Design Exploration
27 April 2024- 3 July 2024
NABIL JULIUS DORN (037978)
(SUBJECT) | Bachelor of Design in Creative Media | Taylor's University
Task 1: TITLE
List
INSTRUCTIONS
This is the Module Information Booklet for this module:
Module briefing:
This module enables students to explore and widen their individual
technology and design competencies for their chosen area of
specialization. Students will be able to investigate and aim to broaden
their design exploration to meet current and future forecasted
technology or creative media design directions.
This module allows students to self-generate a brief on a chosen area of
technological specialization or creative design innovation. The students
will research and prototype cutting edge technology or design
innovations in an area to be agreed with the lecturers and from its
findings generate concepts which could potentially enhance the existing
technology or design practice and extend the boundaries of currently
available technology and the design industry. Assessment will be by
presentation and mock-up of the prototype.
TASK - Proposal
During the proposal presentation, I decided to go forward with 3D
environment design animation but while also learning a new 3D program called
Unreal Engine 5.5.
Moodboard
|
| Fig 1 Character and props inspiration |
|
| Fig 2 Landscape aesthetic inspiration |
|
| Fig 3 Atmosphere of environment |
|
| Fig 4 Scene inspiration of temple |
My idea was to have a character come out of a dark cave-like scene into an
opening showing a lake or a body of water with an abandoned temple in the
distance.
The scene would have subtle animations of the foliage, some animals as well
as the body of water. It would also showcase the character moving into the
scene and the camera view.
Scene Preparation
I first started out by blocking out the scene in Unreal Engine using assets
from a free project called Electric Dreams Environment as well as a free
temple asset pack from Max Hay.
|
| Fig 5 Temple asset pack from Max Hay |
|
| Fig 6 Landscape assets from Electric Dreams Environment pack |
After collecting all the assets I planned to use, I began blocking out the landscape and camera angle for the initial video.
|
| Fig 7 Scene blocking out |
Below is the final scene from above after placing all the different objects.
|
| Fig 8 Arial shot of final landscape |
After placing all the various general landscape elements, such as rocks and
some vegetation, I began detailing the environment to make it feel more
natural and living.
|
| Fig 9 Landscape detail |
|
| Fig 10 Temple Ruin detail |
|
| Fig 11 Temple Detail with frog |
|
| Fig 12 Landscape detail |
After adding all the necessary detail, I began adding particle systems and
camera placements for the different video shots
|
| Fig 13 Landscape camera placement |
|
| Fig 14 Landscape camera placements |
|
| Fig 15 Particle system for falling leaves |
I added a character to provide a realistic and relatable figure that the
viewer can identify with.
|
| Fig 16 Character |
I then added more moving parts to bring the environment to life, such as
animating birds flying through the screen and a frog jumping into the water.
|
| Fig 17 Bird model |
|
| Fig 18 Frog model |
I began animating the cameras movement, the characters animation, and the
animals movements using the Unreal Engine sequencer.
|
| Fig 19 UE5 sequencer |
Here are more screenshots of the environment made during this project:
|
| FIg 20 Temple ruin |
|
| Fig 21 landscape shot |
|
| Fig 22 God rays through the trees |
|
| Fig 23 Temple detail |
Final Video: Link
FEEDBACK
W2: Mr Asrizal approved of my initial idea
W3: Mr Asrizal approved my proposal idea of the 3D landscape animation.
W6: There wasn't a character yet in the environment as I had planned in
the proposal, so Mr Asrizal made a remark regarding that. Otherwise he
said the environment was impressive!
W9: After adding the character in, and doing final touches, the
environment was almost ready. Mr Asrizal asked for me to compile my
progress and project details for submission.
REFLECTIONS
It was always my goal to pick up Unreal Engine as it was suggested by so
many people online, and my friends, to try, but I've never had the
opportunity or time to really pick it up and learn it. Having this
module not only allowed me to actually sit down and learn it, but I made
it compulsory for myself to learn it during this module.
Learning Unreal Engine was not only complicated but also very fun. This
would have been a mountain for me to climb and accomplish if it weren't
for my previous knowledge of using other 3D programs such as Blender.
The comparison between the two, however, is vast, but they also share
some common similarities. It was so refreshing for me to design
environments and see them all interact with each other in real time.
This was only possible through Unreal Engine's optimization in
performance.
I am grateful to Mr. Asrizal for allowing me full creative freedom in
this project. This module was a very fun and very interesting subject.
Comments
Post a Comment