Week	Session Activities	Personal Study Targets
		Option 1: Modelling a guide for study and planning.
1	Project introduction, Students working on producing their briefs.	Research / Planning / Proposal  I have created a mind map as the first document in my blog. I will create two moodboards containing pictures of knives so I can gather inspiration from them. I will also create a number of sketches and ideas relating to my project proposal. For my proposal, I am planning on creating a knife desert scene, so gathering ideas and sketches relating to this will allow me to move onto development. During the sketching of the ideas, I will also look at different environment opportunities so I can get an in depth look at different types of scenes. I will also create a diagram of a knife to label the different parts and features of said knife. This will serve as a guideline for when I model the actual knife in Maya.
2	Evidence gathering	Gathering Reference I've gathered pictures of a beach to use as reference for my project. These images will help me to model the sand in Maya.
3	.	Scene Breakdown For my scene, I will need to create three key assets – the knife, the sand and the sky. Additional assets will include the texturing and bump mapping. I will need to personally create the knife texture in Photoshop, along with the sky and sand texture. The knife itself will be split into four different segments, the blade, the handle, the lower leather strap and the loose leather strap. I will most likely include physics into the leather strap also.
4		Simple Block out I will use basic shapes to create the different assets and I will work from there. I will move and alter the vertexes, edges and faces so that they’re in their appropriate positions. For the sand, I will most likely use a simple polygon plane and create bumps to make it look like hills. As for the sky, I will most likely create a large sphere and reverse the face so that the texture will be facing the camera.
5		Modelling For the actual modelling of my scene, I will create a high-detailed model of a knife, which will include ridges, serrated edges and (maybe) blood splatters. In addition to this, I will model a large plane of desert sand to serve as the background of the scene. I will create two different sand planes; one for where the knife will lay, and one for the background. Last but not least, I will model a sky sphere, which will serve as the sky for the scene.
6		Modelling
7		Modelling
8		Uving I will UV the different assets of the project so that they are ready for texturing. I will most likely teach myself this, or receive help from my peers and tutor.
9		Uving
10		Uving
11		Texturing For the texturing of the assets, I will create them myself in Photoshop. As for the knife, I will paint a metallic looking blade containing scratches and a slight spray of blood. The texture for the blade will be based on a ‘blinn’ material, which will make it reflective when rendering. The handle and straps will probably use the same material as well. The sand texture I will create myself in Photoshop very much like the knife, and will be high detailed also like the knife. The sky will be created by myself also in Photoshop – the type of sky is unknown to me at this point, so I will look at different sky experiments in the future.
12		Texturing
13		Unreal 4 / rendering To render the finalized scene, I will use Maya. It will use the mentalray plugin to add extra detail into the render, such as the reflectivity, the smooth edges and the high detail shadows. I will render the finalized scene in full-HD (1080p).
14		Unreal 4 / rendering Summative Assessment/Deadline. At the end of the project, I will go over each document to make it a merit standard piece of work, adding extra detail along the way.

PROJECT PROPOSAL Student Negotiated Final Major Project

UAL Level 3 Diploma in Art & Design

THIS SECTION TO BE COMPLETED BY THE STUDENT

Student Name

Student Number

Andy Sheffield

141525119

Centre Name

Centre Number

Birmingham Metropolitan College

20313

Subject Specialism

Prop Modelling

Working Title or Theme of FMP

Knife Desert Scene

Number of words

Personal Tutor                                                   Course Leader

714

Chris Pearce

Signature

A.Sheffield

Date

16

03

2016

SECTION ONE – The Final Major Project

My idea for this project is to create a desert scene containing a focused knife buried in the sand. I will model the knife on Maya and will take inspiration from reference images that I will collect, and I will texture it in fine detail to the best of my ability. The desert scene will take inspiration from a very simple desert like the Saharan, and will probably implement some sort of particle effect in Unreal Engine to add extra detail and to make it even more realistic. In addition to this, I will look into physics of the Unreal Engine so I can create an interesting effect on the knife. For example; a loose piece of cloth on the knife which could be fluttering around in a desert storm, along with a sand particle effect. Ultimately, my aim for this project is to make a photorealistic scene of a knife in a desert to the best of my ability, containing a wide range of effects and detail.

