20/11/2024 - 11/12/2024 : (Week 9 - Week 12)
Ting Wen Yi / 0361799
Game Art/Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 2: 3D/2D Character and Environment (Porting and Testing)
INSTRCTIONS
You are to build your character and props in 3D and to be tested in Unreal/Unity game engine. Rigging for character can be done in Actor Core Accurig or in Blender. Textures for both character and props can be created with substance painter. As for props we will be evaluating the hero assets and medium sized asset. Each assets will be ported and tested in the game engine.
PROJECT 2 : 3D/2D CHARACTER AND ENVIRONMENT (PORTING AND TESTING)
For Project 2, I focused on prop designs. I designed an ergonomic spray paint bag because, after brainstorming the gameplay, I realized this prop could serve as a tool for progressing through levels. As explained in the exercise, while riding the boat down the river, players must work together to mix and spray the correct paint colors to clear color-coded obstacles. I put together a mood board for the bag, combining various references and inspirations to guide the overall design and details.
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| Figure 1.1 Props Mood Board - Paint Sprayer - Week 9 (24/11/2024) |
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I sketched out multiple designs to explore which one would be the most functional and visually appealing.
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Figure 1.2 Props Design - Walkie Talkie - Week 4 (22/10/2024)
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After reviewing my sketches, I decided to combine designs 3 and 4. I didn’t create a new drawing because I wanted to proceed quickly to building my 3D model. Drawing isn’t my strongest suit, and I often visualize how my design will look in my mind. To save time, I can build the model in 3D, using my sketches and visual thoughts as references.
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Figure 1.3 3D Progress - Paint Sprayer - Week 9 (24/11/2024)
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My plan is to use two primary colors that mix together to create a third color. I chose yellow and red paint for this purpose. For the bag color, I selected blue, as it is also a primary color, ensuring color looks good combining together. The design includes three bottles at the front, which act as paint chargers. This introduces a gameplay mechanic where players don’t have unlimited charges, adding a layer of strategy. Inside the bag, there are paint tubes that serve as the source of the paint. Additionally, there’s a pump mechanism at the top that transfers the paint from the semi-circular glass reservoir into the three bottles.
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| Figure 1.4 Paint Sprayer Bag - Week 10 (1/12/2024) |
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Figure 1.5 Paint Sprayer Bag (Two Colors) - Week 10 (1/12/2024)
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For the environment, I sketched out two scenes. The first is a board game-inspired design featuring pencil ladders, giant paintbrushes as steps, and an obstacle course. The second scene involves a large water tap-like structure. Players must solve puzzles to open it, allowing paint to flow into the riverbank and enabling them to fill their bags with paint to progress through the level.
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| Figure 1.6 Environment Sketch - Week 9 (24/11/2024) |
In exercise, I sketched out a walkie-talkie featuring elephant-like ears, which not only add to its aesthetic appeal but also function as pushable buttons. It includes a sound locator, and the screen can display sound levels, indicating whether a sound is getting louder or showing the direction it’s coming from. The speaker at the bottom can emit a soundwave blast to stun enemies.
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| Figure 2.1 Props Mood Board - Walkie Talkie - Week 4 (22/10/2024) |
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Figure 2.2 Props Design - Walkie Talkie - Week 4 (22/10/2024)
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I combined all three sketches and build a 3d model in blender.
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| Figure 2.3 Walkie Talkie - 3D Progress - Week 10 (30/11/2024) |
I also completed the retopology to ensure the model has a clean and optimized mesh, which is crucial for both efficient rendering and animation. By simplifying the geometry, I maintained the model's details while making it suitable for game engines.
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| Figure 2.4 Topology - Week 10 (30/11/2024) |
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I added lighting and textures to the walkie-talkie. For the material, I used a plastic texture to give it a toy-like feel, which complements the playful and kids' props design.
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| Figure 2.5 Adding Texture - Week 10 (1/12/2024) |
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I created all the button textures using Photoshop, referencing the buttons from It Takes Two. This helped ensure the textures matched the playful and vibrant aesthetic of the game while maintaining consistency with its design language.
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| Figure 2.6 Making Texture - Week 10 (1/12/2024) |
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Figure 2.7 Cutie Elephant Buttons - Week 10 (1/12/2024)
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I compiled all the rendered orthographics into one image and labeled the functions. This walkie-talkie looks simpler than the ergonomic spray bag, but it doesn’t mean it has fewer functions. It also acts as a functional prop for the characters to help them progress through the levels.
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Figure 2.8 Rendered Walkie Talkie - Week 10 (1/12/2024)
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The lecturer suggested adding gradients to the bag and the walkie-talkie to enhance their depth and make them appear more visually attractive. I plan to add subtle gradients at the bottom of the props.
Final Props Design
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| Figure 3.1 Final Paint Spray Bag - Week 11 (8/12/2024) |
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| Figure 3.2 Final Walkie Talkie - Week 11 (8/12/2024) |
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| Figure 3.3 Props on Character - Week 11 (8/12/2024) |
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| Figure 3.4 Project 2 Compilation - Week 12 (11/12/2024) |
FEEDBACK
Week 11: You can add gradients to the props to give them more depth and contrast. For the environment, you can include elements like hanging giant brushes etc.
REFLECTION
Throughout Project 2, my primary focus was on designing props and considering how they would function within the gameplay. I wanted to create designs that were not only visually appealing but also integrated seamlessly into the mechanics of the game. This process involved brainstorming ideas, sketching concepts, and ultimately building the models in 3D to bring my vision to life.
I tend to quickly jump into 3D software when creating props, as I find it more intuitive to experiment with colors, shapes, and proportions in a three-dimensional space. While I recognize that this is not the standard industry practice—where a strong emphasis is placed on detailed sketches and pre-visualization—I believe it allows me to iterate more efficiently. Working in 3D gives me a clearer sense of how the final product will look and function, which helps me make better decisions about design details.
However, I also acknowledge the drawbacks of this approach. Skipping the traditional concept refinement stage means I might miss opportunities to explore alternative ideas or refine my initial concepts further. In a professional setting, balancing these stages is essential to ensure high-quality results.
Due to time constraints, I relied heavily on 3D modeling to streamline my workflow. While this approach worked well for this project, I aim to improve my sketching skills and learn to allocate more time for conceptual exploration in the future. This would allow me to develop a more comprehensive design process that aligns with industry standards.
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