Team Fabrication Plan

This is the new Team Fabrication Plan of Team Urbans. This plan's purpose is to further enhance our model and environment from the last assignment. Our process for development will be based upon:

• critiques from "Final Fabrication"
• implementation of explored specialisations
• defining areas we believe will polish our Crysis environments to a level of high detail, functionality and a believable level of immersion

Weaknesses

• Textures on building
• Water elements
• Lighting interior
• AI
• Model improvements
• Sun/light fixture
• Surrounding vegetation
• Interactivity
• Surrounding buildings

Collaborative Specialisations

• programming, skinning, etc.
• custom animated models (people, vehicles etc)
• advanced AI
• analysis
• cut scenes
• custom materials and textures {Team Urbans – Pui Pui}
• elevators, escalators etc
• on screen overlays (text, information, etc.)
• weather controls
• cutscenes, staged walkthroughs, etc.
• traffic control
• advanced sound
• custom mini map
• custom lighting interactivity
• advanced water
• advanced textures
• video (materials, web, etc.) {Team Urbans – Michael}
• custom characters (change Default, etc.) {Team Urbans – Joanne}
• advanced elevators (movers, escalators, etc.)
• advanced player movement (teleportation, flying, etc.)
• custom vegetation
• advanced environments {Team Urbans – Gordon}

Expected Level of Resolution

• Surrounding terrain reduction
• Complete environment modelling
• Add more AI
• Exterior Lighting modelling
• Interior video
• Exterior video
• Video editing
• Complete final model design
• Textures and applied materials
• Create sun/light animation
• Complete team blog
• Explore specialisations
  

Individual Tasks

Michael:

• Manage and organise team
• Write Team Fabrication Plan
• Update, management and team blog
• Work out new design – (research, sketches, modelling in 3dsmax etc.)
• Modelling building in 3dsmax (Working with Pui Pui)
• Recreate Sun/light fixture animation in max then Crysis
• Create sarcophagus in Sketchup
• Create gargoyles in Sketchup
• Create vegetation for model
• Export all components of the model into Crysis
• Research relevant custom materials
• Develop textures for model inside Crysis
• Internal Lighting
• Develop Crysis surrounding buildings
• Record internal videos
• Research music and other trailer precedents for presentation videos
• Create Information/presentation boards inside model
• Capture "stunning images"

Joanne:

• Assist model improvements
• work on presentation plan
• Create and edit trailer videos
• Create and edit extended videos

Gordon:

• Finish surrounding buildings
• Get objects onto a better layer structure
• Add AI groups to streets, paths and Cenotaph
• Add traffic to roads
• Add invisible barrier to a 500m radius around our working area, delete unseen stuff outside it to reduce polys
• Fix sounds that appear to be broken
• Fix the lake
• Import more European looking trees
• Look at putting a boat on the lake
• Adding cameras and cut scenes (some at Dusk)
• Populate park with benches, get AI to sit down
• Add an underground cave leading to "the real tomb"

Pui Pui:

• Recreate model in max
• entrance stairs, pyramid stairs, interior stairs
• Reduce planter boxes
• Create slab underneath building
• Create inner half of sphere
• Pyramid stairs on first level platform
• change entrance opening (semicircle shape)
• Circular platform
• Railings for platfrom
• Entrance opening in pyramid stairs
• Display board shapes
• Split 3ds max model into individual components for exporting
  

Timeline and Schedule of Work Outcomes

Team Urbans has outlined a proposed timeline and scheduled tasks. Tasks are delegated to each memeber of the group and a specified timeframe for their tasks are needed for further development of the project.

By week 9:

• Recreate all components of the model inside 3ds max
• Start refining surrounding buildings
• learn how to export from 3dsmax to Crysis more efficiently

By week 10:

• Export all components of model to Crysis
• Develop landscape and terrain
• Start texturing model in Crysis
• Develop environment (roads, street signs, buildings, curbs)
  

By week 11:

• Model and Crysis environment complete with all textures
• Finish developing vegetation and natural environment
• Exterior lighting
• Light animation
• Create statues and sarcophagus in Sketchup
• Dome lighting and texture - for virtual sky
• Recreate river/lake
  

By week 12:

• Interior lighting
• Frap videos so we can make 2 videos
• Develop AI
• Develop images for information boards
• Make information boards
• Develop a presentation plan

By week 13:

• Refine all elements of Crysis environment
• Start editing trailer video
• Create extended video
• Capture 10 stunning images
• Complete team blog

Specialisation Progress

I have to find out how to place or create an in-game video inside of Crysis. Something like a media screen/tv screen which one can apply an external video file to. This should result in a playable video file inside of the Crysis game. My specialisation is important as all of the team will be implimenting there video trailers to their level in their presentations.

