Going into week three of Intro to VR, I started to solidify the purpose of Unity and its application in relation to our final project. Making a connection to our groups’ Padlet layout of ‘Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar” to applying image targets (pictures of cookie monster and the gang) into Unity, brought a “to life” component to something that just started off as a simple idea. What that took in relation to time and figuring out the Unity program however was not as quick as I am writing this paragraph now. There was a lot of back and forth for me to understand many small details needed to happen first, just for the image target to appear. For example, getting a License Key from Vuforia(whic is a package (which im still confused at what that really is)) copying that link and pasting it into the Unity application and then uploading; selecting the input camera ect. These details still seem a bit overwhelming to me, but I know it’s from a place of inexperience. Unity crashing on my computer during this period, also did not help my frustrations, but it did add a level of practice and patients *.
Week 2
During Week 2 we had a break into Maya where we learned to make a 3D animated plant pot.
As I thought this task was WAY too daunting as a first, in class assignment, the online tutorial with the help of Kevin made it not as impossible as I would have thought. It did however take me the full 45 minutes to put together this 3D pot and my first one was not very symmetrical. As I went in on my second one my muscle memory started to kick in and I could focus more on the fine details. Although I wasn’t able to add texture in the time allotted, I was pretty pleased with myself that I was able to follow along and complete a basic 3D model.
Our assignment for this upcoming Friday is to complete a 3D model of a treasure chest. With what we had accomplished in class I do feel this is very feasible- I know I will have to watch more online tutorials to accomplish my creative vision.
Additionally, earlier in the week we had been asked to create a mystery game where we will develop some AR to go along with our story. Our developing idea (working within a group) we have the topic of “Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar” which I believe is a GREAT basic idea with strong, known characters. The basis of course being, who stoke the last cookie in Cookie Monsters’ cookie jar. Conjointly we made and idea, addressed character aspects, and created a path for a potential game a user could play along to. It is really fun working on projects like this because the creative value is very high in order to make it fun.
I’m looking forward to completing this little assignment as seeing how it turns out!
Week 1
Coming from the US and sitting finally down AT LCC gave me an exhaling sense of accomplishment. Although I am very out of my element, and have little no experience in this field, I feel like I have cemented a part of my future in having started my goal of becoming a VR/3D designer, and in turn having a career through this medium.
It was refreshing hearing students around me know facts of Pixar and Disney, as these production companies were really something part of my past and look fondly back at the memories it gave me. Now at 30 years of age, I’m looking through a different lens, and seeing how these companies possibly inadvertently helped shape what animation means in a modern world today. Furthermore, with the clarification of algorithms it made light of some key aspects of coding I wasn’t a hundred percent aware. That being, algorithms are merely equations based on data, and that’s it. It’s not some magic the computer does, and most certainly it isn’t something to be scared of unless it is used blindly. Even though this information is public, I do feel the general public has a skewed view on algorithms and how they are made and used. As I digress, I think having this awareness and thinking forward of what possibilities I could create in this medium, the use of algorithms used should be well researched and not just copied and pasted as if we jumped back to ‘Spark Note’ times.