Chapter 2: Jacks, Chocks, Straps, Tie‑Downs

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Luggage & Cases — Wheels, Handles, Locks (for Prop Concept Artists)

Why luggage and cases matter to travel storytelling

Luggage is portable architecture for a character’s life. Wheels, handles, and locks broadcast class, urgency, and maintenance culture in a glance. A scuffed two‑wheel duffel sprinting over cobbles tells a different story than a gleaming four‑wheel spinner ghosting through an airport or a battered flight case lashed to a desert rover. For prop concept artists, luggage and cases must read across three axes: mobility (wheels and chassis), control (handles and straps), and security (locks and closures). This article equips both concept‑side and production‑side artists to design believable travel gear and hard cases that hold up at hero distance and dress background sets efficiently.

Form factors and silhouettes

Soft luggage: duffels, garment bags, and soft‑sided uprights favor fabric structure with internal frames or foam. They slump slightly when partly filled and display strap logic prominently. Silhouettes collapse in the middle when carried by a single handle; wheel‑end corners show abrasion guards. Soft forms advertise flexibility and over‑stuffing culture. Hard luggage: clamshell shells in polycarbonate, ABS, or aluminum present stable rectangles with crisp corners. Integrated hinges and continuous zips align around the perimeter; compression straps and divider panels govern the interior. Hard shells telegraph premium or professional travel. Cases: technical flight cases (e.g., road cases, Pelican‑style) are ribbed or extruded aluminum/HPDE boxes with corner protectors, recessed hardware, and gasketed lids. Their silhouettes emphasize stackability, tie‑down points, and label plates. These read as equipment, not fashion, and immediately imply purpose and weight.

Wheel systems: speed vs survival

Two‑wheel (inline skate) systems mount partially recessed wheels on the bag’s base with a skid rail; they excel on rough ground and stairs. The wheel pockets scuff heavily; axles show hex heads or rivets; stance is tail‑drag. Four‑wheel spinners mount casters on corner trucks; they pivot 360° and glide on smooth floors but struggle on cracks. The caster forks and stems catch specular highlights; the chassis includes a perimeter skid plate or raised feet. Wheel diameter and durometer read durability: larger, softer wheels survive cobbles and absorb vibration; tiny, hard wheels feel cheap and chatter. Bearings and shields signal quality; sealed bearing caps feel premium. Off‑road travel concepts justify pneumatic micro‑wheels or modular tracks, but retain believable axle, hub, and frame logic.

Chassis and corner protection

Look under the bag. A believable base has ribs, drain holes, and a structural tray tying wheel mounts and telescopic handle sockets. Corner protectors appear as TPU caps, aluminum guards, or stacked bumpers; they concentrate wear and save the shell. For flight cases, aluminum extrusion rails wrap edges; ball corners and butterfly latches recess flush to avoid snagging. Show fasteners regularly spaced along rails; missing or mismatched screws make instant history.

Handles: telescoping, grab, and lift logic

Telescopic handles telescope inside a U‑channel with two rails and a crossbar grip; premium units use dual‑post tubes for torsional stiffness, mid‑tier use single posts. Button or paddle releases sit where the thumb lands; detents click at multiple heights. Tube sections show oval or D profiles; cheaper handles rattle and display visible plastics at the junction. Grab handles at top and side should compress with foam cores; attachment points anchor to frame with bar‑tacks or riveted plates, not just surface seams. For heavy cases, spring‑loaded recessed handles flip out, revealing coil springs and stamped cups; their edges polish where fingernails drag. Straps for duffels show load paths: webbing runs under the bag or crosses as a cradle—if not, the prop will look implausible.

Closures: zips, frames, latches, and seals

Zippers dominate soft and hard luggage. Coil zips curve gracefully and hide teeth; molded tooth zips read tougher but stiffer. Twin zippers meeting at a padlock loop signal lockability; storm flaps and gutter channels imply weather resistance. Oversize pullers add grip with gloves; paracord pulls fray and glaze at tips. Frame cases replace zips with tongue‑and‑groove aluminum frames and latches; gasketed lids show a proud rubber bead for IP ratings. Butterfly latches on flight cases pack a rotational cam and spring—great for close‑up mechanical believability. TSA‑style locks integrate a small keyway and a resettable dials; combination index windows sit proud with tiny detents.

