Unit 68 Assignment

 Assignment brief

Qualification	90 Credit Diploma in Creative Media Production - Games Design
Unit number and title	Unit 68 3D Environments – Partial
Assessor name	Harry Arnold
Date issued	30.11.15
Hand in deadline	12.02.15
Assignment title	HA13 – Hidden Places
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate that the learner should: •      Be able to devise a 3D environment •      Be able to create a 3D environment following industry practice
Scenario Manchester-based games developer, Slide, is recruiting a select team of dynamic teenage 3D designers. As part of the recruitment process you will originate, develop and produce an original 3D interior environment and first-person prototype using a 3D game engine or first-person flythrough using 3D animation software, ready to be viewed and explored by the development studio. This is your opportunity to show off both your creative and technical abilities. The target audience for the concept should be 12+, male and female. The size or scope of your environment will be determined by the concept. Camerawork, lighting and texturing will also play an important part in this assignment. You will have to attend regular group reviews, at which you will give updates on your project. This assignment also feeds off the HA7 assignment, 3D The Basics, which should provide inspirational research and the first learning outcome of this unit.
Task 1 - Schedule Complete a schedule for the project using the supplied template. This burn-down chart will help you allocate enough time for each task and hit the deadline. Your schedule will need to be reviewed and updated at least once per week. Remember that you are trying to generate thoroughly thought-through ideas for, and create a 3D environment showing creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations.                                                                                                                                                                     This provides evidence for Unit 68 – P2, M2, D2 and P3, M3, D3
Task 2 – Setting Research and Ideas Generation Choose one of the following interior settings: Setting Theme Castle Set in a prison beneath a castle during the medieval period. The setting is dingy, damp, dirty, dark and oppressive. There is evidence of torture and interrogation. Spacestation Set in the distant future, but designed like a 1970s vision of the future, featuring over-the-top, dated futuristic technology. It is clear that something has caused the crew to leave suddenly. Hospital Set in a 1940s era American hospital. US soldiers returning from Japan have brought back a mysterious, but deadly virus which has pushed the health system to breaking point. Fantasy A surreal house in which all of the contents are notably not to scale. For example, the living room sofa is massive and requires stairs to sit on it and the TV is minuscule and needs a magnifying glass to view it, etc. Collect together a wide range of visual and written research about your chosen setting and consider the brief you have been set carefully. Present your findings on your blog so that you can easily work from them. This is where you will generate ideas and give yourself essential reference material to work from. Ensure that you are meeting the requirements of the brief from the start. Remember to cite all sources. You must consider the timescale available and plan your project accordingly. Remember that you are trying to generate thoroughly thought-through ideas for a 3D environment showing creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. This provides evidence Unit 68 – P2, M2, D2
Task 3 – Design Pack Plan out your environment carefully by producing a design pack. This will need to include a map of your game environment and details of each element to be created. You may want to use a combination of hand and computer-generated 2D and 3D sketches, diagrams, photographs and texture samples. Remember to design your environment using a modular approach wherever possible. Adaptable modules will allow you more flexibility and more fluid gameplay within the game engine or LightWave’s animation application Layout. Remember that you are trying to generate thoroughly thought-through ideas for a 3D environment showing creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. This provides evidence Unit 68 – P2, M2, D2
Task 4 – Legal and Ethical Checklist Ensure that you have carried out a legal and ethical check of your proposal and provided appropriate evidence of this. Remember that you are trying to generate thoroughly thought-through ideas for a 3D environment showing creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. This provides evidence Unit 68 – P2, M2, D2
Task 5 – Environment Build Use your design pack to build your environment within NewTek Modeler. Pay careful attention the specification required by this assignment i.e. that the resulting environment will need to function within a 3D game engine or within LightWave’s animation application Layout. The difference between the two is that one will be real-time and the other non-real-time rendered. Make sure that you save your files by date and incrementally. Ensure that you surface elements as you work, ideally as UV maps (photographic and preset textures can be applied later, but you may wish to experiment by previewing your work within NewTek Layout). Once completed, prepare your model for export, considering both the meshes and surfaces/UV maps. This may involve rationalising and simplifying your models. Record the whole of your production process within your production log. Record the whole of your production process within a production log that can be posted to your blog at the end of the assignment. You may need to source additional reference imagery and textures as the modelling progresses. Remember that you are trying to create a 3D environment to a technical quality that reflects near-professional standards following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. This provides evidence Unit 68 – P3, M3, D3
Task 6 – Prototype/Flythrough Build Construct your environment within the 3D game engine, load in the relevant textures and experiment with the lighting and POV needed for the environment. Record the whole of your production process within your production log. OR Construct your environment within NewTek’s Layout, load in the relevant textures and experiment with the lighting and camerawork needed for the environment. Record the whole of your production process within your production log. Remember that you are trying to create a 3D environment to a technical quality that reflects near-professional standards following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. This provides evidence Unit 68 – P3, M3, D3
Task 7 - Presentation Publish your game environment prototype as an executable file that can be explored. Include screen shots of the completed game environment prototype on your blog. Include some captured footage and upload this to YouTube and publish it on your blog. Record the whole of your production process within your production log. OR Render your flythrough sequence as an uncompressed AVI file, upload this to YouTube and publish it on your blog. Record the whole of your production process within your production log. Remember that you are trying to create a 3D environment to a technical quality that reflects near-professional standards following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. This provides evidence Unit 68 – P3, M3, D3
Task 8 - Evaluation Gain feedback by allowing gamers to explore or view your environment and write an evaluation of your project. Use your blog posts to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your design process. Try to establish whether or not your finished product has achieved the aim of the project. Take into consideration anything said by interested parties. Remember that you are trying to create a 3D environment to a technical quality that reflects near-professional standards following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. This provides evidence Unit 68 – P3, M3, D3
Evidence checklist		Tick
Schedule
Setting Research and Ideas Generation
Design Pack
Legal and Ethical Checklist
Environment Build
Prototype/Flythrough Build
YouTube Presentation
Evaluation
Sources of information/references Unit 68 Moodle Course: http://moodle.salfordcc.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=430#section-3