SECTION TWO – Influences, Research, Sources and Ideas

As stated prior to this, I will take influence from reference pictures of knives that I've found in the real world and apply ideas from it onto my model. I will undertake a fair amount of research during the production of this project, such as different types of knife materials, shapes and sizes, as well as sand desert colour and shape. I will also undertake research on camera angles and what positions are best to get the finest looking scene possible. My basic understanding of camera angles involves making an object the main subject of the image, to make it stand out from everything else on the scene; in my case, I will add a depth of field effect to the background so that the knife is in focus, thus making the viewer’s eyes lead straight to it rather than erratically wandering around the page.

SECTION THREE – Techniques, Processes and Timetables

The techniques I will use in the production of my scene will mainly be used on three main softwares; Photoshop CC, Maya 2016 and the Unreal Engine. As of now, I am only able to use Photoshop and Maya comfortably, due to the fact that I've never used the Unreal Engine before, and have yet to learn the basics of it. However, throughout the weeks of production, I will hopefully learn the basic techniques involved in it so I can employ it onto my scene ideas. My production time will be split into around ten sections throughout the whole of the project, starting off with the basic research, and ending with a final model/animation. I will spend around two weeks on research, modelling and texturing, while I will spend different segments of my time on different areas of my project; as of now, I am unsure of what I will be spending additional time on.

SECTION FOUR – Method of Evaluation (guide 150 words)

For my method of evaluation, I will answer different questions regarding my project. For example, what were my initial ideas? How did I develop these ideas? Were these ideas successful? How did I manage my time during the process of my project? What reference material did I find and how useful was it? How did I use my skill and knowledge to create my idea etc. The questions may obviously be different, but they all follow a similar pattern – the timeline and process of my project. I will analyse if my work is successful by following feedback sheets given to me by my peers and tutor, and will detect if a piece of work is complete or to a desired standard. The feedback sheet is split into three different parts – pass, merit and distinction. As for my work, I'm aiming for a merit so each stage of the project will need to fit the merit criteria.

APPENDIX – Use this appendix for your bibliography and/or action plan for your Final Major Project

For my research, I will gather different types of reference sources and link them accordingly. I will gather website links, artist links, and photos, and I will set them out neatly so, as a result, it suits my criteria.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Webpages

http://alczar.com/moodle/pluginfile.php/6093/course/section/2224/3DS-max-1.png (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

http://cgterminal.com/2012/01/01/maya-photorealistic-rendering-tutorial/  (n.d) (Accessed: 23^rd May 2016)

http://cgi.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-awesome-cloth-simulations-using-ndynamics-in-maya--cg-1580 (n.d) (Accessed: 24^th May 2016)

http://dev.quixel.se/sites/all/themes/quixel/images/ndo_icon.png (n.d) (Accessed: 9^th May 2016)

http://ftextures.com/textures/leather-bump-map.jpg (n.d) (Accessed: 26^th May 2016)

http://magazine.3dconceptart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/quixel_logo-672x295_Low.png (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

http://magazine.3dconceptart.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/3DCoatLogo_Layers_Orig_Low.png (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

http://media.moddb.com/images/articles/1/112/111355/auto/xnormal.jpeg.jpg (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

http://www.formwelkin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/photoshop-full-logo.png (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

http://www.retrospelsmassan.se/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/marmoset_logo_long_on_lightbg-1024x285.png (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

http://www.polygonal-design.fr/e_unfold/images/news/maya-2015-logo.png (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

http://www.glasgowwestend.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/modo-801-logo.png (n.d) (Accessed: 9^th May 2016)

http://www.scri8e.com/stars/PNG_Clouds/zc03.png (n.d) (Accessed: 9^th May 2016)

http://www.twigsby.co.uk/images/space/clouds.png (n.d) (Accessed: 9^th May 2016)

http://www.bastianvilda.be/img/clouds.png (n.d) (Accessed: 9^th May 2016)

http://xdesktopwallpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Far%20Cry%203%20-%20Cover%20Poster.jpg (n.d) (Accessed: 23^rd March 2016)