Locks and security signaling

Security reads need only a few elements: lock bodies, cable or hasp routes, and tamper evidence. Built‑in combination locks imply consumer convenience; separate padlocks and cable loops suggest cautious pros. Tamper seals—zip‑tie style, wax tags, RFID stickers—imply chain‑of‑custody. For premium luggage, hidden latch windows and hinge plates convey anti‑pry design. In speculative worlds, biometric sliders or e‑ink lock status can replace dials; still, show a mechanical failsafe (key override, breakaway panel) to keep credibility.

Interiors: packing and protection logic

Soft uprights split 80/20 lid/base; compression straps cross the deeper side; mesh dividers capture smalls. Garment bags include hanger hooks, fold panels, and shoulder pads; believable wrinkles build near spine folds. Hard shells split 50/50 with zippered curtains and accessory pockets; elastic cross straps show robust bartacks where they anchor. Technical cases use pick‑and‑pluck foam, custom CNC foam, egg‑crate lids, or padded dividers with Velcro rails; label plates and silkscreened shadow overlays teach where each tool returns. For musical or camera kits, add silica gel pockets, cable coiling channels, and battery fire‑safe tins where appropriate.

Materials and their aging signatures

Fabrics: Ballistic nylon (1680D) and Cordura (1000D) present coarse weaves with high abrasion resistance; edges fuzz where straps rub; PU coatings crack along folds; rain darkens panels temporarily. Polyester weaves sheen more and pill sooner on high spots. Leather trim glazes and crease‑whitens at bends; stitches polish and occasionally pop at stress points. Webbing straps show salt rings and wave from load memory. Hard shells: Polycarbonate shows elastic dent recovery and stress whitening at sharp hits; ABS scratches white and keeps dents; aluminum shells dent with soft‑edged dings and accrue travel sticker ghosts and corner polish. Technical cases in HDPE/PP carry molded rib patterns; scuffs appear matte and white; gaskets flatten shiny under compression. Hardware: Zips lose paint on slider noses; tooth gaps collect grit; matte anodized tubes brighten where hands slide; casters develop flat spots and hairline cracks; bearings squeak with dust and leave black streaks around hubs. Latches polish at edges and show micro‑chips; butterfly latches hold lint in their springs.

Labels, tags, and travel archaeology

Luggage tells stories in paper and vinyl. Airline tags (invented for your world) drape from handles with barcodes and routing codes; fragile labels curl at corners; customs inspection stickers layer and tear into palimpsest. Business cards in window sleeves bleach to soft ghosts; hotel tags fray string; corrugated separator sheets inside cases leave faint rib shadows on soft contents. For road cases, stencil unit IDs, weight classes, and arrow orientation; add glow tape or reflective chevrons to sell backstage or tarmac environments.

Mobility environments: airports, streets, rails, wild terrain

Airports and stations reward smooth casters and tall handles; floors reflect speculars, so calm surfaces with decisive highlights read best. Streets and cobbles punish small wheels—show carried postures, shoulder straps, or nyloned drag rails scarred by curbs. Rail travel emphasizes narrow aisle navigation and overhead lift points; place grip pads on side walls and low feet that protect door sills. Wild terrain favors backpack frames, sled runners, modular harness systems, and dry‑bag skins; straps cross and cinch with ladder‑locks and cam buckles that show credible bite.

PBR look‑dev: plastics, metals, textiles, and rubbers

Textiles live in low spec/high roughness with anisotropic fiber catches at raking light; add calm weave normals and a subtle fuzz layer at high‑wear zones. Polycarbonate shells want satin gloss with shallow orange‑peel and long micro‑scratches from belt conveyors; ABS needs lower spec and chalkier scratch albedo. Aluminum reads with directional brush and sharper spec peaks; dent normals should stay low‑frequency and avoid noisy edges. Rubber tires sit at low spec with broad normals; add dusting and flat‑spot deformation masks. Zips and latches deserve distinct material IDs: polished noses, matte pulls, and darker grime in gutters. Foam interiors should have soft micro‑noise and rounded cut edges; Velcro loop should present a matte fuzz and collect lint.

