Chapter 4: Production Constraints 101

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Production Constraints 101 (Metrics, Cameras, Rating / Platform Limits)

Production constraints are not obstacles; they are the rails that make characters shippable. Great character concept artists—on both the concepting and production sides—translate constraints into clear decisions about silhouette, materials, animation, and VFX so the character reads instantly, plays reliably, and passes certification on the first try. This article summarizes core constraints, how they differ across indie vs AAA, the deliverables that de‑risk each constraint, and a collaboration map to keep everyone aligned.

1) Metrics: The Measurable Rules Your Designs Must Respect

1.1 Scale & Proportions Characters must align to world scale so animations, cover systems, and props work.

  • Establish standard heights (e.g., 170–190 cm adult human) and a head‑count proportion (7–8.5 heads).
  • Mark joint centers (shoulder, elbow, hip, knee) and hand/foot widths; these drive collision capsules and IK targets.
  • Include cape/skirt spread and hair volume in neutral pose—these affect occlusion and collision.

Deliverable: Orthos with ruler ticks, a 1 m scale bar, and capsule guides; turnaround with cape/hair volume callouts.

1.2 Triangle Budgets & LOD Strategy

  • Define triangle counts per LOD (e.g., LOD0 60–90k hero, LOD1 30–50k, LOD2 8–15k; project‑specific).
  • Prioritize triangles where reads matter (face, hands, emblem edges). Push secondary forms into normal maps.
  • Annotate bake ranges (bevels, stitches) so sculptors know what to capture in maps vs geo.

Deliverable: Materials/callout page listing LOD targets and where silhouette must be preserved across LODs.

1.3 Textures, Texel Density & Materials Count

  • Maintain consistent texel density (e.g., 512–1024 px/m gameplay, 2–4k for cinematics).
  • Limit material slots to reduce draw calls; bundle small items into atlases.
  • Reserve mask channels for color variants (skins) without exploding texture count.

Deliverable: Materials table (ID → shader/material → map set), texel density notes, and an atlas suggestion diagram.

1.4 Skeleton, Deformation & Safe Zones

  • Respect joint ranges: avoid seam lines and hard ornaments across elbows, knees, clavicle.
  • Define no‑twist/no‑interpenetration zones; show skirt profiles; manage belts/straps across deformation.
  • Provide holster/sheath fit and reload paths that won’t clip during common animations.

Deliverable: Pose sheet with start/hold/impact silhouettes, rig notes on deformation‑heavy areas, and belt/strap routing.

1.5 Cloth/Hair/Physics Cost

  • Long capes, chains, tassels, and free hair are expensive. Offer lengths and streamer alternatives.
  • Identify which elements can be baked motion (animated textures) vs simulated.

Deliverable: Callouts labeling simulated vs baked elements; “performance toggles” page for low‑spec.

1.6 Memory & Streaming

  • Characters must fit within per‑scene memory limits; avoid unique 4k textures across the set.
  • Plan shared materials and modular kits (boots, gloves, armor plates) to reuse in variants.

Deliverable: Variant/skins plan with shared atlases and a reuse matrix.

2) Cameras: Designing for the Views That Matter

2.1 First‑Person (FPP) Viewmodels

  • Hands/arms dominate frame; micro‑materials, glove silhouette, finger landmarks, and wrist reads matter most.
  • Sleeve and wrist geometry must not occlude sights; materials must not flare under bloom.

Deliverable: Viewmodel sheet: hands at common FOVs, reload/inspect poses, reflection test swatches.

2.2 Third‑Person (TPP) Over‑the‑Shoulder

  • Silhouette clarity from mid‑distance; capes, backpacks, and shoulder gear must avoid camera occlusion.
  • Weapon read must remain clean against busy environments; reserve value contrast on torso/head.

Deliverable: Distance read board (5 m, 10 m, 20 m), with lighting overlays (day/night/fog/bloom).

2.3 Isometric / Top‑Down

  • Primary forms do the work; micro‑detail collapses. Exaggerate contrast bands and simplify textures.

Deliverable: ISO read test thumbnails with 64–128 px body size; icon silhouettes for UI.

2.4 VR/AR

  • Real‑scale scrutiny; hand affordances, grip logic, and surface believability are critical. Avoid noisy patterns that shimmer.

Deliverable: 1:1 scale callouts for grab points; collision outlines for interactive props; material honesty notes.

2.5 Marketing/Cinematics

  • Close‑up fidelity: face grammar, microfabric, pore‑level roughness variation. Avoid details that contradict gameplay model.

Deliverable: Hero frame(s) + expression range strip tied to cinematic beats.

3) Ratings & Platform Limits (What You Can’t Ship—or Must Tame)

3.1 Content Ratings (ESRB/PEGI/Regional)

  • Visuals affecting rating: blood color/amount, dismemberment, sexualized anatomy, drug symbols, hate iconography.
  • Prepare regional variants (insignia swaps, toned‑down wear/gore). Keep “rating pressure” areas modular for quick edits.

