Creative Project
Introduction
Who is the client?
The client requesting the work is Unruly Ember.
What is the aim of the project?
The aim of the project is to grow and improve engagement with young individuals in the STEM sector.
What does STEM mean?
STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering Maths.
What is the theme of the project?
The theme of the project is soft Sci Fi
Who is the target audience?
The target audience for this project is people from the ages 14-21.
What are you required to produce?
I am required to produce an asset in the form of either a 3D Model, Game Mechanic or a Digital Art Piece.
Time Management
This is the GANTT chart I have produced and it represents how I will be spending my time throughout the 5 week project. I have taken into consideration any and all contingencies and will update this GANTT chart if necessary. This chart will ensure I am expending time evenly and making an effective use of my time within the given period.
Risk Assessment
This is the risk assessment I have produced acknowledging the potential risks I could encounter throughout my project, providing solutions and work-arounds. These solutions are created to ensure my GANTT chart is not affected and I still have sufficient time to complete the creation of my asset.
SWOT Analysis
This SWOT analysis I have produced for my project assesses the potential strengths and weaknesses that could affect different stages of production. I have also included potential opportunities and strategies that could provide more sufficient use of my time.
Research
Games
Kerbal Space Program
Kerbal Space Program is a space flight simulation game. The player administers a space program operated by Kerbals, a species of small green aliens, who have constructed the Kerbal Space Centre. From this space centre players can create rockets, aircraft and rovers form a provided set of tools and components. The player must consider aspects such as fuel management, weight of the aircraft and structural integrity. Once built, the vehicle can be launched in an attempt to complete certain missions while avoiding catastrophic failure.
This game has influenced the creation of my asset by providing evidence of games creating assets that have an educational element surrounding them. As my asset must cater to STEM I will look back at this game as it has managed to achieve what my brief requires.
Films
The Martian
The Martian is a film set in 2035, when a severe dust storm forces a Mars exploration team to evacuate, leaving a presumed dead astronaut Mark Watney behind. As the rest of the crew departs in the orbiting vessel, Mark must survive with no communication with the rest of the crew or Earth. Being the crews botanist, Mark must use his skills to create sustainable sources of food and water. Due to a lack of power, Mark must also find a way to create sustainable energy while mission control attempt to coordinate a rescue mission.
This film has influenced the creation of my asset by providing an accurate environment my asset may be used in. I plan to create my asset on a planet similar to Mars, therefore having information on how rocky terrain forms and how the ground reacts to collision with objects etc.
Books
Ready Player One
Ready Player One is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality game, the discovery of which would lead him to inherit the game creator's fortune. In the year 2045, the world was ridden with energy crisis and global warming. The only escape for most people was the Oasis, a virtual reality.
This book has influenced the creation of my asset as the brief requires my asset to abide to the Sci-Fi genre. By analysing conventions found in this book I have gained a better understanding of the gnere my asset requires to be created from.
Mind Map
To begin with the creation of my asset, I started with some idea generation, producing a summary of one asset under each of the criteria. I wrote down a short description of each potential asset outlining the educational factor and the overall aesthetic of the asset. this was to gain somewhat of an idea as to what i could make, abiding by the criteria of the brief.
Surveys and Feedback
Question 1
To begin the survey I had to get a general idea of what asset I should create based on how appealing the initial idea was. The results show that the mineral scanner was the most intriguing and interesting asset therefore that will be the asset I will create.
Question 2
My second question of the survey was to obtain information as to why the asset chosen was chosen. This is to get an idea of what I was doing right in terms of the name and general concept of the asset. The results imply I have stuck to the educational and futuristic aspects of the brief.
Question 3
This question was essential to the creation of my asset, obtaining opinions on the time frame of my asset gave me a general idea of if the asset creation was possible in the given time. The results of this question reassured me that all the assets chosen were realistic in terms of time frame.
Question 4
One of the most important aspects of the Creative Project was abiding by the brief throughout the creation of your asset. This question was to confirm that all of my potential assets catered to the project brief. The results of this question indicate that any potential asset created will abide by the brief.
Question 5
My fifth and final question was to obtain an idea as to what colour scheme I will apply to my asset. Based on my results I will be using shades of blue and black to colour my asset.
