This week was relatively relaxed, compared to the last week where I was finishing a lot of things for the game. I have finally recorded all of the audio for both website and AR part. Given Chao some feedback on the final version of VR and fixed some graphics there. I was also trying to add 3d models on the website and apparently that only works in my browser since I have a free version.
But in everyone else’s browser it looks like that
If I have time to fix it, I will either try to create a GIF with animation of the model or have a sketchfab version of the models (they don’t allow to change size or have transparent background unfortunately)
I have also done the drawings for animatic that Chao is going to edit. I will now be focusing on the report for the user testing as the rest is mostly ready. We are also planning to record a user experience video so that will take some time, but otherwise we mostly have little things left.
Here is my process of building the final scene documented from building a cathedral in Blender to setting up the shader to change over time to adding the characters and setting them up to change over time and play the correct animation
On Monday of this week we have collected our 3d print that we both loved, it’s very nice to have something physical to go with the game.
After that I set up on a journey of creating our final scene You can see my progress here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oOxvce3JvO1s-f0US57q66-8WHKjQ3f8?usp=sharing I think in general I’m quite happy with how it turned out as it was not simple at all and required a loot of digging by I essentially build the palace itself with the characters in a day and then took around 2 days to set up the shaders and animations among doing other things.
I did also like to explore the architecture building in blender it was very interesting to learn. Then I have set up a non humanoid “character” as a golden butterfly at the beginning that gives you initial instructions
I have also done some graphics that will require some adjustments however
I will need to create a transparent background to it and change the wording a bit I have also booked an appointment with printing, however unfortunately they didn’t have matte self-adhesive paper, so we had to buy some
This week I started from finishing the element container and sending it to lcc 3d printing. It was an interesting experience as I needed to make sure that the top part of the model which will contain the ar target image is big enough, but the model itself isn’t too gigantic. The print is ready by now me and Chao are going to pick it up on Monday. Which I am excited about.
After that I was focusing on the website. I created a page for the spring/poems part. Read more poetry then I ever did in school. But it was quite an enjoyable experience as Chao have also supplied Taiwanese poetry, so we have 6 and 6 of Russian and Taiwanese poems. https://ingamasly.wixsite.com/website-1/autumn (password: spring)
After that I moved on to designing elements that you needed to collect I decided to make them look like I did on my illustration but in 3d
After the basic models were done Chao encouraged me to experiment with the shadergraphs. That I think brought real magic to the elements Here are some screen captures with them https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tPj8G5MHdztq8LP4_ihxBlxCqhmaQGfl/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vH4D6fk9Ks1hkMFWEnw2lwfXG8rUl5bZ/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/15v5SQTSr0dUt901NLvkPJjNwITwXRPP2/view?usp=sharing
What I really like about them is that they do look like their 2d versions both on website illustration and on the image target. I think I does make project feel more whole
Then I moved into my favourite creation of the week. The Password box. That is basically the object that will tell the player a password for the website, if the player finds it. I really didn’t want it to be a simple box or a chest, as I wanted something more magical, and so I went on pinterest in search of inspiration.
After Pinterest I started sketching different options. I liked the sphere the most. As it doesn’t necessarily reference any of the geometric shapes used for the elements
So I started different spheres options, trying really hard not to draw a poke ball
Then I was experimenting with spirals in blender
I do really like the shape of the swirl to be honest, it looks like a brush stroke in 3d, whish is kina what I was aiming for Here is my amazing concept art for the mechanics of revealing the password created in notes on my phone But it is essentially how the password reveal is going to work OnTriggerEnter(Collision other);
And here is one of the most magical thing I have created so far. I do really like how it looks. It is very subtle, but there is a smoke inside the sphere it can be better seen on the video
Here is the screen capture that showcases the password box with the animation https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kBOS486a_OQ-I6DkCFnLMWDAxFWSh8QN/view?usp=sharing This week was rather wonderful in terms of work, as I was simply creating beautiful things and reading poetry, and I feel rather well about our project overall.
This week I was working on graphics mostly I was creating the skyboxes for fall
was sending them to Chao and adjusting them based on her feedback I have also created a graphic element for one of the pages on the website And have also added music to the page, based on Chao’s suggestion, however I would prefer it to be something that plays on awake rather then something you need to turn on https://ingamasly.wixsite.com/website-1/winter (password: snow) Here are some wip of that image
But the biggest chunk of my time was spent on the app design, as it was rather hard to grasp what made a good menu design, but after quite some trial and tribulation I think I made it look quite nice, I’m rather happy about that
I also had to check with my friends so that it fits different screens I also worked on textures for the summer character that Chao has created
I used the UV pattern from blender as a guide for this I now plan on making the element container a bit more detailed, as we have settled on this one I plan on doing something like an engraving of 4 elements on all 4 sides
Also cleating a box for passwords in the game. Finishing the poems part on the website possibly And potentially a particle system for all 4 seasons characters.
This week I continued working on the AR app I rigged and created clothing for all the models (except for summer as Chao is focusing on it) I am quite satisfied with how they turned out But my favorite is by far the winter gone wrong
But the actual models turned out quite good as well. I also had to UV unwrap the clothes as I wanted to add some textures to some of them
The above is winter(gone right). This is spring
Here I was testing both the movement and the clothes textures. I do quite like it, however I am not sure about the specific dance is it too “sensual”? However Chao liked it, so maybe I will leave it. The spring character also seems to be the heaviest one (I’m suspecting that is because of the head, the geometry is way to complex there) and so my phone struggles with rendering it. This however was not the case for chao but was the case for my other friend who I asked to test the app, so I may need to find a way to simplify the head for the AR part. The app https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YpnKHZkZU5O4tC4JQ485sqgiOeLo65o0/view?usp=sharing I have also created a skybox for winter terrain, and adjusted it based on Chao’s feedback, so we both really like how it looks all together
We have also conducted a sort of preliminary testing for our user research. (preliminary, as it is a bit rushed, cause today is the last day I would be able to have access to this person, and finding people with access to headsets is quite challenging) However this helped us to understand how to structure the further testing. The testing was recorded, however the subject of the testing (my friend) asked not to distribute the recording amongst anyone apart from Chao and myself. At the end of the week I have also started designing the element container
This week have also build the app and tested the core functionality Adding sound Changing characters on rotation and adding animation to charecters Me and chao have also tested continuous movement on us and 1 of my friend, and managed to make it less “sick”
And below is the process of me modeling hair for winter character
I wanted it to be more complicated and elegant then the rest, got really inspired by some hairstyles
The winter character is supposed to have the most unrealistic body among all of the characters, It’s long alien like and bony
The facial expression was so difficult to execute !!!!!
As it will not be changing but it has to constantly express the character, so I used a lot of smirk reference pictures as I wanted to capture that “I’m better then you look”
Who knew that clothes will be such a problem when rigging. I have tried a lot of different methods to make it work and somehow the most helpful one was a 2 min tutorial
But I thought now will be as good of a time as any to share my youtube playlist for this unit
