Today, we know San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area as a global center of innovation for the arts and sciences. But what will it look like in the near future? We decided to take on that design challenge and make an endlessly customizable 3D asset Kit so that you, the creators of the virtual frontier, can use it to tell stories for the next generation! Read below to learn more from our team about how our new Neo San Francisco Kit came to life!
SHOP ‘NEO SAN FRANCISCO’
What’s the story behind the Neo San Francisco Kit?
Maxx Burman, Co-Founder (KB3D):
Neo San Francisco is all about tongue and cheek fun revolving around tech giants. From the architecture, to the set dressing, to the graphic design and branding, we had a blast coming up with what San Francisco would look like in the near future if tech companies continued to get crazier and crazier with their headquarters and their advertising. Personally, I love the way the team incorporated some of the faux brands from our other Kits as easter eggs in this Kit, reimagined within the genre.
What was your favorite part about working on/with the Neo San Francisco Kit and why?
Irena Smitakova, Environment Artist (The Lion King, Star Wars: Andor):
I enjoyed the small details the Kit offers as well as the option to use it within Houdini, which is my current primary software I am developing my skills for. Another part I enjoyed when making the cover art is that I always love creating futuristic worlds – it’s been quite a passion of mine in the last few years!
Mike Reese, Head of Kits (KB3D):
My favorite part of working on Neo San Francisco came towards the tail end of production when we were working with the graphic designer and implementing all the amazing LED banners, holograms, and signage that was developed for the Kit. Neo San Francisco is a very complex Kit all around, but when all of the graphical elements were being implemented, I could feel the theme finally solidifying into its complete form. It was extremely satisfying to move around the Kit and see how each model, material, and graphical element supported each other. This was a massive team effort and everyone is very proud of the final result.
Fabio Fernandes, Concept Art (KB3D):
My favorite part of the Kit was working with concepts by Paula Garcia and the chance to play around and borrow from hi-tech architectural styles and Calatrava-inspired organic forms. I feel like the combination is quite interesting, giving a sense of a futuristic vibe while still being grounded and recognizable. Another cool detail, for me, that was actually a result of a happy accident is the Civic Center model. The overall shape of the asset somewhat resembles the Millennium Falcon!
Mihailo Radosevic, 3D Models (KB3D):
The best part of working on Neo San Francisco for me was playing with the iconic buildings of San Fran and figuring out how to incorporate the "Neo" style into them. I wanted artists to be able to play with both the old and the Neo part of the buildings, so I created "neo-architectural-shells" which were incorporated on top of the old buildings, using the same logic as if those add-ons were made in real life. The same goes for the tall buildings; most have facades made of glass, so it was a fun challenge to figure out how to create the interior part of the buildings so there is some visual noise behind that glass. That also means that artists using this Kit can populate those floors with furniture, people, robots, etc!
Keaton Nugent, Graphics:
My favorite part of working on this Kit was getting to mix high-concept futurism design with a sense of humor and self-awareness. I got to flex my design muscles by taking emerging graphic design trends and pushing them forward into the future. I loved poking fun at the corporate culture of San Francisco - there are tons of little inside jokes hidden throughout the designs.
Is there anything about the Neo San Francisco Kit that you’d like to shout-out?
Mike Reese, Head of Kits (KB3D):
I want to give a big shout-out to Mihailo, our modeler for this Kit. He gave each building an absurd amount of thought and attention. He made sure that every element had great articulation and purpose behind it. That level of thoughtfulness helps our Kits feel real and makes it easy for creators to make their scenes feel lived-in. Some of the buildings alone already feel like a complete world.
Mihailo Radosevic, 3D Models (KB3D):
My favorite piece is the reimagined Port of San Francisco building. The old architecture can be seen through the glass, and I also tried to create the left and right wings of the building to resemble two ocean liners.
Keaton Nugent, Graphics:
Yes! I love the running FUDCUP gag throughout the kits. I wanted to put a Silicon Valley spin on it, so I made FUDCUP: Pills - Now in "Burger'' flavor. I imagine the tech bros of Neo San Francisco would love to save time in their busy lives. The idea of a product that takes all the joy out of food by turning eating into a chore is just hilarious to me. Some of my favorite designs I did were the banners for the History museum, the illustrations for megacorp, and the posters for the science museum.
Gabriela Herrera, Textures (KB3D):
Starting with the Corinthian-style columns and ending with the metal-framed glass geodesic dome, my favorite building is undoubtedly the Civic Center. This piece is a great example where we can see a harmony of ancient materials and forms combined with the new-age “Neo” concept.
Anderson Araujo, Textures (KB3D):
I'd like to shout-out the Golden Gate Bridge! It is so big and has a ton of details, and overall I loved how it looked in the end. I really had a lot of fun trying to put some history into the textures for the whole Kit but especially for this model.
Ready to try our new Neo San Francisco Kit for yourself? Click here to get started! The Kit comes ready to use in all the top 3D software, including Blender, Unreal Engine, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Houdini, Maya, and Unity (and you can always re-download in other formats after your purchase)! Happy KitBashing!
