NewTerm/NewBrief

Monday 10^th January 2011

Exploring Specialist Pathway

MAYA

Study of the Design Brief in depth.

Case Studies of game creation.

Research conducted in sketchbook format.

In this our first lecture back we have received the Introduction to the module.

I have detailed this below as will no doubt refer back to it a lot during the course of the term running through to summer 2011.

BRIEF:

Working under a project art manager, you will participate in the creation of the example game level. The game goes under the heading Auriga Redux .

During our discussions today roles have been assigned for different aspects of the game, broadly split between 2D and 3D artists. I myself have been assigned

that of 3d artist.

3D artists

Your role will be to create 3D assets and animations for the project.  I will model, unwrap and animate characters and environments for the project. I will need to follow the designs created by the concept artists (Alicia) to make our models and animations. 

For both of these roles we will have to work to strict deadlines and in close collaboration with the artists in the 'other' specialism.  Alicia & I have been given a specific part of the game level to design and create. 

As Pair 2 we will be required to produce...

Pair 2

The Player Character

                       

25 - 50 concept designs – clearly related to research, coloured and mounted

Final digital concept design – printed and mounted image, A3

Modelled in 3D (suitable for a game engine), 2000 polygon limit

Model unwrapped and exported as a jpg for texturing

Texture map created and applied - clearly related to research, 512 x 512 limit

Fully rigged model

Storyboard of animations – standing, walk, run, whip, hit (l/r), turn (l/r), death

Animatic of all planned animations

Animated -  standing, walk, run, whip, hit (l/r), turn (l/r), death

Rendered image sequence (.mov) – showing all animations

Rendered images showing final design - printed and mounted image, A3

The Chariots

25 - 50 concept designs – clearly related to research, coloured and mounted

Final digital concept design – printed and mounted image, A3

Modelled in 3D (suitable for a game engine), 350 polygon limit

Model unwrapped and exported as a jpg for texturing

Texture map created and applied - clearly related to research, 256 x 256 limit

Storyboard of animations – moving, turn and “death”

Animatic of all planned animations

Animated -  moving, turn (l/r), death

Rendered image sequence (.mov) – showing all animations

Rendered images showing final design - printed and mounted image, A3

The Floor and the Sky

20 – 40 concept designs
Modelled skydome / skybox (suitable for a game engine), 200 polygon limit
Modelled floor (suitable for a game engine), 400 polygon limit
Model unwrapped and exported as a jpg for texturing
Texture maps created and applied – flat, scuffed, bloody, 256 x 256 limit (total)
                       

For both of these roles you will have to work to strict deadlines and work in close collaboration with the artists in the 'other' specialism.

Given the complexity of this brief, certainly compared to last term this seems like a big ask! The only saving grace is the time frame we are working to, the fact we are working in conjunction with one another and that on first read the other subject brief’s may not be as time consuming as they may have been. This said it looks like a steep learning curve to get my 3D skills to a point where I can produce the elements required and to a standard that won’t fall short of my peers.

My other reservations are due to not having anything like the gaming background the other members of the group have either from a playing background or know how of gaming in general. As the natural start point for research on the project will be gaming I will need to make this the 1^st thing to look into.

Feedback from Term1

As my feedback appears to have fallen short on referencing & background reading I am making this my ambition  and will be attending the University Library to aquire the reading list books or similar to help. Secondly each of the web links to 3D have now become entries on my web browser favourites and I will be getting a YouTube downloader sorted.