Character Design Issues and Limitations

So let's talk about some of the practical issues and limitations that are associated with a character's design. You must be aware of many issues as you work on a character design. Often, you will be able to sit down with the animators and modelers and get precise specifications for their needs. Other times, you will not have this contact and will need to know what general questions to ask so that the character will be correctly designed for its specific use or platform. Over time and with experience, you will gain general knowledge of what is expected and what the parameters are for a given platform. Not too long ago, a character of 1,000 polygons was very detailed for one of the current game platforms. If you didn't know this information (or didn't ask some of the correct questions about the limits of the platform you were working for), you, the modelers, and animators could either be in for a long and stressful project or it would be a very short relationship.

The following sections cover some issues and limitations that you as a character designer must be aware of before you start and as you work. The questions are only posed; solutions are not given on purpose because the questions and solutions will probably be different for each assignment.

How Will the Character Be Used?

You need to know if the character will appear as a supporting background object, a mid-ground prop, a foreground character, or the center of interest. A character that is closer to the camera generally needs more finesse and detail, but maybe not the same level of detail as a character at the same distance but that is the center of focus. The human vision is very selective, and things on the periphery of our awareness will not need to be complicated.

How Will the Character Be Displayed?

Quite obviously, the needs associated with the different media vary widely. A character in print will require much more detail than a character on the movie screen. A character for a movie will need more detail than a character on a video or television monitor. A TV or video character will need much more detail than a character on a handheld game.

How Close or Distant to the Camera Will the Character Be?

If the character will never be closer to the viewer than 100 meters , there's no need to add superfluous details that would be lost in the distance. The flip side is also true: if the character will be in closeup, make sure that you add convincing detail.

How Big or Small Is the Character Relative to Other Characters ?

Larger characters may need more polygons. They may need much more detailed texture maps, too. A model of an insect character would be approached differently than one of an elephant.

Will the Character Be Animated?

A stationary character will have different needs than one that animates. For example, if the character will be standing stationary as a guard at the gate of a palace, then you will not need to be very concerned with how the joints would work. If your character will be animated, you must take much greater care when designing how things will bend and articulate .

How Many Angles Will the Character Be Viewed From?

If you are designing a character for print, you have only one viewing angle at a time. A side-scrolling game will have only one viewing angle at a time but may have multiple views used at different locations throughout the game. A movie or real-time 3D game character will need to be viewed from all angles.

How Much Movement Will the Character Have?

A character that will move only its arms, for example, may need more careful design than a stationary character. A completely mobile character will require a different design than a partially mobile one.

How Fast or Slow Will the Character Be Moving?

Don't assume that because a character moves it will have to be more complicated and detailed than a stationary one. As the character's speed increases , you will reach a point of diminishing returns as far as detail and geometry because a very fast-moving character may be viewed as mostly a blur and may need a very simple design.

Will the Character Be Close Enough to See Facial Expressions?

You will have to know if you need geometry to represent facial features or if a texture map will be enough in the final product. Obviously, if the character's expressions will be important to the role the character is to play, you must include additional detail in both the texture maps and in the geometry to be able to convey a convincing expression.

Will the Character Need to Speak?

A character that speaks will have different geometry requirements than a silent one. A character that speaks will need a mouth that articulates and moves. This requires additional geometry in the model. The person that will be modeling the character will need a clear picture of what is expected and needed.

How Much Detail Will You Need in the Hands, Feet, Hoofs, Talons, Paws, Etc.?

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when hands were represented by blocks of geometry with painted texture maps. Characters that held items in their hands were often modeled with the item as an integral part of the hand. Now we are seeing characters with articulating appendages. You need to know if your character will be realistic, stylized , surreal, abstract, or something completely out of left field.

Will the Character Be Simple or Complex?

This depends completely on the end use. The only exception would be when your design may be much more detailed than the end use justifies because of potential multiple uses. An example is when the character that you are designing for a game will also be used in print advertising. While the game character would need to be somewhat simple, the print character could be more detailed and complicated.

Who Does the Character Need to Appeal to Visually?

Know your audience and design the character appropriately. The character you are designing for a target audience consisting of teenage boys would be entirely different than a character that is designed for toddlers or an elderly audience.

Can the Character Stand on Its Own Design If Taken out of Its Environment?

You need to check that your design would be understandable if you showed it to someone without any of the surrounding environment. For example, if you are designing a villain, could you take that villain, put it into another context, and still tell that the character is evil? If you could, then your design is working.

Is the Character's Silhouette or Profile Readable on Its Own?

A character with a strong and recognizable silhouette will be visually stronger, more understandable, and more appealing than one whose silhouette isn't. If your character is casting a shadow on a wall, does that shadow enhance the perception of the character? If it does, then the silhouette is enhancing the look of the design.

Will the Character Be Polygonal or Single Mesh?

There are different ways that the modeler will build a character in various 3D applications, depending on the need. Polygonal models will have seams at the joints and will call for a different treatment than a character created using a single mesh for the entire figure. You should discuss with the modeler and animator which type of model will be used. To a large degree, this will be determined by the final use of the character.

How Do You Simplify the Character Design to Work Within the Platform's Constraints?

Until recently, it was useless to design a game character with flowing clothing or hair. The game platforms simply couldn't render the character in real time, or the time and cost required to animate the cloth for pre-rendered characters was prohibitive. Simplifying a character design is not really that hard. The main thing to remember is to work from the general to the specific. If you need to simplify a great but very complicated character design, look for the most basic general shapes that make up the character. Use the basic shape that remains as the basis of your simplification process.

How Will the Character Animate?

If the character will animate, definitely make sure that you get some information from the animation department about what is needed and expected so your design will conform to the specifications properly.

Do You Really Need to Remember All of This?

Unfortunately, yes, you really are expected to remember all of these issues each time you design a character. Other issues will no doubt arise with each character-design project. These are critical parts of the process.

It is important that these questions be your constant and conscious companions as you design your characters. Eventually they will become second nature and you will not be aware that you are answering them as you design; rather, their influence will always show in the underlying structure of your designs.