Delving into 3D

Semester 1 Project & Research

1. What is your area of focus that you wish to research? (This should be a topic you either want to explore as something new, dive deeper into, and/or eventually build upon with your Thesis).

I have had dual focuses since starting Becker back in 2016, those being 3D Art and Production. For this semester I wish to dive deeper into 3D Art and challenge myself to tell a story with the space created, and the objects inhabiting it. I wish to invoke awe and a drive towards exploration from those who interact with the project scene, watch footage of the scene, or see screenshots of certain areas within the scene.

2. Please provide 3 artists whose work inspires you or that you plan to research.

I don’t have specific artists in mind in regard to work that has inspired me for this project (as I thought of the idea first before turning to the internet for references), but the 2 types of work I wish to research are depictions of various creatures of folklore (specifically those lesser known/discussed in popular media) and varying styles of successful museum architecture (“successful” in this case being varying architecture styles and their influences on the presentation of exhibits).

Researching Museum Architecture

Researching Creatures of Folklore

3. What type of work is your project? (prototype, interactive installation, artwork, experiment, etc.)

This project will be an interactive Unity scene. Users will enter the scene with various models created by myself; users can approach models I constructed within the space and read pop-up text boxes. A short video showing off certain aspects of the scene will also be prepared, as will a series of screenshots of the scene and the models within it.

4. Describe your project idea and how it ties into your research in 1 paragraph.

I propose to construct a museum hall, within this hall will be 1 - 3 fully textured, rigged, and posed models – statues depicting select folklore creatures. These statues will reside in the museum hall alongside a series of lesser prop models designed to fill out the scene (benches to sit on, pillars, arches, trash bins, and recycling bins, etc.) without sacrificing the minimalism in design found in museum halls. The museum hall scene will be placed in the Unity Engine, allowing users to jump in, explore the space, approach the statues, and read short excerpts on the creatures immortalized (found on plaques below the statues). Such a project will expose me to many aspects of 3D modeling aside from the actual creation of a model – I will be able to delve deeper into re-topology/efficient geometry that allows model to meet project needs, UV mapping, texturing, rigging, animation controls, weighing rig joints (the last 3 for varying types of creatures/designs), and posing.

5. Please list 4 major project milestones for your work for this semester. (You will work with your thesis advisor on a schedule and project management techniques as part of directed graduate studio).

· Museum Hall Space Constructed

· Essential Models (Statues) Completed, Textured and Rigged (ready to pose within scene)

· Lesser Prop Models Constructed to appropriately fill in Museum Hall Scene

· Completed Museum Hall Scene imported into Unity Engine (wherein lighting will be implemented, a playable component will be added allowing users to explore hall, approach statues, and read short excerpts on the individuals behind the statues)