I searched through the internet for any such tutorial or any related information but there was nothing out there on it in the Crysis forums, tutorials and associated Crysis websites.

I then searched through the Crysis object libraries and downloadable internet objects for Crysis interactive screens.

I then embarked on asking questions about this sort of experimentation inside the Crysis forums. I posted questions in www.incrysis.com and www.crymod.com forums. Asking if anyone had ever seen a mod or level created that had an example of a video being played in game play mode. Most responses came back explaining that noone has ever seen it done before.

Week 11 Studio Class

An excursion to iCinema Centre in UNSW. We were invited to explore the Interactive Cinema Research during this weeks studio class. In this outing our presenter showed us what was the iCinema used for, displaying for us some projects involving digital interactivity.

In a exerpt from the iCinema website http://www.icinema.unsw.edu.au/index.html, here is what the this study is all about,

"It brings together researchers and postgraduate students in new media, aesthetics, cinematic theory, multimedia design, computer science, cognitive science, software/hardware engineering and mining virtual reality.The iCinema research program focuses on research into digital interactivity for benchmark applications across the arts, culture and industry. In particular, it is focused on the way the digital can be used to imagine new ways of living in the contemporary world, redefining how we seek recreation and learning, and the way we work and do business.”

Team Meeting

Myself, Pui Pui and Jo met to discuss a plan to organise regular team meetings. As Gordon lives in Perth will we try work around this and correspond with what we are doing through constant emails.

At the meeting we wrote down each others availability, so that some individual members have the opppurtunity to met with other individual memebers at convenient times. For eg. Pui Pui and I are re-designing the model in max, we can decide to meet together without Jo, leaving her to do other work if needed.

Jo: works everyday except wednesday where she has class till 6 (So meeting with her can only occur after working hours)

Pui Pui: is available most days that she doesnt have class. Her classes are on thurday, monday and friday. She is available during afternoon and nights on most days and she lives close to campus if members want to meet quickly for a session.

Michael: is available on tuesday, wednesday, thursday night, friday and saturday night.

Gordon: available thursday night until his flight times. Always subject to emails during work times as he is constantly checking it.

• We decided that Michael and Pui Pui should try meet every tuesday day till 10am till 6pm and saturday night at 7.30pm
• Michael, Pui Pui & Jo will meet on wednesday and thursday nights.
• Michael and Gordon will convene with correpondance emails
• Team Meeting with all members will still take place in thursday's studio class.

Week 10 Studio Class

Andrew Wallace, a recent FBE graduate working for LCA (Lara Caldera Architects) was this weeks guest lecture.

He has used several real-time engines to develop projects. Crysis is something he's explored extensively and he uses ArchiCAD first to create the model structure, then exports these mulitple components into the Crysis engine. He showed us one particular project that was entered into a competition called the Greentech 'Eco House of the Future' competition. In this competition he created a model that was developed for a childrens school in Africa. The design came second and he oulined how he used Crysis as an additional component to the entry.

Andrew explained to us the potential of using gaming engines like Unreal and Crysis in Architectural firms and their potential to encourage new clients to explore them.

Team Blog

Added to team blog:

• Team Plan for Polished Fabrication
• Team Urbans Meeting with Class Tutors
• Areas of improvement for Team Fabrication

Chosen Speciality Outcomes - Video (Materials, Web, etc.)

Easy Outcomes -
Import a video into Crysis. The video should either be assigned as a texture or if there is such a thing, an interactive screen that can be constructed for video presenting purposes.

Medium Outcomes -
Creating a video with "control functions".

• Being able to stop/start/skip to different videos during gameplay
• The controls should either be activated either with keyboard shortcuts or by control levers/buttons activated inside Crysis.

