When I set out to build the first environment as a proof of concept, I took an unusual approach by creating a texture that I was going to use on my 3d models BEFORE I created any 3d models. This texture is just a collage of interesting Aztec-inspired patterns that tile properly.
Once I was done with the image I went into Maya and started building modular structures that the player could view from the top or the sides, and in some cases from the bottom as well. I didn't really have specific designs in mind when I started modeling; I was acting on more of an impulse I had developed by looking at Aztec structures for years and years. Once the object was done I applied the texture and started arranging it in real-time until it looked good. As with the model, I did not have a specific angle of attack when I began this process. It both cases, it was a very quick and very satisfying process and it is exactly how I built all of the modular pieces that the existing environments are built from.
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