood of the scene. I also used Substance Painter to create and refine detailed textures, and adjusted the HDRI lighting to ensure accurate reflections and a cohesive visual tone. Finally, I tested different compositions with cinematic cameras to prepare for the final rendering.
Final Output
The final environment was rendered in UE5 using night-time lighting, fog, vegetation, and warm lantern sources to build a cinematic atmosphere. These elements highlight the architecture and create a strong sense of depth and mood within the scene.
By: Xuanyuan Zhang
Hard and Soft Skills
Hard Skills
I improved my 3D workflow by paying more attention to UVs and the overall structure of my models. My material application in Unreal Engine also became more accurate, and I gained confidence in setting up cameras for better visual results.
Soft Skills
I became more organised in time management and learned to save multiple file versions to avoid losing progress. This made my workflow more stable and helped me handle problems more calmly.