Hard Outcomes -

• Interactive videos/materials that animate and change on a texture/screen/wall
• Lighting controls to adjust surrounding lighting in the vicinity, to allow for optimal video viewing at particular times of the day

(Submitted these outcomes to ARCH1392 emustore folder)

Team Urbans Meeting with Class Tutors

During this week in studio class our group got together to discuss what was needed during these next two weeks of work. Specific roles were delegated and we wrote down individual tasks for all team members.
Also during this time. We engaged with a meeting with Jeremy and Graham to outline what were our ideas in further progressing the project. We told them that at the time of submitting final fabrications, were knew as a group, their was a lot of potential for further improvements. At this point in time we have an established design and environment. However the design has many flaws. We have now the opportunity to refine them again and efficiently recreate what is neccessary.
The tasks of researching how to do everything has been done eg. learning to export and texture.
So progression should be easier for us now. It is also our intent to redefine our environment map. Currently the map has many errors and its has to be condensed to fundamental components that needed so that the file can run smoothly in Crysis.

Week 9 Studio Class

Shilo McClean was week 9’s guest speaker. Author of the book Digital Storytelling: the narrative power of visual effects in film (MIT Press, 2007), and a renown writer, lecturer and specialist in the field of digital visual effects in the film industry.
Shilo explored the use and development of digital computer graphics as a storytelling tool. After showcasing a collage of various films, which used effective digital visual effects. The class was enthralled to find out what this woman was all about. She went on to explain how computer graphics that have largely derived and progressed through the gaming industry, has now over the past decades shaped and revolutionized the way film makers tell a story.
Not only has it impacted greatly on filmmaking, but using computer graphics has also enhanced other fields and professions. Its use as a way of communicating succinct and important information quickly, to those who may know little of its surrounding circumstance. One great example she used was how Spike Lee used a generated computer animation to describe in a documentary, an analysis of how weather patterns can transform and result in something called
“Hurricane Katrina.”

The relationship between narrative and visual effects was once known to hinder and destroy a good story, but now that computer graphics and technology has boomed and excelled, there is now a synergy that allows digital visual effects to add innovative nuances and in some cases, function as the key tool to portray a story. Shilo was once told in a script writing class “..if you cant capture it on film, you cant write it in a script”

She explained the various types of effects used in film making and how each technique distinguishes itself from another.
There was:

• Fantastical effects
• Surrealist effects
• New traditionalist
• Hyperrealist
• Hybrid-real

The importance in utilising computer effects in a context where it is suitable, is fundamental to a successful narrative collaboration.

How all this ties into what this course is all about, is we are using software’s that exemplify digital visual effects. Crysis, 3dsmax and the multitude of other programs we are using, mirror that of the real world. We’re trying to create a story and create realistic 3d images or environments. Because we are somewhat the pioneers of this technology in architecture, it’s our role to collaborate and fully explore its potential and capabilities. A quote from Shilo that I found typifies these concepts was, “..collaborative space still needs to be developed and the contribution, the experience can offer human creativity and its shared meanings.”

Class Wiki

Added to wiki:

• Created a new page in CryEngine Development/Tutorials called 'Using Paint.net to format custom images to .dds files'
• Added content and images to this page
• Created a new section in CryEngine Development/Custom Content/Importing to Sandbox 2/3dsmax to Crysis called 'Step by Step Process on How to Export from 3dsmax to Crysis'
• Added content and images to this section
• Edited other classmates posts

Class Wiki

Added to wiki:

• topics of collaboration ('intent' and 'management')
• reformatted all the topics and its contents into a consistant design layout
• edited some other posts

Team Blog

Added to team blog:

• Project Progress - Final Design
  
• Final Fabrication
  
• Assignment 2 - Final Fabrication (600 words)
  
• Final Video 1 (Re-edit)

Assignment 2 Contributions

My contribution to Team Urbans Final Fabrication:

