Eli and I have been working on the textures and stylization of them through UE. For smaller objects as well as curved objects, the black outline works quite well! We are running into issues with the outline taking over flat planes such as the roof here. The largest issue would be that it is not consistent. Where you can change the viewing location and new problems arise or go away. Finally it breaks the inside of objects, making weird lighting glitching happening inside of a mesh such as the house.

I want to further push our textures here, firstly making the outline properly adhere to the borders of the mesh, while better honing in the chaos of the shader. Here I was experimenting with the wood texture and attempting to blend it with the master. 

If all comes to worse and we are not able to get the stylization through UE's shader, our team has already been talking about using pure 3D painter and creating a data base of basic shaders, so that most objects can be textured much quicker within engine. I would still push for the outlines, while using more hand painted textures. 

I have been modeling out test assets for my team to use with UE, as well as using them for myself for testing of the shading system. I was happy to model out some test assets while trying to create some stylization through the models. The telescope was a great showing to me of the shader working really well, espically at close viewing. Where the house looks janky, the telescope actually looks unique. So far I have modeled out a testing basic house, waterwheel, telescope, and was told to do the oven that rooster sleeps in!

As I have mentioned above, this past week was a massive week for texture testing within the engine. I personally textured the house two different ways, along side the telescope. This was a massive week for understanding how the shader system works, as well as it's limitations. I think this is a great example of how the shader looks great, yet can stand out so much to more realistic materials. I think we should tone the shader back and let the materials looks and be more realistic, so that clear glass does not stand out as contrasting. 

As the guy in charge of the Maya and modeling side of the project, this was also a huge week for fine tuning how to properly import into UE and what UE cares about. For instance if you were to import a mesh made up of many models into 3D painter, all it looks for is the different textures. However UE looks for both, so if you create a house with a door or roof that are separate meshes, and export it all out as one file to 3D painter and then to UE. UE will take that model and break it into it's separate models. Meaning a house with a door that can open inside UE and the minimum will be two separate meshes. If you were to combine it all inside of Maya and export it out all under the same texture, then the door is considered the same mesh as the house and will not be openable. 

In total I am trying to say I have much better understood how UE reads and looks at models, textures, and rigs. To the point where I feel I could easily be the guy in charge of the models, as well the one helping, showing, and teaching folks how to import any information the need into UE, as well as how to keep a mesh combined or seperated on purpose.