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMEH88HwAHxvJRRG1oOdA5PQ9sCzQt_dS467vo6_y9YPGM_0BchMUF3i_NftvLiNRmtxn6ciFt2yKg5s0tIxXlxyUaS7-Tx0qgBMt9pQKIjc-sLRCLyK0UD7hlSFbMGjzIFqKdXfOEhI5/s1600/cloud+hd.png (n.d) (Accessed: 9^th May 2016)

https://cgelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/allegorithmic-substance-painter-logo-5.png (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

https://cdn3.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/528/327/large/jason-poland-1.jpg?1462798633 (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

https://cdn0.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/528/328/large/jason-poland-2.jpg?1462798637 (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

https://cdn2.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/799/402/large/florian-heutzenroeder-screenshot008.jpg?1452900872 (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

https://cdn0.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/799/408/large/florian-heutzenroeder-screenshot007.jpg?1452900907 (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

https://cdn0.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/230/652/large/den-ovsyannikov-2.jpg?1459022915 (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

https://cdn1.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/230/653/large/den-ovsyannikov-3.jpg?1459022918 (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

https://cdn1.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/473/725/large/john-church-kabar-ue4.jpg?1462180491 (n.d) (Accessed: 9^th May 2016)

https://cdn2.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/442/342/large/simon-kemmer-screenshot004.jpg?1461785759 (n.d) (Accessed: 9^th May 2016)

https://download.blender.org/institute/logos/blender-plain.png (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/Maya/files/GUID-59DFB8B7-776B-4243-B404-A3D602FF8CFD-htm.html (n.d) (Accessed: 25th^th May 2016)

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/85/37/b8/8537b8ef0c7caff136bfe55f03d17141.jpg (n.d) (Accessed: 12^th April 2016)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Unreal_Engine_logo_and_wordmark.png (n.d) (Accessed: 9^th May 2016)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymcvjUTf14I (n.d) (Accessed: 25^th April 2016)

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/WBxBG (n.d) (Accessed: 6^th May 2016)

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=combat+knife&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi64e3HkPrMAhXBLcAKHdIzCZsQ_AUIBygB&biw=1440&bih=799#safe=strict&tbm=isch&q=combat+knife+wallpaper&imgrc=COaVS7ChAW0tYM%3A (n.d) (Accessed: 12^th April 2016)

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=combat+knife&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi64e3HkPrMAhXBLcAKHdIzCZsQ_AUIBygB&biw=1440&bih=799# (n.d) (Accessed: 12^th April 2016)

https://wallpaperlists.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/gun_in_sand-wallpaper-2560x1440.jpg (n.d) (Accessed: 23^rd March 2016)

Final Animation

Evaluation

I was required to create a robot using my own ideas and creativity. I was told to render a still image of the robot with textures applied, and I was told to animate the robot in some sort of scenario, with textures applied. I was also told prior to research a range of different robots from either games or movies, and take inspiration from these to create my own robot. As well as this, I was told to research different artists involved in games design, and learn about them as I take inspiration from their creations and apply them to my own. I experimented with a range of different robotic shapes in Photoshop, and took me quite a while before I was happy with a basic shape. Before this, however, I had to create a page of robot silhouettes to get a basic idea of the shape of my robot. I eventually created a shape that I was happy with and developed it from there. I also experimented with different texture ideas in Photoshop, and found some interesting results. However, I was unable to create a realistic, high-resolution texture so that I could apply it to my robot, so instead, I found a copyright free image online and applied that to my model until I can learn more tools and techniques to create HD textures in Photoshop.

I spent a lot of time in Photoshop drawing out a basic sketch of my robot. After many hours and many layers created, I drew a neat looking robot with shadows and bold toning. I then developed this idea on Maya to create a basic 3D shape of the robot. To do this, I moved the vertexes around from a cube and extruded specific parts outwards to make it fit the drawing perfectly. What initiated an idea for me was taking inspiration from other 3D artist’s work. After looking at many popular 3D designers on Artstation, I decided to take a few of their ideas into account and adapt them into my own model. My ideas developed by learning new techniques every week. For example, the first week I lacked a ton of knowledge on Maya, but after learning new tools and techniques from my tutors, I effectively created a fully working robot with extreme realistic detail.

