Continuous research. Research is such a huge part when wanting to create anything, even if its imaginary or not, you still need a good source of information to help create it.

Types of wood; depending on what I am aiming for there are ridiculous amounts of wood to even think of. To be honest it doesn't matter about the wood, but the look on the varnish. I want to go for something that looks new but has seen a good part of the world. So not so new that the wood all looks clean and tidy, but it has some sort of age and character to this. For me the wood is the main feature to this vehicle. There is so much detail in each grain of wood, the normal map is going to be interesting to achieve...

Some original images that I used to help model;

So I have started to casually unwrap the first vehicle that is the Bed-ford TK 3.5, the smaller lorry of the two. I wanted to start this unwrap early as to be honest I suck at it. 

To help with still understanding unwrapping and how to neatly lay out the UV map, I have searched the internet to help me out. Just to help see what other vehicle UV maps look like as I learn alot better by seeing what other people do, no this is not copying but just some helpful in sites to everything. 

I noticed when researching that alot of maps only have one side of a vehicle as you would use a 'Symmetry' modifier. So unwrapping the half model and then use the modifier, this will help give you more texture space on the map for later on. This does mean that each side would be identical and you wouldn't have any different detail, unless maybe I could use some decals on later to give some extra detail and effect. 

The main problem I have with unwrapping is the scale part of it, everything has to be in the right proportion or parts will become pixelated or stretched. Stretching isn't that much of an issue now after alot of practice and the love of pelt mapping.  

Instead of just diving in and sticking to the unwrap once, I tried it multiple times to see if I could make any progress in unwrapping. I have split the model up into two ID's to keep everything tidy but to also give me some freedom with the texturing. I aim to hand paint everything on the vehicles, but might also add in a mixture of original photos if I get stuck and what a certain look for example; realistic.

 Finding alot of weaknesses and positives through out this project and hopefully being able to get better at them with continuous practice. 

After looking at open spaces to help feature the vehicles I made a few white box plans to help generate idea's and to also get some thinking room in my brain, (so cluttered).
I planned these out in 3ds max, just boxed out spaces and added a few minor details;

This was a quick stable yard idea. So the vehicles would be situated within the building and one of them would be place outside so there is a variation. This meant that the camera or the player would have to walk around and through the building to see them. I really like this idea but I would be very worried about the time it would take to make, texture and import into UDK. I don't want to be too short for time as that is a major fall back for me; time management. 

2nd beauty! I am really enjoying modeling these. Seriously I could make twenty of them and not get bored. Anyways here is the second one modeled; Bedford TK 7 tonne horsebox.

This one is alot larger than the first one I modeled as it is meant to be able to carry 3-4 horses rather than two. The front cab is also wider and I had difficulty trying to get the width the right size, it was either to skinny or way too fat but I get there eventually.
Why cant I just leave them like this, they are so much nicer plus I need to really focus on the texturing as you sometimes find you have a really nice model but the texture makes it look awful or you can have a rubbish model but the texture makes it look great. I always end up with the first one. *sigh*

Following my previous post, I have looked at what vehicles are set in over games. I will definitely be using an open plan space as this will give a nice space to view the vehicles from every angle. 

As the vehicles I am focusing on are horseboxes, this gives me a 'Theme' in some respect, I was originally thinking of making a stable yard with the vehicles placed around and shown in a 'working' styled environment but thought otherwise as it would take too much attention away from the vehicles. Also I want to import the scene into Unreal Development Kit, this engine benefits more of an enclosed environment inside instead of outside. 

The plan that I have thought of is very simple. A wooden barn to keep the connection between stable and horses or a farm yard. The vehicles will be placed within the barn/garage. There will be smaller assets around the walls and edges of the barn to help create an atmosphere of working/used. Also adding assets also shows that it isn't just an empty barn with cars in it, (seems kind of pointless and boring).

For the lighting, I have chosen the barn because of the wooden slates across the front and the back. I would like natural light to come through the gaps and onto the vehicles aswell as lights on the inside.