Low-poly modeling is where your kit list becomes real geometry. You are still avoiding high-poly sculpt noise—the goal is readable silhouettes, consistent wall thickness, and edge loops that will not fight UV seams in Lesson 5.

Lesson Objective

By the end of this lesson you will have:

1. At least one straight wall module, one corner module, and one floor tile modeled to the sizes in your Lesson 3 table
2. Quads on every visible game surface (triangles only where you accept a pole or fan)
3. Thickness and overhang rules that match stylized readability—not paper-thin walls unless your style demands it
4. A quick orthographic silhouette check from four horizontal angles for each new module

Step 1: Duplicate blockout, then model beside it

1. Save As a new blend file (for example ENV_Kit_Modeling_v01.blend) so you can always reopen pure blockout.
2. For the first module (W_S_2M0 or whatever you named it), duplicate the blockout cube, move the copy to a KIT_Workbench collection, and apply scale if you scaled in Object Mode.
3. In Edit Mode, inset or extrude to establish wall thickness immediately—do not leave single planes for exterior walls unless your engine uses double-sided materials on purpose (rare for exteriors).

Pro tip: Keep the original blockout mesh hidden on another layer or collection as a size cage; delete vertices only after the new shell matches outer dimensions.

Step 2: Shape language from your reference board

1. Open your Lesson 1 board. Pick three words (for example chunky, tapered, scalloped) and translate each into one bevel or inset habit you repeat on kit pieces.
2. On straights, favor large planes with one hero break (a buttress, a window reveal, a beam step)—not ten small bumps that disappear at mip 3.
3. On corners, decide inset vs chamfer vs extruded column—the corner often carries silhouette, so spend extra poly budget here before generic mid-wall spans.

Common mistake: Copying high-poly trim from concept art onto every module. Suggest detail with shadow-catching steps; save noise for hero props.

Step 3: Edge flow for UVs you have not cut yet

You will unwrap in Lesson 5, but now is when you earn clean islands:

1. Loop edges horizontally around window and door openings so you can select a face loop later without zig-zags.
2. Avoid long n-gons on flat walls; grid subdivisions only where detail needs support.
3. Mark sharp edges with Edge Crease sparingly—stylized often uses weighted normals or flat shading groups in engine later; you only need creases that survive Subdivision if you use it (this track assumes low-poly flat shading or smooth groups in export).

Mini challenge: On one wall piece, preview UV unwrap with Smart UV just to see stretch hot spots—do not finalize; fix topology if poles cluster on large visible faces.

Step 4: Floor tiles and vertical alignment

1. Floor modules should have flat top faces on a constant Z (or Y-up habit if you already chose Y for ground in Lesson 2—stay consistent with your blockout).
2. Bottom faces can be deleted if never seen, or kept for lightmap / collision export rules—note the choice in your readme.
3. Snap finished walls to floor grid using vertex snap so corner posts meet tiles without Z-fighting gaps.

Step 5: Naming, pivots, and apply transforms

1. Rename meshes to match Lesson 3 IDs (W_S_2M0, W_CI_90, …).
2. Set origins per your pivot doc (bottom center back for walls, etc.). Object → Set Origin after mesh is final for that pass.
3. Apply Rotation and Scale before export tests (Ctrl+A).

Verification checklist

• [ ] Module bounding box matches table within 1–2 cm (or your documented tolerance)
• [ ] Corner mates straight with no overlap flicker when instances abut
• [ ] Silhouette reads in flat grey material without textures

Troubleshooting

• Walls feel paper-thin - Extrude inward from blockout outer shell; measure thickness in meters and write it in the kit table.
• Corners poke through - Scale corner piece only after checking angle bisector; often the straight module width must shrink slightly at junctions.
• Too many verts - Merge coplanar faces; dissolve edges that do not support silhouette or UV seams.
• Lost modularity - If one wall is unique, fork the mesh and suffix _HERO so kit stats stay honest.

FAQ

Should I use modifiers (Mirror, Bevel) while modeling?
Yes, Mirror for symmetric straights and Bevel with clamp for stylized edges—apply before UV Lesson 5 if your pipeline requires applied meshes for export.

Subdivision or no?
For this course track, stay game-res low poly; SubD is optional for bakes later. If you SubD, keep a cage copy without SubD for engine LOD0.

When do I sculpt?
Hero props only in later lessons; kit walls stay hand modeled for predictable texel use.

Recap

• You replaced blockout with real meshes per module IDs
• You prioritized silhouette and corner read over surface noise
• You laid edge flow that expects UV cuts next

Next Lesson Teaser

Lesson 5: UV Strategy and Texel Density turns these meshes into consistent texture resolution across kit pieces—seams hidden in creases, texels matched floor to wall.

Cross-link: refresh scale habits with our Blender for Game Assets guide and the Blender to Unity and Godot export pipeline article before you lock final dimensions.

Bookmark this lesson if you are batch modeling kit pieces across multiple evenings, and share it with anyone who skips silhouette tests until texturing.