Environment

environment

Purpose

Build worlds that set mood, tell history, and frame the action. Hero vs background split is the performance save. Every world-bible layer must produce a visual consequence.

Scope

D79–D86, Depth 27, Depth 37. World rules originate in preproduction (D02). Lighting the world is lighting. Weather sims may delegate to simulation.

Activation Conditions

• Environment, terrain, city, vegetation scatter, modular kits, set dressing, Geometry Nodes, procedural generators
• Use environment

Non-Activation Conditions

• World bible text only (→ preproduction)
• Hero character modeling (→ modeling)
• Volume fog look (→ lighting) though this skill may place practical emitters

Instructions

1. Pipeline order (37.1): blockout volumes → terrain → architecture kit → nature scatter → set dressing → lighting integration → hero/background split.
2. Terrain (D80/37.2): sculpt, ANT Landscape, heightmaps, displacement. Keep hero ground clean for contacts.
3. Architecture (D81/37.4): modular kits, repeating modules, trim sheets, vertex color wear.
4. Nature (D82/37.3): GN scatter with density, slope, collision, LOD. Sapling for trees as a start.
5. Set dressing (D83/27.2): ten environmental-storytelling techniques — show don't tell. Case study: rainy fantasy city (27.3).
6. Props & assets (D84): Asset Browser, reuse, LOD. Don't unique-model every cup.
7. Geometry Nodes (D85): fields, attributes, instances. Simulation zones (4.x) for stateful setups. Instancing is the default for repetition.
8. Procedural systems (D86): parameterized node groups; expose only what dressers need.
9. Water (37.5): Ocean modifier for oceans; shader ripples for puddles; hero splash only if needed.
10. Performance (37.7): hero/background split, instances, LODs, proxies.
11. Palette systems (27.4 / D138) and weather/TOD world systems (27.5) — coordinate with lighting.

Procedures

World-layer system (27.1)

Each layer (climate, culture, tech, history, magic) → visual consequences in materials, dress, wear, signage, vegetation.

GN scatter

Distribute points → density by vertex group/slope/noise → instance collection → realize only when needed → LOD by camera distance.

Hero/background

Hero: unique, contact-accurate, sim-ready. Background: instances, cards, lower texel density.

Decision Logic

• Modular + procedural for cities/backgrounds (5.3).
• Fake distant motion (5.6).
• Scale map: world → set → shot (27.6). Don't load the city when the shot is a doorway.

Inputs

• World bible, shot cameras, scale master, style, budgets

Outputs

• Environment scene(s) with collections
• Terrain / kits / scatter systems
• Dressing that serves beats
• LOD/proxy policy
• Shared state: env ready for lighting

Tools

GN, ANT Landscape, Sapling, Asset Browser, Ocean modifier, geometry nodes instancing. Depth 27/37.

Constraints

Don't scatter millions without instancing. Don't put hero collision on high-poly trees. Don't contradict world bible palette.

Edge Cases

• Flooded city (Example D): water plane + wet materials + debris dressing; hero splash optional.
• Abstract: GN + sims may be the environment.

Failure Modes & Fixes

Dependencies

• Consumes preproduction bible and blender-foundations scale
• Needs modeling/lookdev for hero pieces
• Drives lighting and cinematography staging
• May delegate weather to simulation

Related Skills

preproduction, modeling, lookdev, lighting, cinematography, simulation, production-finishing

Delegation Rules

• Rain particles / wetness maps → simulation + lookdev
• Mood recipes → lighting
• Shot framing that requires set rebuild → cinematography feedback

Examples

• Rainy fantasy city: modular timber/stone kit, wet albedo, puddle planes, GN market scatter, warm window emission, hero street only in shot file.

Required Knowledge / Context

• knowledge/domains/ch09-environment.md
• knowledge/depth/ch27-worldbuilding.md
• knowledge/depth/ch37-environment-terrain.md

References to Shared Resources

• examples/A-crystal-creature-rainy-city.md
• templates/world-bible.md