• Team blog manager and contributor
  
• Designed team logo
  
• Organiser of team meetings and tasks/responsibilities
  
• Research into finding further information of the original design
  
• Organising team correspondence with Gordon
  
• Developing the draft designs in ArchiCAD
  
• Wrote team Fabrication Plan
  
• Wrote team timeline
  
• Research surrounding natural environment and vegetation
  
• Researching suitable textures and materials for building
  
• Exported full model from 3dsmax to Crysis
  
• Finding and applying custom textures to model in Crysis
  
• Creating mini dome and interior virtual solar system
  
• Interior Lighting
  
• Assisted in creating and modeling hedges/vegetation on building
  
• Export light feature from 3dsmax to Crysis
  
• Applied textures to light feature in Crysis
  
• Designed interior platform
  
• Created interior videos
  
• Wrote 600 word fabrication
  
• Constant updating of images, videos and processes in team blog

Peer Review - Strengths & Weaknesses

Team Digilism

Strengths - Strong design elements. Alot of detail in the structure and geometry of the building. Also surrounding buildings looked terrific. They had great textures and detail, giving the environment a complete look. Looked like a real cityscape.

Weaknesses - More work and development needs to be placed into the buildings interior. The exterior structure took precedents and not much focus was placed on the interior spaces. I understand the building is quite large and there would be alot of storeys and detail in every level, but maybe you could focus on just a few levels and detail them well.


Team Orange

Strengths - Great aesthetic design. Illuminating white texture and use of 'time of day' light environment really accentuates the the building well. Both daylight and night features look amazing.

Weaknesses - Not sure if its intentional, but surrounding buildings height levels differ greatly from the design. Looks somewhat inproportionate. Interior spaces could have more purposeful design elements, rather than just placing furniture to portray the spaces' function.


Team E-volve

Strengths - Noticed that alot of work had been developed in the detail of interior textures. Incoporating a nice design. Really liked you presentation. Strong use of a storytelling narrative in your video to introduce the designs purpose.

Weaknesses - Because of buildings position underground. We couldn't grasp the scale and overall shape of the building. Maybe you could capture and present some images of the plans in sctions of when you first developed it above ground.


Team Omega

Strengths - Extremely detailed environment and design. Felt as though you really researched and kept true to the original concepts and design. When you constrasted some images from the original architect and the your own screen captures, I couldnt tell the difference between the two.

Weaknesses - Not too many weaknesses I could point out. A truly commendable effort. If anything, the surrounding buildings textured simply in a greyscale material could have possibly been textured to further to really support your design.


Team Atlar

Strengths - Awesome use of water in Crysis. Really developed some unique and difficult features underwater. Great use of interactive elements in Crysis i.e. elevators, sliding doors etc.

Weaknesses - Lighting and textures underwater could be fixed. The reflections of the water still shadow inside your interior spaces. Adjacent island could be further developed. The buildings, roads, vegetation and A.I.'s could really complete your design environment.

Final Presentations

Week 8 was the time for all of the studio teams to present their final fabrications and for our studio tutors to choose 2 of the designs for our next progressive assignment. As each team presented, I was impressed by each groups final designs and noticed how much work had progressed since we started Crysis. It was evident in all of the presentations that we had all gained some very advanced skills using a whole range of different programs in order to develop each project. Like most groups we had undergone some serious problem solving issues in various aspects of our design and found that many groups and individuals had actually collaborated together in order to find solutions and more efficient ways to using the Crysis Editor.

The presentations from all teams were well presented, using videos, powerpoint slides, images and accounts on their teams processes to outline to everyone to what made their design tick. Some groups approached the presentations in several manners, some as a recruitment drive, an advertisement, a production process and even a sales pitch. But what everyone did do was summarize the methods they used in developing their project and also what sort of particular elements needed work or improvements for their design to progress.

At the end of all the presentations, Jeremy, Graham, Stephen and Russell concluded that they decided to amend the final assignment to instead allow each group to further work on each design. They were so pleased with the standard of work, and felt that as a class we could benefit from advancing each project, rather than collaborating on only 2.
So now the next assignment will be for each group to continue working on their Crysis models and by the end of the course present their complete works again.

Week 8 Studio Class

This week’s guest speaker was Dr. Deo Prasad. His expertise were in, sustainable development. Dr. Prasad spoke about how sustainability in the field of design relates closely to that of its surrounding environment. “The interconnection and interdependence of both built and natural systems.”
He outlined how this involves our course, by explaining that for emergent sustainable designs, we must look to collaborate with all aspects of the process and every player involved that has any impact or influence.
As Dr. Prasad puts it, there is a need for “…global collaboration for a sustainable future.”

