3D Project 1 – Asset Pack

3. Choose a final location

I have decided to choose the film set as I like the idea of it more and feel it is a more obtainable goal, as the kind of models needed are much easier to produce then something such as the Knight Armour. I also think it will be easier to find reference images for as I can focus on specific cameras or mics and find promotional material to use with different angles.

5. Making my assets

2/11/21 – I modelled and UV’ed the clapboard, which I used uv tiles for and used the image in the table for reference. I have begun modelling the theatre spotlight and need to add more detail.

11/11/21 – I have UV’ed the spotlight and am in the process of texturing the main body of it. I have also made an initial version of the camera, but I am going to start it again once I have finished the spotlight as it became a confusing mess of edge loops.

21/11/21 – I have finished the spotlight, and I am finding it difficult to light the scene for an Arnold render. I have modelled the camera and tripod stand and have begun texturing the camera.

1/12/21 – I have finished the UV’s for the main body and most of the tripod and am experimenting with bump mapping to add finer detail.

8/12/21 – I have nearly finished the texture and bump map for the camera and finished UV’ing everything.

14/12/21 – I have finished nearly all aspects of the camera and have started to assemble a scene for rendering using a HDRI. Currently figuring out how to use Arnold lighting.

19/12/21 – All rendering finished.

6. Rendering

I used Arnold to render my assets, using a hdri from polyhaven as the backdrop.

7. Evaluation

I feel that, by the end of the project, my modelling skills were quite effective. When I started the project I tried to do the main piece, the camera first. However, the topology of this early model was going to make it hard to uv and texture, so I decided to create the clapboard first and recreate the camera later. The clapboard’s UV’s are ok but I used texture tiling, which made the texturing unnecessarily complicated. For the theatre spotlight, I used a 4k texture, which isn’t very well optimised, but the topology of the model is fairly consistent and easy to UV. For the camera, I experimented with bump mapping, making it easier to add detail without wasting polys, but the model itself is very high poly and the main body uses a 4k texture again. 

My UV mapping is mostly easy to texture for and understand, but a lack of grouping of similar elements can make it hard to texture for sometimes. Another improvement I could make is the method of doing them, as I use planar mapping almost exclusively, and using camera-based could make it quicker to do.

My textures were fairly consistent in quality, with some inaccuracies. In the future, I won’t use 4k textures

I feel quite successful with my asset pack as all the assets feel as though they would be used in a film set setting and have suitable poly counts for their uses.

I feel I could improve on my time management skills, as I felt like I didn't have set goals for certain aspects of texturing and modelling, although I did set a good amount of work for the time frame.

Things I need to improve on

• More efficient UV Mapping using camera-based mapping

• Use appropriate texture sizes

• Avoid overly using the bevel tool

• Break down the modelling process and do one bit at a time.