Deliverable: Sensitivity sheet listing replaceable decals/insignia, gore toggles, modesty options.

3.2 Platform Certification & Performance

  • Some platforms cap materials per mesh, enforce mip and memory limits, and discourage high alpha‑overdraw.
  • Avoid dense transparency stacks (feathers, hair cards) without a fallback. Mark fallback LODs in callouts.

Deliverable: Platform matrix (materials count, alpha budget, texture caps) with per‑platform toggles.

3.3 Accessibility

  • Color‑blind safety; shape/pattern redundancies for IFF; readable fonts/insignia in UI portraits.

Deliverable: Accessibility strip showing ally/enemy/tier reads under common color‑blind filters.

4) Indie vs AAA: How Constraint Handling Changes

Indie (1–20 devs)

  • Generalists own silhouettes → orthos → callouts and validate reads in engine quickly.
  • Constraints are negotiated live; reuse and atlasing are vital. Viewmodel and TPP models might share materials.

AAA (100+ devs)

  • Exploration artists set style pillars that inherently respect constraints (e.g., “no ankle‑length capes”).
  • Production concept artists ship rigorous orthos/callouts, vendor packs, and performance toggles.
  • Skins/Live‑Ops teams operate inside budgets with reuse matrices and rarity rails.

Across both, the principle holds: constraints are design inputs that you visualize early.

5) Deliverables That De‑Risk Constraints

  • Metrics Ortho: Scale bar, joint centers, capsule guides, cape/hair volumes, footwear widths.
  • LOD Preservation Map: Which silhouette edges must remain across LODs; what collapses to normals.
  • Materials/Atlas Plan: Materials table, shared atlas layout, mask channel reservations.
  • Cameras Read Board: 1‑second read tests at distances/FOVs; fog/bloom/night overlays.
  • Physics Budget Callouts: Sim vs baked; chain/cape alternatives; slider for low‑spec.
  • Rating/Region Pack: Replaceable decals, modesty swaps, gore toggles; prohibited symbol list.
  • Platform Matrix: Materials per mesh, texture caps, alpha budget, fallback LODs.
  • Accessibility Strip: Ally/enemy/tier reads with pattern/value backups.

6) Collaboration Map

Design (Game/System/Level): Align on role verbs, encounter distances, kit affordances; review camera read boards.

Animation/Tech Animation: Validate skirt profiles, holster paths, start/impact poses; agree on no‑twist zones.

Character/Tech Art: Finalize material IDs, atlas plans, shader hooks, LOD preservation; confirm texel density.

VFX/Audio: Reserve glow/value ranges; mark emitter sockets and impact materials; avoid FX erasing material reads.

UI/UX: Icon silhouettes, portrait busts, IFF pattern rails; HUD occlusion constraints.

Cinematics/Marketing: Close‑up fidelity targets; expression range; hero frames.

Production/Outsourcing/QA: Versioned vendor packs; acceptance criteria; bug triage paintovers; platform checklists.

Legal/Compliance/Cultural Review: Insignia approval, rating pressure items, regional variants.

7) Checklists & Review Gates

Gate A — Brief → Metrics Lock

  • Heights, capsules, LOD targets, texel density, materials cap agreed.
  • Deliver: Metrics Ortho + Materials/Atlas Plan.

Gate B — Cameras & Performance

  • Distance/FOV read approved; physics budget set; accessibility pass complete.
  • Deliver: Cameras Read Board + Physics Budget Callouts + Accessibility Strip.

Gate C — Rating/Platform

  • Regional swaps identified; platform matrix approved.
  • Deliver: Rating/Region Pack + Platform Matrix.

Gate D — Vendor/Build

  • All callouts labeled; change log started; acceptance criteria signed.
  • Deliver: Vendor Pack PDF + layered sources.

8) Common Pitfalls (and Practical Fixes)

  • Cape/Skirt occlusion: Shorten hems; add slits; replace with streamer clusters.
  • Alpha overdraw spikes: Replace stacked feathers with card clusters; limit transparency layers; add fallback.
  • Palette fights with VFX: Reserve hue/value ranges; add “no‑glow zones” to callouts.
  • Unbounded texel density: Provide density checker renders and enforce atlas reuse.
  • Rating surprises late: Keep sensitive decals modular; pre‑approve with legal/cultural review.

9) Routines for Sustainable Constraint Literacy

Daily (30–60 min): One constraint‑focused micro‑artifact (e.g., LOD preservation map or accessibility strip) + a paintover for a partner team.

Weekly (1–2 hrs): Engine read test across lighting; platform matrix review with tech art; archive wins/misses.

Monthly (Half day): Post‑mortem a shipped character’s constraint trail; update vendor guide; expand reuse matrix.

10) Final Thought

Constraints are your co‑designer. Treat metrics, cameras, ratings, and platforms as visual problems to solve early with the right deliverables. Whether you’re the indie generalist sprinting to vertical slice or the AAA specialist feeding a global vendor pipeline, the habit is the same: make limits visible, decide fast, and package those decisions so everyone else can build with confidence.