In his presentation, Dr. Prasad gave us various examples of flourishing sustainable design systems seen over the years in places like Stockholm, Shanghai and Sydney. These programs involve designing in harmony with human activity whilst considering environmental impacts to all areas surrounding its site. Most often than not, these places are situated at the edges or outskirts of central business districts. They have large spaces of land and because the city encroaches on to the outer environments, they have the ability to development smart designs that incorporate urban precincts with natural environments.

Another aspect Dr. Prasad discussed that I found interesting was the idea that built environments are part of functioning ecosystems. That the challenge is not just conservation, but instead, achieving an optimal balance and efficiency in “ecocities”.
Improving the health of ecosystems in urban areas during building development can enhance services such as storm water retention and treatment and therefore improve other sustainable issues and overall environmental quality.
Some possible solutions could be, embracing ecological dynamics as an approach for life cycle design. Another could be, relying on built environments rather than natural environments for our resources.

For all these concepts to function, there must be a system of collaboration. From users to architects, local governments, international bodies and protocols. They all must be dependent on each other to initiate a process of problem solving. Starting from grass root programs to international charters and political summits, everyone has a role to play in their specified region. In doing this, a constant stream of communication and strategic planning can be employed to all aspects of urban design in the built and natural environments.

Final Fabrication

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600 word - Final Fabrication

The Cenotaph designed by Etienne-Louis Boullée has greatly influenced contemporary architects; he was a visionary French Neoclassicism designer, and so it is important to consider his intent in creating the Cenotaph. This design explores geometric forms that are used at such a scale, that the architectural boundaries are pushed to stamp a bold statement. Each element that is used in the design, help explore the importance of the environment it’s placed in.
The cenotaph’s purpose and intent is complimented by an array of simple elements, such as the importance of strategically placed trees counter parted with layered tiers, and the significance of texture and curvature. All ingredients that suggest a form of elegance and classism. Boullée promoted the idea of making architecture expressive of its purpose. The elements and techniques that the Cenotaph employs are dedicated to the English scientist Isaac Newton. Memorialising his work as a physicist and also immortalising his life and influence in life, in space.
The Cenotaph that has been re-created in Crysis explores a degree of movement of two worlds. A classic style building situated inside of a natural environment, that being Regents park London. The second being our virtual interior solar system.

Our intent was to contrast these two aspects of the design and hence create an impact. The initial impact, when one walks in view of the Cenotaph and appreciates the sheer size of the building in a natural setting and then, again as they enter the confines of the building. A captured virtual night sky/solar system. The building fully expresses itself in the daytime as one walks through the familiar park lands in sunlight, then dramatically enters a mystifying world of stars, comets and an illuminating sun globe. The atmosphere articulated through the internal space, outlines the buildings performance to create an interactive experience. The dome and sphere is a main focal point both as an exterior and interior element. The roofs punched holes allow for the sunlight to shine beams of light and reconstruct stars above you, immersing the public in this unrealistic world in such a normal setting.

The Cenotaph is placed in a milieu of significance, memorialising the fact that Isaac Newton himself is buried in London. Regents Park takes on a persona that helps to provoke a feeling of belonging and monumental importance in providing the utmost appropriate environment for this design.
The site is boarded by London itself. A skyline of the city can be seen from the Cenotaph. The cityscape encroaches into the park and the Cenotaph’s position in the heart of the park and also the heart of the city encourages for the building to paint a significant influence as an architectural piece.
The trees that are placed surrounding the building help to create a reference point for people to appreciate the impact and scale of the Cenotaph by to reference to appreciate helping ones eye capture the entirety of this structure, giving it a real sense of feel and impact. The natural vegetation of the site also form a sensation of peace and tranquillity that helps prepares people as they walk into the design. Inviting the public to explore the night experience inside.

The textures and form produces a design that unites classism with sophistication. The textures that were used are considered to be weathered natural materials with earthy tones providing a realism of the building once coming from the Earth.

Up until now Boullee’s vision has forever been left unrealised, leaving this pivitol work in the imagination of all those who admire it. Here we have tried, at least in part, to realise this building virtually in a contemporary context so that it might finally have a life in the virtual world if currently it is still practically impossible to realise physically.