I think my final piece was very successful because the model that I initially was designing and experimenting with already had a lot of potential to become something very neat and realistic, and after experimenting around with the 3D model that I created in Maya, I created detail in the head, arms, torso and legs very well. Ultimately, my final piece was incredibly successful. The methods that I learned and used during the development of my project will definitely be adapted in future projects. I now know how to model, texture, render and the basics of animation after eight weeks of development and ideas.

Digital Mapping

What is a diffuse/colour map?

A Diffuse map is the most common kind of texture map. It identifies the colour and pattern of the object. Mapping the diffuse colour is like painting an image on the surface of the object.

What is a specular map?

Specular maps are the maps you use to define a surface's shininess and highlight colour. The higher the value of a pixel (from black to white), the shinier the surface will appear in-game.

What is a normal map?

Normal mapping is a technique used for faking the lighting of bumps dents, which adds detail onto the object, without using more polygons.

What other kinds of texture mapping are there?

Opacity map

An opacity map makes the object transparent and cut-out effects from grayscale images. The black part will get cut out; the white part will be fully displayed; the grey values determine the object’s level of transparency.

Glow map

This technique allows users to control the glow shape of an object, as well as the colour and strength. Glow maps will blend with your original diffuse maps, so the lighter the glow colour, the stronger the glow effect.

Reflection map

Reflection map is also referred to as environment map. The image map is projected onto a 3D surface to represent a reflection of the environment.

What is PBR Rendering?

Physically based rendering (PBR) refers to the concept of using realistic shading/lighting models along with measured surface values to accurately represent real-world materials.

History of Digital Modelling

1950s

• Ben Laposky uses an oscilloscope to show waveforms which were photographed as artwork.
• Mr Potato Head is invented, which later starred in the first Toy Story film.

1960s

• William Fetter invents the term computer graphics for his human factors cockpit drawings.
• Graphical User Interface (GUI) developed by Xerox.
• Full colour interactive flight simulator is created for NASA by Rod Rougelet.

1970s

• Bui-Toung Phong introduces Phong Shading.
• Larry Cuba creates a Death Star simulation for Star Wars using Grass.
• James Blinn introduced bump mapping.

1980s

• Disney released Tron, the first biggest computer graphics film.
• Autodesk introduced the first PC-based CAD (computer-aided design) software.
• Lucasfilm produced Willow, a movie that popularises morphing.
• VGA (Video Graphics Array) is invented by IBM.
• Adobe Illustrator is born.
• Photoshop is released to Adobe.

1990s

• The Lawnmower Man is released, a 3D effects film.
• Jurassic Park and Toy Story is released.
• DreamWorks is founded by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.
• Star Wars Episode One – The Phantom Menace is released, using 66 digital characters composited with live action.

History of Digital Animation

1824 - Peter Roget introduces his paper titled 'The Persistence of Vision With Regard to Moving Objects' to the British Royal Society.
1831 - Dr. Joseph Antoine and Dr. Simon Rittrer create a machine called a phenakitstoscope.
1872 - Eadweard Muybridge gathers photographs of animals in motion.
1887 - Thomas Edison begins researching  work into motion pictures.
1889 - Thomas Edison announces his creation of the kinetoscope which distended a 15m length of film in around 13 seconds.
1892 - Emile Renynaud introduces the Theatre Optique in the Musee Grevin, which displays an animation of images painted on long strips of celluloid.
1895 - Louis and Augustine Lumiere distributed a patent for a device called a cinematograph efficient enough to project moving pictures.
1896 - Thomas Armat designed the vitascope which projected Thomas Edison’s films. This machine had a massive impact on all projectors afterwards.
1908 - Emile Cohl produces Phantasmagoria which was the first film depicting white figures on a black background.
1919 - Pat Sullivan creates the American cartoon Felix the Cat.
1923 - Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio is founded by Walt and Roy Disney.
1945 - Harry Smith produces an animation by drawing directly onto film.
1964 - Ken Knowlton begins developing computer techniques for producing animated movies.
1982 - Tron is produced, a movie with computer generated premises.
1988 - Willow uses morphing in live-action film.
1993 - Jurassic Park is produced, using CG for realistic living creatures.
1995 - Toy Story is created, the first full-length 3D CG feature film.