About

This blog will document my progress throughout the KNB137 Digital Worlds unit.  This unit focuses on exploring the practice and theories of real-time computer graphics in the context of modern film and animation production. It will also explore the conventions of embedded environmental narratives within immersive real-time environments.

The unit focus will be undertaken through the development of a real-time 3D project over the course of the semester.  Inspired by Indiana Jones, the setting of this real-time 3D project is as follows:

"The setting for the virtual environment is a dark cave lit only by daylight coming through a crack in the cave's roof. The cave was once an ancient place of worship for a long-lost culture and has been cut off from the outside world since the 1500s, some segments of cave walls of the cave appear to have been built out of handmade stone bricks whereas other parts are constructed from stacked boulders. The opening in the roof of the cave has allowed water, light and plants to get in and take root in the cave. At the centre of the cave is a cylinder-shaped stone altar upon it sits a gold idol, a bust, that closely resembles a Cycladic figurine. Set a bit out from the altar in a circle around the centre point are evenly spaced stone seats, seated on a few are statues, full-body forms of the idol.  But wait did one just move..."

This project will be split into two assessment pieces. The first will be focused on developing a 3D Asset Collection, which will involve some initial planning/conceptualisation of what the cave environment and different assets that comprise it will look like, modelling  and texturing the cycladic golden statue, and putting together a scene featuring this hero asset atop an altar as well as a small segment of the cave environment floor with some set dressing. The second will be focused on developing a real-time cinematic environment, wherein the scene developed in the first part of this project will be expanded upon to include the full cave environment as well as add in 2-3 different characters with the aim of embedding a narrative through the created environment.