Final Idea
Considering the results of the survey, the final asset I will be creating is the Mineral Scanner. The aesthetic of this asset will be futuristic. This asset used to detect minerals beneath the surface of distant planets. For the creation of this asset I will be using Photoshop, Unreal Engine and Maya as well as all the applicable file types for these applications (PNG,FBX,UEP,MB). When using Photoshop, my images will maintain the same resolution throughout (2048x2048 pixels) One of the potential constraints when creating this asset may be time consumption, due to this asset having many different aspects that require time to make. Another constraint could be the skill and ability in all three applications required to create this asset. Other considerations may include abiding by the brief and always considering the target audience when creating the asset. This idea will continue to develop throughout the project and any changes will be logged.
Initial Sketches
Mood Board
When creating my sketches I always abided by this mood board. This is because the mood board contains authentic machines and devices similar to mine. When creating my sketches I used different elements from everything on this mood board and explained my thought processes throughout.
I will also use the items on the mood board when considering colour palettes of my asset. Throughout images seen on the mood board we see blacks and yellows being used. I will take that into consideration when texturing my asset.
Sketch 1
In this first sketch, the idea behind it for me was to make the machine portable and versatile. My first iteration of this was in the form of a portable generator type power source with wheels and a tow. This would allow the machine to be attached to the back of a vehicle and transported.
The colour palette I would be looking to use when texturing this asset would consist of reds, oranges and whites. This is because my drill will be used on terrain similar to landscape of Mars. Therefore, colours need to be fitting.
In terms of the dimensions of this asset, I will be looking at a rough size of 2 metres by 4 metres.
Sketch 2
The second variation of the Mineral Scanner was implemented into a vehicle itself, instead of being towable by another vehicle. This proves more efficient and accurate. The drill and instruments are built into the rover, allowing automated expeditions. This design is more thought out and logical, with storage for minerals located at the back of the rover and a retractable drill for easy transport.
The colour palette I would be looking to use when texturing this asset would consist of reds, oranges and whites. This is because I wanted to remain authentic to the colours typically seen on a real life rover.
In terms of the dimensions of this asset, I will be looking at a rough sizing of 6 metres by 3 metres.
Analysing Feedback
Based on the feedback I have received from my sketches and mood board, and how they link to each other, I am happy with the level of detail I managed to achieve with my initial sketches. I have attempted to create a machine that is as authentic as possible, while still showing the level of creativity you would see in a Sci Fi game. The feedback also shows that I have intertwined the sketches and mood board really well, showing that I have taken inspiration from the mood board in every element of my sketch.
The only feedback I would suggest is to add some colour to get somewhat of an idea as to what colours will be used on the machine. I would also experiment with some colour to see which palettes would reflect the Sci Fi genre the most.
Lore
In the year 2160, humans have developed the technology for distant space travel. Planetary Exploration Squads have been dispatched across the universe equipped with machines to obtain as much understanding of distant planets as possible. One of the machines issued is Mineral Scanner, used to record data on ground content and mineral concentration. This data will be used to discover potentially habitable planets that can be colonised to pro-long the life of the human race.
Reflection
Reflecting on week 1 and 2, I believe that these weeks have been productive when enforcing and materialising initial ideas gathered in week 1. I have ensured my work caters the brief set by Unruly Ember throughout idea generation. I have gathered feedback and adapted where necessary. Week 3 is the first week of production and I plan to begin the creation of my asset in Maya.
File Management
The files that will be used throughout my project will consist of JPG, PNG, MBF, FBX and UEP. The file types JPEG and PNG will be seen throughout different stages of my project, being used for displaying work such as mood boards and idea generation. MBF will be used to display different stages of asset creation. Each stage of creation will be logged the file will be saved in the correct location, as seen below. The file type FBX will be used to export the asset into Unreal. Finally, UEP will be used to save the Unreal project file and will be displayed on the website.
To ensure I remain organised throughout the project my files must remain up to date and well managed to be easily located. Good file management must consist of correctly named files that are located in the correct segments of the project. I have created multiple versions of my drill to imply different prototypes. These versions were also created as backup assets in case files are lost or corrupted.
