3D Modeling & Animation

Planning & Storyboard

Pictures:

1: Asset list 

2: Floor plan

3: Storyboard 1

4: Storyboard 2

5: Storyboard 3

Concept and Story Development

What is the title and concept of your original game? (Identify which prompt you used)

Whispers in the study 

What is the purpose of your cut-scene in the game's story?

The purpose of my cut-scene is...

Who or what is the ‘character’ in your animation? What makes this character unique or expressive?

The character in my scene is the mysterious object, and it is unique because it is magic and floats in the air as it radiates with energy. 

How does your cut-scene tell a story without using dialogue?

My cut-scene tells a story without dialogue because it shows the crystal balls power by having the books fly into the air, having the ball levitate, and having the candle lights flicker. 

Asset and Prop Design

What are all the models (assets or props) you will need to build for your scene?

I will need to build the books, bookshelves, walls, circular table, normal table, candles, the crystal ball and the floor and ceiling.  

Which of these items will require detailed modeling or special attention?

The crystal ball will be very detailed and will require special attention because it is the main focus in this scene. 

 Which objects or characters (if any) will need to be rigged for movement?

I do not have any characters that need to be rigged. 

How does the design of your character reflect their personality or role in the story?

The design of my character reflects its role because it is a mysterious crystal ball that just looks like it could be magic. 

Environment and Layout

What does the layout of your scene look like? Where are the key objects placed?

The layout of my scene is a small open room with a little area on the back right, thats where the circular table and the mysterious object are going to be. 

Where will your camera(s) be placed, and why?

My camera will be placed near the doorway of the study so you can get a good view of the room, then it will move closer to the table as to center and focus on the crystal ball as it moves up. Finally it will move back to the door to show the how the room changes dew to the crystal ball 

How does your layout support the flow of the cut-scene?

My layout supports the flow of the cut-scene because it provides a clear path for the camera to move that allows it to show off and take in  focusing on my main character. 

Asset & Prop Design

• Object 1

• Object 2

• etc.

Artifact 1

What inspired your texture design choices?

The "Seven Seeing Stones" from Lord Of The Rings inspired my design choices.

What challenges did you face while unwrapping or packing your UVs, and how did you solve them?

A challenge that i faced while I was unwrapping and packing my UV,s was that sometimes even using pack custom would still have a stretched effect on the texture, and that problem by just looking around the internet and trying out different textures until I found one that wasn't stretched.

How does your material setup (PBR or Physical) enhance the realism of your model?

My material setup enhances the realism of my model because I used a physical material and then added transparency to add more texture and design   uniqueness that made my model more realistic.

What part of your finished model are you most proud of, and why?

The part of my finished model that I most proud of in the texturing and overall design of it. I say that because I just think its super cool that the crystal ball has layers and isn't just a plain color or design. 

Artifact 2

How do your assets connect to the chosen prompt?

My assets connect to the prompt I chose because every one of the props that I made myself made were specifically in the prompt. 

What kind of environment did you decide to build (e.g., classroom, sci-fi lab, fantasy forest)? Why did you choose this setting?

I decided to build a medieval looking study/library in the wood. I did that because i just feel like it matches the tone and vibe of a magical wizards study. 

Describe one prop or object you’re most proud of. What makes it successful?

The prop I'm most proud of is the square table that I made. Its successful because I just feel that its very well made and simple, and i managed to find textures that had very minimal stretching which makes it look pretty realistic.

What challenges did you face while modeling your assets, and how did you solve them? 

A challenge that I faced while modeling my assets was that the textures I was importing kept being very stretched and ruining the look of my models, I solved that problem by just not giving up and I eventually found textures that weren't stretched and also looked good.

How did you organize your scene and files (naming, layers, groups, etc.)?

I organized my scene files by making a separate file  for every single prop and asset that I made and I named the files after the model, then once I was finished with making all the models I made a new 3ds Max file and imported all of the model files into it. 

How did creating an asset list help you plan or stay on track?

Creating an asset list helped me keep on track because I knew exactly what I should be doing and I had a plan of what to make instead of making it up in my head as I went along, which would have token more time. 

What did you learn about asset creation or scene design during this phase of the project?

The thing that i learned about asset creation and scene design during this phase of the project is that sometimes simple is better. What I mean by that is some models or scenes are just better being simple, and adding a ton of detail is sometimes just unnecessary and a waste of time. 

What are you most excited to work on next (for the upcoming texturing, lighting, or animation phase)?

Next I am most exited to work on my animation for my crystal ball.

Artifact 3

What mood or atmosphere did you aim to create with your lighting?

I aimed to create a medieval and magical atmosphere 

Which types of lights did you use, and how did they work together?

I used Omni lights for the lanterns, because it would imitate the way a lanterns light goes all around in a full circle, and I used a Target Spotlight to imitate the sun because it can provide a direct stream of light downwards on my scene .

How did color temperature and light intensity affect your scene’s tone?

The color and temperature and light intensity affects my scenes tone because when I made the lights intensity and color mildly low it gave a chill, magical tone. When I make the lights color and intensitys to high it gives more of a modern vibe. 

What challenges did you face when setting up or balancing your lights?

A challenge that I faced while I was setting up my lights was that I was on the last 2 lights of my scene (both lanterns,) when they lights just would not light up, I tried everything but the problem still occurred, so in the end I just decided I had enough light and just to leave those 2 lanterns blank. 

How does your lighting enhance the storytelling of your project prompt?

My lighting enhance the storytelling of my project prompt because  it gives the the storytelling and just scene in general a vibe and tone so its more interesting and not so bland. 

Artifact 4

How did you ensure your animation looped seamlessly?

I ensured that my animation looped seamlessly by making the camera move back to its original spot at the end of the animation so that it looped.

How did you use camera movement to enhance storytelling?

I used camera movement to enhance storytelling by making the camera stop and focused on the crystal ball when  it flew into the air, and when it fell back down so that people would have there attention on the crystal ball as it moved. 

Sources 

Walls and Ceiling -  Wall by Quaternius 

Door arch - Arch by Quaternius 

Door - Arch Door by Quaternius 

Floor - Floor Tile by Quaternius 

Books - Book by Quaternius,  Book by Quaternius,  Book by Quaternius,  Book by Quaternius,  Spellbook by Georg Bossenz [CC-BY] via Poly Pizza 

Lantern - Lantern by Kay Lousberg 

Window - Window Bars by Quaternius 

Trees - Pine Trees by Quaternius 

Open book  -Open Book by Quaternius