Client Overview

Warhorse Studios, a renowned Czech game developer, is best known for its historically grounded action RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The studio prioritizes realism and historical accuracy in its titles, requiring exceptional quality in visual assets, particularly human characters.

Project Summary

Warhorse Studios commissioned 3D.sk, a leading provider of human reference material and 3D scanning services, to capture high-resolution 3D scans of 70 unique characters for an upcoming title. The goal was to create photorealistic characters based on real actors, optimized for use in real-time game engines.

Objectives

• Capture high-fidelity 3D scans of 70 individuals including faces, full bodies, and expressions.

• Ensure data consistency for use in AAA game development pipelines.

• Deliver ready-to-retopologize mesh data and high-resolution textures.

• Support motion capture-ready facial rigs by scanning with multiple expressions.

• Maintain production timelines and data integrity across a large cast.

Challenges

• Coordinating a large number of subjects (70 actors). Warhorse cast 200 actors based on ethnicity, gender, and overall appearance. From this pool, 100 were initially selected, and after further consideration, 70 were chosen for Kingdom Come.

• Ensuring consistent lighting and pose conditions for uniformity.

• Balancing photorealistic detail with game engine optimization requirements.

• Handling and delivering large volumes of scan data in a format ready for pipeline integration.

3D.sk’s Approach

1. Pre-Production

• Consultation and planning with Warhorse to define scanning specs, formats, and pipeline requirements.

• Developed a custom scanning schedule and actor preparation guide.

• Onboarded actors for face and body scan sessions.

2. Scanning Technology

• Used photogrammetry rig with 150+ DSLR cameras for full-body and facial capture.

• Captured full-body T-pose scans, neutral expressions, and FACS-based expressions for animation rigging.

• Achieved sub-millimeter accuracy in mesh detail.

• Captured 16k albedo textures under controlled lighting for PBR workflows.

3. Data Processing

• Cleaned and aligned mesh data using RealityCapture and ZBrush

• Reprojected high-resolution textures onto the mesh.

• Delivered both raw scans and cleaned-up meshes with aligned texture sets.

• Structured naming conventions and metadata tagging for efficient asset tracking.

4. Delivery & Integration

• Delivered assets in formats compatible with Maya, Blender, and Unreal Engine.

• Provided guidance on retopology, rigging, and LOD generation.

• Ensured seamless integration into Warhorse's character creation and animation pipelines.

Results

• 70 high-resolution 3D character scans delivered on time.

• Enabled lifelike digital humans for Warhorse's upcoming game title.

• Reduced character development time by over 60% compared to manual modeling.

• Enhanced animation quality via expression-rich facial data.

• Warhorse integrated scans directly into their Unreal Engine pipeline, reducing iteration cycles.

Client Testimonial

“The work delivered by 3D.sk was nothing short of exceptional. Their ability to scan and process such a large cast with this level of detail and consistency gave us a huge advantage in our character development. The realism we achieved wouldn’t have been possible without their contribution.”
— Lead Character Artist, Warhorse Studios

Conclusion

This collaboration demonstrated the power of professional 3D scanning in game development, particularly when realism and historical accuracy are paramount. 3D.sk's expertise in large-scale scanning, combined with Warhorse’s vision, resulted in a benchmark for character fidelity in gaming.