Time Management
The GANTT chart produced in week 1 of my project has proven to be very effective. I will continue to abide by the chart as it structures my time and encourages efficiency and punctuality throughout my project. I have not yet had to make any changes or updates to my chart but will continue to use and monitor it for the remainder of my project.
Production Log
I began the creation of my asset with primitive cubes and cylinders. this was to done to get a general idea of the size and aesthetic of the mineral scanner. I applied slight detail to the wheels by adding 5 subdivisions to each cylinder then using the extrude tool on different parts of the wheel.
I then began building up the mineral scanner, adding features such as the satellite dish. I made this using two spheres, utilising the Boolean difference feature within Maya, scaling up one sphere and shaping the satellite using the other. I then added more slight detail to the body of the scanner using extrude. One issue I encountered when creating the satellite was that the lack of subdivisions on the large sphere resulted in the satellite having less detail. I fixed this by adding subdivisions to the large sphere which in turn left a more detailed indent in the small sphere.
I then began deleting unnecessary edges and lowering the overall polygon count of the asset. I did this by deleting edges that weren't being utilised for any extra detail. A lot of these edges were found on the wheels of the scanner. Once these edges were deleted the asset was more optimised for the game.
I then proceeded to add the drill section of the scanner. I began with creating the metal support for the drill. I resized a cube to create a large rectangular module, added subdivisions and extruded the necessary subdivisions to create the rods to support the drill itself. I then deleted all the unnecessary edges created by the subdivisions.
Reflection
Week 1 of asset production has gone extremely well. I have completed creation of the asset and lowered my polygon count where necessary. At the end of week 1 production I feel that my asset meets the brief set by Unruly Ember. For my second week of production I am planning to complete my Uv's and have a textured asset to export into Unreal Engine.
I continued on to creating the drill. I began by forming a large and a small rectangular object out of primitive cubes. I then attached the smaller object to the end of the large one and connected it to the supportive rods created previously. To begin the creation of the head of the drill, I added a pyramid to the bottom of the large rectangular object, to create an entrance for the head of the drill to emerge. To create the end of the drill, I used the flare tool to create a point using the helix shape, i then stretched the object to create the drill shape, resulting in the head of the drill.
This is the final product before I start mapping out the UV's and creating textured for the scanner. I am happy with the end product as I have abided by my detailed sketch of the scanner, including everything that i had previously planned to implement.
Before I start texturing my UV's, I had to arrange them in such a way I would understand when in Photoshop. I used the automatic tool to organise my UV's slightly before cutting and sewing and moving each UV myself for optimal organisation. On the left you can see the initial UV for my drill. On the right is the arranged UV that I would later take into Photoshop.
This is the textured PNG I created in Photoshop. I did this by adding texture to a layer above the UV Snapshot then applying the PNG back into Maya, creating the drill texture.
Reflection
Week 2 of production has been extremely productive. I have arranged my UV's and textured my UV snapshot in Photoshop. I believe my asset still caters to the brief set by Unruly Ember. This is the final week of production and I believe I have completed almost all production of the asset required throughout the project.
Final Asset Showcase
Introduction
This is the finished product, as a result of 4 weeks of production. I have imported the asset into Unreal Engine in order to provide the most game accurate environment for this game asset.
Timekeeping
The GANTT chart has remained effective and encouraged me to always structure my time to ensure efficiency throughout the project. The GANTT chart has not needed change up until week 4, but I will continue to monitor potential change needed throughout the rest of the project.
Personal Evaluation
To summarise my project as a whole, I think that the production of my asset went extremely well, and the GANTT chart ensured I used my time efficiently. I have learnt a lot over the past 5 weeks in terms of time management and the production process as a whole. I believe idea generation and asset production went extremely well as a stuck to the GANTT chart and proceeded punctually. What didn't go well was that I didn't take my risk assessment into consideration in terms of the work-arounds and solutions to unforeseen obstacles. However, I believe I have created a good asset for Unruly Ember, with educational aspects abiding to STEM and catering to the brief. I am excited for future projects with the skills I have obtained and developed, and look forward to what's to come.