Final Video 1

Final Video 2

Project Progress - Final Design

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Team Blog

Added to team blog:

• Project Progress - Dome
• Project Progress - Adding Custom Textures

Correspondence & Collaboration

Gordon and myself have been keeping in good contact in order to achieve a similar outcome for our project. Emails, phone calls and msg's have kept team Urbans well communicated and so our collaborative process has been able to survive. I have sometimes relayed msg's to my team mates to Gordon and vice versa and although we havent seen much face to face contact, our project still has been able to exchange hands with the use of technology. File front and mediafire have been a huge advantage to us, as large files have had to be traded across the country. Our completed Cenotaph model had been completed in a different file and terrain, but file fronting a folder and all its textures, objects and extension files have made it easy for Gordon to import into our environment using layers.
We've found the collaborative process quite difficult at times, but can see with deligence and constant communication, it is possible and should be a asset in times when we might have to use it in our future professsional career.

Team Blog

Added to team blog:

• Team Meeting
• Project Progress - Exporting from 3dsmax to Crysis

Team Meeting

Team meeting held again at Red Centre. We started work at 5pm and worked on refining all the bugs in textures and objects magically disappearing everytime crysis is reloaded.
Pui Pui and I worked on the model textures, improving on most of the UV maps and used this time to really work on the internal space. We placed another platform on the inside of the building, designed and placed the oscillating light fixture and modified some of the tress surrounding the buildings slab tiers.
Jo continued working on our presentation and assisted us in some of the crysis development. She also started to collect more information and images so to generate our first video. She started working on the video using Sony Vegas.
Gordon emailed us throughout the night and explained what problems he was facing and how we were going to tackle each situation. Some of the probelms were; the vegetaion we sourced from 3dsmax were not importing or functioning properly in our crysis environment; the greebled buildings we created surrounding our parkland was using alot of processing memory and crashing the computer; and the some of the roads and detailed buildings Gordon developed was taking too much time so, we decided to limit of these buildings to exactly what we only needed.

Project Progress - Trees & Light Fixture

Light Fixture

The light fixture is one component that was specified also by the original architect Boullee. It helps illustrate the virtual interior solar system. Some say its a tribute to Isaac Newtons work in astrophysics. The light fixture is centred in the centre of the sphere, much like that of the sun's position in the milkyways solar system. Illuminating the whole entirety of its confines. The heart and focal point of the building.
Pui Pui created the 2 elements in 3dsmax; a solid sphere and a sphere frame that holds it. From there I imported the 2 components separately and placed it in the centre of the dome.
We scaled it to a size large enough so that it impacts and draws attention to the solar system dome feature.

Fig 1.) Soild Sphere in 3dsmax

Fig 2.) Sphere frame in 3dsmax

Fig 3.) Both components imported into Crysis

The textures we used for this light feature was sourced from different sun textures found on the internet. I used the glowing golden sun as the texture for the framework and the intense red depiction of an actual sun as our texture fro our version of the sun.

Furthermore I tried to amplify our representation of the sun that we were able to create a moving texture. In Crysis the texture actually oscillates and looks as though molten lava is melding and bubbling inside the sphere itself.

Fig 4.) Texture used for framework

Fig 5.) An image of the sun that we tried to imitate

Fig 6.) The light fixture in Crysis

Fig 7.) Close up the light fixture

Fig 8.) The oscillating texture of the sun

Trees

The trees surrounding the building have a role to the design that allows it to cohesively relate to its site in the parklands. The trees/hedges have a uniform circular shape that accentuates the tall walls, but yet softens the harsh sizes of the walls by exhibiting a textural contrast from a hard, solid artificial material to a supple natural life form. The trees provide a simple and classical facet to the entire design and without it the building sticks out like a sore thumb in its natural surroundings.

I first tried to use an imported 3dsmax version of these trees, but the textures were lost and I was unable to detail the material back to its original state.

So I used Geom Entities. The reason for using these entities instead of normal entities is that entity vegetation anchors the plant to terrain, and I couldn't position the trees up into the buildings upper platforms. It will not allow for any movement other than its position on the ground.

Fig 9.) Hedges created in 3dsmax



Fig 10.) 3dsmax hedges imported into Crysis

Fig 11.) Geom Entity vegetation

Fig 12.) Hedges/trees on top platform

We actually lined the trees twice, meaning theres 2 set of trees on top of each other. The reason for this, is that 1 row of trees look sparse and it needed that thick vegetative look to enhance a wall of trees. You can see in the image below a row of trees being ready to be placed on top of the row of trees below it to create this look.

