Sarah Clarity Studios

Chapter 4: Final Packages: What to Include

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Final Packages — What to Include for 3D, Rigging, AI, Animation, VFX, Audio

A “final creature concept” is not a single illustration. A final is a package: a bundle of decisions and documentation that allows multiple downstream disciplines to build the same creature without guessing. In an ideal pipeline, the final package is the moment a creature becomes a shared asset rather than an artist’s image. It’s also the point where the concept team protects intent. If you don’t specify what matters, other teams will (reasonably) optimize for their constraints—and the creature will drift.

This article describes how to think about final packages across the creature concept pipeline—ideation → iteration → finals → handoff—and what to include specifically for 3D modeling, rigging, AI/behavior, animation, VFX, and audio. It is written for both concepting artists who author packages and production-side artists who rely on them.

The guiding principle: one source of truth with discipline-specific views

Final packages fail when they are a pile of images with no hierarchy. They succeed when they have a clear “source of truth” and then discipline-friendly derivatives.

Most teams choose the orthographic turnaround (front/side/back) as the source of truth for proportion and landmarks, and a beauty render as the source of truth for mood and material intent. Everything else—callouts, state sheets, VFX maps, sound notes—should be derived from those anchors.

A good package also separates what is mandatory from what is optional. Not every creature needs every sheet, but every creature needs enough information that downstream can build, rig, animate, and integrate it with confidence.

Where packaging fits in ideation, iteration, finals, and handoff

In ideation, you don’t package; you scout. However, it helps to capture “decision breadcrumbs” early: silhouettes, proportion A/B/C sets, and a brief note about intended locomotion and role. These breadcrumbs prevent you from losing why a direction was chosen.

In iteration, you begin to package selectively. You create partial turnarounds, early callouts, and state sheets for risky features (mouth, wings, gait) so production partners can flag feasibility issues early.

In finals, you complete the package. This is when you unify the sheets, lock proportions, confirm gear and faction dialect rules, and remove contradictions.

In handoff, you deliver in the studio’s expected format, with consistent naming, versioning, and a short written summary of key constraints and decisions. This is also when you clarify what can change later (cosmetics, trims) and what must not (landmark proportions, joint placements, core silhouette).

The spine of a final package: the minimum set

Most production teams benefit from a minimum, consistent spine. Even if the creature is simple, this spine keeps handoffs predictable.

The spine typically includes: a one-page overview (role, scale, temperament, faction), a clean turnaround (front/side/back, sometimes top), a 3/4 beauty view, a material ID sheet (major materials and surface behavior), and key callouts for any complex anatomy or gear.

If the creature has a complex mouth, wings, unusual locomotion, or gameplay-specific read zones, you add state sheets and maps.

What to include for 3D modeling

Modelers need clarity on form, volume, and surface breaks. They also need to know what is real geometry and what is paint.

A modeler-friendly package includes: orthographic turnarounds with consistent scale and ground plane; a simplified line version that clearly indicates primary, secondary, and tertiary forms; and callouts for critical cross-sections (horn thickness, armor plate thickness, tail segmentation). It also helps to include a back view even if the game camera rarely sees it, because modeling needs full coverage.

If the creature has asymmetry, clearly label it. If it is mostly symmetrical but has one unique scar or implant, call that out so it isn’t accidentally mirrored.

Provide a “what can be simplified” note. Many concepts include micro-detail that will not survive LOD or runtime budgets. If you specify which details are high priority (silhouette features, face planes) and which are low priority (micro-scales), modelers can allocate effort wisely.

Finally, if the creature has modular gear or symbionts, include a modular breakdown with attachment points and a naming scheme.

What to include for rigging

Riggers need landmarks and extremes. They need to know where joints sit and what range of motion is expected.

A rigging-focused section should include: joint landmark overlays on the turnaround (shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, spine segments, jaw hinge); range-of-motion expectations (how far the jaw opens, how much the spine flexes, wing fold angles); and deformation notes (where skin should stretch, where plates should remain rigid).

Call out any special control needs. If the creature has facial acting requirements, specify which features must deform (brows, lips, nostrils, ear fins). If it has secondary appendages (tendrils, whiskers, tail tuft), indicate whether they should be rigged, simulated, or baked.

If the creature’s design includes hard materials over soft anatomy (armor over muscle), provide a clear separation of rigid and deforming zones. This reduces weighting confusion.

For production, this section often benefits from “extreme pose” sketches: maximum leg extension, maximum wing fold, maximum neck twist. These are where rigs break if not planned.

What to include for AI/behavior integration

In many studios, “AI” means behavior states, perception, and combat logic rather than machine learning. The concept package can still help enormously by communicating readable intent.

Include a short behavior summary: primary role (ambush predator, pack skirmisher, tank), temperament (aggressive, territorial, flee-prone), and key states (idle, alert, investigate, chase, attack, retreat, stunned). This does not need to be a full design document, but it should align with visuals.

Most importantly, define tell language. What does “about to pounce” look like? What does “charging” look like? What does “enraged” look like? Provide a few quick posture thumbnails. This allows AI and animation to create telegraphs that match the concept.