Concept‑side workflow: design for carry, roll, and secure

Start with three archetypes: the commuter spinner (urban efficiency), the expedition duffel (abuse‑ready), and the technical flight case (equipment). Sketch silhouettes that telegraph wheel count, handle length, and closure type at ten meters. Decide aging direction: pristine corporate traveler, seasoned backpacker, touring crew. Map load path and chassis beneath the skin—wheel mounts, telescoping handle sockets, and corner reinforcements—so the prop reads robust even without text. Give each archetype a label language (routing codes, unit IDs, brand marks) and a restraint system (straps, rails, latches) that matches context.

Production‑side workflow: modular parts, LODs, and doubles

Model wheels, handles, and latch blocks as instanced modules that swap across sizes; maintain shared UVs so texture sets can scale. Provide open/closed meshes for zips and latches; include simple rigs for handle extension, latch rotation, and wheel spin. Build interior kits—foam blocks, dividers, garment panels—as separate prefabs. Author hero and stunt versions: stunt units with soft wheels and locked handles for safe stunts; hero units with spinning casters and functioning locks for close‑ups. Supply decal atlases for tags, routing codes, and compliance marks with editable fields to avoid legal issues.

Camera‑aware staging and motion believability

At mid‑shot you read silhouette and a handful of tells: wheel count and size, handle height, corner guards, and one or two bright tags. Angle shells to catch a single controlled spec along ribs; place tags so barcodes face lens for quick read; let a caster wobble or a handle rattle slightly for life. For chaos scenes, scatter lost wheels, broken pulls, and torn straps that point back to believable failure points. Keep continuity: the scratch on the left corner should persist across cuts; a case that was heavy should still roll sluggishly later unless shown emptied.

Safety, legality, and cultural respect

Avoid real airline codes, brand marks, or lock standards unless cleared; invent plausible iconography. For security props, do not reveal exploit details; keep TSA‑like locks readable without teaching bypass. When representing cultural or religious travel items (prayer rugs, ceremonial garments) inside luggage, handle with care and consult on correct packing norms. For lithium‑battery transport, show fire‑safe tins and hazard labels without reproducing real compliance text.

Storycraft: character through luggage

A spotless aluminum carry‑on with organized interior suggests a meticulous consultant; a patched canvas duffel with mismatched webbing and handwritten tags implies years of field work; a sticker‑bombed road case with gaffer tape notes says touring crew. Hidden compartments, color‑coded packing cubes, and improvised straps each reveal habit. One decisive cue—broken caster taped in place, retro hotel label, lock scar from a forced inspection—can carry a whole backstory.

Practical study drills

Photograph luggage feet, wheel trucks, and bottom pans—areas people never design from memory. Time a handle extension and note detent spacing; sketch where your thumb lands on releases. Build a quick kit: a wheel module, a handle module, and a latch module you can kitbash across bags. Collect travel tags from thrift stores, redesign them with your world’s codes, and build a decal sheet. Prototype a foam insert for a camera kit and document cut patterns; translate them into texture masks for a technical case interior.

Troubleshooting common pitfalls

Floating wheels without mounts break credibility—always model brackets and axles. Zips that wrap tight corners unrealistically will kink; add gusset breaks and radius. Shells too glossy look toy‑like; drop gloss and add long directional scuffs. Handles that telescope without visible rails feel magical; include posts, sockets, and detent holes. Cases that look pristine but have battered tags feel inconsistent; synchronize wear across hardware, shells, and labels.

Bringing it together

Great travel props combine believable mobility, honest protection, and readable security. When wheels carry the right stance, handles land under real thumbs, closures and locks signal safety, and surfaces record miles travelled, your luggage and cases stop being background rectangles and become narrative engines—credible companions that say who your characters are and where they’ve been.