Fig 13.) Trees overlapping each other

Fig 14.) Circular tree perimeter around each tier of the building

Project Progress - Dome and Interiors

We had to decide how to create a virtual solar system/night sky on the inside of the dome. The domes "punctured holes" were working but because of our light textures, it failed to create that impact of a night sky. We will try to create a voxel to block out some of the light, but light will still reflect off the white marble interiors.

Introducing the problem to my team mates, we decided to change the materials to allow for the dome to have a dark night-like hue, so that sunlight may fully accentuate a look like that of stars on the inside of the dome. We came up with a design pictured below, whicch seemed to work and still retain the look and concepts associated with the original design.

However when we continued on with the project, we realised that as we were placing the hedges that surround the tiers of the building, the blue slabs and dome hid the classical look of the circular hedges. The dark plants and the dark blue materials were far too similar and so the hedges were invisible to anyone. The hedges play an important role in the overall design and without them the building surely loses its integrity and exterior as a monumental piece of architecture. The hedges also importantly allow for the building to integrate with the surrounding parklife environment. Its as the building, wants to fuse into the natural location, yet still makes a statement with its size and structural shapes.

Fig 1.) Our draft design incorporating a dark coloured marble material

Fig 2.) Another image of this design concept

Fig 3.) The dark colour of the dome contrasting that to the bright lights illuminating through the holes

I then devised a plan to create another smaller dome inside of the larger dome. The dome would still have the same position holes to still allow for the sunlight to penetrate through the building, but permit for another texture to be allocated only to the interior face of the dome. Leaving the exterior of the building to retain its white marble material, we intended from the beginning. We had previosuly tried to have different textures of either side of the face, but because the sphere was group and exported together with some slabs, that would mean other materials would have these same material properties.

This seemed like the probable solution and so I went ahead and created this mini dome that would lie directly underneath the outer dome. I used the original sphere and copied and scaled it exactly to fit the outer dome in 3dsmax.

Fig 4.) Creating the mini dome in 3dsmax


Fig 5.) Shaping the dome exactly so that the holes align with the larger dome

During the process of exporting the 3dsmax mini dome to Crysis, my dome did not import correctly and the scale sizes were all wrong for some reason. This time Pui Pui tried and remodelled in 3dsmax and we imported and installed the new object successfully. These images below are the result of this work and how we then texturised the inner dome to a material mimicking that of a starry night. The photos also illustrate how the holes in the roof still allow for light penetration and hence depict stars in the sky.

Fig 6.) The mini dome

Fig 7.) Close up image of the aligned punctured holes

Fig 8.) How the applied texture of the dome really does represent a night sky effectively

Team Meeting

We met again on Monday night to work on the design. Theres been alot of problems and issues whislt working and importing from crysis, so moday was purely a working in crysis might. Pui Pui and I worked on the model using 3dsmax and Crysis, while Jo worked on our presentation. She started a plan to present, powerpoint and saving images to create a video.
We also spoke to Gordon and worked out some environment bugs and what sort of headway had to be finished in regards to the surrounding buildings, vegetation and lighting in crysis.

Collaboration Topics - Intent & Management

MANAGEMENT

“An organized body of knowledge” (Drucker 1988, p.7)

“ it is ‘management’ that determines what is needed and what has to be achieved” (Drucker 1988, p.7)

“Management is tasks. Management is a discipline. But management is also people. Every achievement of management is the achievement of a manager. Every failure is the failure of a manager. People manage, rather than ‘forces’ or ‘facts.’ The vision, dedication, and integrity of managers determine whether there is management or mismanagement.” (Drucker 1988, p.7)

“Management and managers are the specific need of all institutions, from the smallest to the largest. They are the specific organ of every institution. They are what holds it together and makes it work. None of our institutions could function without managers. And managers do their own job – they do not do it by delegation from the owner. The need for management does not arise just because the job has become to big for any one person to do alone.” (Drucker 1988, p.12)


Reference

Drucker P, 1988, Management, Heinemann Professional Publishing Ltd, London

INTENT

Strategic Intent is a term used by businesses and organisations to define for example a company's vision of what it wants to achieve in the long term. We can make use and utilise the term in our project of collaboration to illustrate the same sort of concepts needed for a design process to succeed.