If the creature has weak points or interactable zones, map them. A simple diagram labeling “weak point,” “armored,” “grab zone,” and “no-hit zone” helps systems and AI align on collision and targeting.

Also include navigation constraints. If the creature is wide, tall, or winged, it affects pathing and level design. Provide approximate footprint dimensions and any special traversal notes (climb, burrow, swim).

What to include for animation

Animation needs a movement identity and a set of required actions. Concept art supports animation best when it defines locomotion style and the “rules” of motion.

Include a gait sheet for primary movement and, if needed, secondary locomotion (walk, run, gallop, crawl, flight). Add notes on center of mass: is the creature front-heavy? Does the tail counterbalance? Does it hop or glide?

Provide action keys and silhouettes for signature moves: attack wind-up, strike, recovery, stagger, death. For bosses, include phase posture changes.

If the creature must emote (companion creatures especially), include expression states and ear/crest/tail language. These “nonverbal cues” are often more important than perfect anatomy.

Animation also benefits from “what must stay iconic.” Identify silhouette features that should remain readable in motion: dorsal sail, horn shape, wing profile, tail tool. This helps animators avoid poses that collapse the character’s identity.

What to include for VFX

VFX teams need anchor points, emission logic, and readability rules. VFX can easily overwhelm creature readability if not guided.

Provide a VFX map: a simple turnaround with labeled zones for effects. Examples include: breath emission point, poison sacs, bioluminescent veins, impact sparks on armor, weak point glow, charge-up aura. If the creature has elemental attacks, show where the energy originates and how it travels across the body.

Define the effect hierarchy. What is the primary effect that signals danger? What is secondary flavor? If everything glows, the player loses the read. Specify where effects are allowed to be high-contrast and where they must remain subtle.

If the creature’s design includes biotech, specify indicator language: steady pulse, warning flash, overload strobe. Coordinate this with animation tells so VFX amplifies, not contradicts.

Also note environmental interactions: wetness, dust kicks, snow spray, wing downwash, footprint decals. These can dramatically sell mass and scale.

What to include for audio

Audio is often treated as separate from concept, but creature audio is inseparable from perceived size, temperament, and threat. A concept package can guide audio without dictating implementation.

Provide an audio intent paragraph: what the creature should feel like (ominous, majestic, insectile, mechanical), how intelligent it seems, and whether it communicates in social calls or purely in threat sounds.

Map sound sources on the body. If a creature has throat sacs, chest cavities, rattles, clicking mandibles, wing membranes, or armored plates, indicate where sounds originate. This helps audio place layers and helps animators sync motion.

List signature moments: a unique idle call, an alert chirp, a charge roar, a hit reaction, a death sound, wing flaps, footfalls. Tie these to animation states when possible.

Also note material sound logic. Barding clanks differently than chitin. Wet skin has suctiony sounds. Feathered wings have soft whooshes. Biotech implants might have servos or bioelectric hums. These notes keep audio aligned with the visual materials.

Cross-discipline alignment: shared maps and naming

Final packages are strongest when they include shared naming for parts and zones. If the concept labels a “dorsal node,” VFX and animation can refer to that same label. This reduces miscommunication.

Include a simple labeled diagram with 8–15 named regions: head, jaw, neck, shoulder, flank, hip, tail base, tail tip, wing root, wing tip, weak point, armor plate, biotech node. Keep labels consistent across all sheets.

If your creature has modular gear, provide naming conventions for variants (collar_A, collar_B; plate_heavy; crest_elite). This helps asset management and helps future trims remain coherent.

Version control and handoff hygiene

A handoff package should be clean and organized. Provide a single PDF (or studio-standard format) with pages ordered logically: overview, beauty, turnarounds, materials, callouts, state sheets, maps. Use consistent page titles and a version number.

If the project uses multiple LODs or platform targets, include notes on what details can be dropped at lower LODs. If the creature will appear in marketing close-ups, note which areas deserve extra fidelity.

Always include a short “readme” paragraph: the creature’s role, key constraints, and the top three non-negotiables (for example: “head must stay small,” “wings must fold tight,” “weak point must remain visible on left shoulder”).

Common omissions that cause downstream pain

One common omission is not defining extremes. Rigs and animations break at maximum jaw open and maximum stride. Include those.

Another omission is unclear backside design. Even if the camera rarely sees it, gameplay often reveals it during turns or knockdowns. Modelers will need it.

A third omission is confusing paint with geometry. If markings are essential to the read, specify whether they are decals, texture, or modeled features.

Finally, lack of scale information causes constant rework. Provide approximate height, length, and footprint, even if it is rough.

Closing: the package is the product

A final package is not paperwork; it is the creature’s blueprint. It turns art into a shared, buildable reality. For concepting artists, packaging is how you preserve what matters and empower the team to execute. For production artists, packaging is how you build faster with fewer surprises and fewer contradictory interpretations.

When your package includes clear turnarounds, callouts, state sheets, and discipline-specific maps for 3D, rigging, AI, animation, VFX, and audio, you convert the creature concept pipeline from a series of beautiful images into a reliable path from brief to shipped content.