Strategic intent is the immediate point of view of a long term future that a business would like to create. In other words a planned intent that describes how an organisation is going to realize its vision
Quoted from the book, “Competing for the Future” by Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahlad they outline that, “..since strategic intent provides a specific point of view of the future aspired, it conveys sense of direction. And since it provides an opportunity to explore new competitive possibilities, it conveys a sense of discovery and since it provides a goal for the company which people perceive as inherently worthwhile, it implies sense of destiny.”

Intent must convey a sense of direction, discovery, and opportunity that can be communicated effectively to all employees. Employing the term ‘intent’ in Digital Collaboration Studio allows for the class to clarify the context and outcomes involved in the project, focus on the planned strategies to be exercised and inspire the class by creating meaning and purpose in the assignments.
It should focus not on the immediate problems and obstacles in developing tasks, but rather on the opportunities gained and overall outcomes achieved.

Reference

Hamel, G & Prahlad, C.K. 1996, Competing for the Future, Harvard Business School Press Ltd, Boston

Project Progress - Custom Textures in Crysis

Adding Custom Textures from Crysis

Because we exported from 3dsmax to Crysis, all of our existing textures were lost during the process. I had to start re-texturing from scratch through Crysis. I was determined to use our existing custom jpeg textures done in 3dsmax. And found some tutorials on how to use custom textures off Crymod and other various video links.
I trialed a few ways of doing but came unstuck, when trying to apply the jpeg/tiff image.
The process involves converting all my jpeg textures into dds files. As photoshop does not have the ability to do this, I downloaded a open source software called paint.net.
From there I converted the files and also resized the images 128x128 pixels.

Then from crysis, I opened "material editor" inside the view tab and selected the desired object to be materialised. After a few unsuccessful goes at linking my dds file image. I had discovered I had been assigning materials by selecting any default material then editing its features to what I wanted.

However once I did this, saved my work and opened up my crysis file again, all my work had been lost and the default texture would be applied, not my custom materials.
i then discovered the correct way in applying custom materials through a tutorial I found and from my classmate Eva.

Step 1.

• Go to view
• Open view plane > Material Editor
• Select Add new item icon
• Create a folder named "textures" inside your project folder, inside of crysis

eg. C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\Crytek\Crysis\Game\Levels\Cenotaph\Textures

• Save the new texture as a material file (*.mtl)
• it should now appear in the hierachy menu on the left of the Material Editor

Fig 1.) Material Editor

Fig 2.) Creating a new .mtl item to assign materials

Step 2.

• Locate any image file you wish to use
• download a image editor like Paint.net (free software), photoshop will not work
• open the image up in Paint.net
• resize the image 128x128 pixels
• save as a .dds (direct draw surface) file in the texture folder you create in the last step

Fig 3.) Using Paint.net program to resize and convert file

Fig 4.) Saving specifically to a .dds file and position it into a texture folder inside crysis

Step 3.

In crysis:

• Select the object you want to materialise
• click Assign Material to Selection icon in your Material Editor
• select the new material file you just created in the hierachy menu
• Go to Texture Maps inside the material editor
• In Diffuse > open up the browser and assign your .dds file you created from Paint.net

From there you can assign a mulititude or different options and UV map looks.
In this material editor, many different properties could be modified and manipulated. It gave you a wide range of options to create a unique and innovative new texture, for eg:

• bump map

• glossy


• opacity


• sub surface


• and many more

Because crysis' ability to control every facet of materials I felt as if we should take advantage of this and played with a few different designs. I came up with some striking new designs and discused it with my team. We came to a final design conclusion and these photos below illustrates the development of what we came up with so far.

Below are some screenshots of the processed i went through in developing a textured building.

Fig 5.) Assigning material

Fig 6.) Changing properties

Fig 7.) Changing UV tile maps

Fig 8.) Draft texture design one

Fig 9.) Draft texture design two

Fig 10.) Draft texture design three

Fig 11.) Finding sandstone image to use

Fig 12.) Importing texture to outer walls

Fig 13.) Interior Materials