Project Progress

These are some sketch plans for our teams building design development. They were designed and constructed from collaborative discussion between our team, our tutors and how this will fit into our new design brief and environment.

Fig 1.) Sketch of FINAL proposed design

Fig 2.) Sketch of proposed design

Fig 3.) Sketch of proposed design

Team Meeting

our team meeting on last thursday class. discuss what me, you , gordon and rebecca decided to do for a crysis environment. How we also planned to accomplish this. scheduled team meetings etc.

Specialisations

Our new polished fabrication involves each class member to investigate a nominated specialisation. These specialisations are features that require Crysis modding that will add detail, believability and interaction to our team environments. The purpose for these specialisations, are to encourage collaboration within our class. Individual Crysis developments result in class mates assisting each other to further progress each teams fabrication. This will not only help our class, but further improve the information about Crysis editing to the overall community and university.

Week 10 Studio Class

In our studio class today we had a guest lecture called Andrew Wallace, who took the time to describe a typically small architectural office in which he works. He also ran us through some projects in which he has used Crysis and other 3d modelling programs. The lecture gave an insight on how clients can react to building models and how they interact with them . In this case the client was someone who was new to the industry of architecture, the ideas of his building was well introduced to him/her as it allowed them to walk through there not yet built building. Andrew agreed that the idea behind such programs will help with sun studies and other climatic effects, as they can be easily generated to produce similar to life like ideas. Andrew introduced new innovating programs such as “virtual building explore plug in for Arch Cad 12” this program helped the user explore with no difficulty.

Team Plan for Polished Fabrication

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
• Work on individual specialisation
• 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
• Export all components of the model into Crysis
• Research relevant custom materials
• Develop textures for model inside Crysis
• Internal Lighting
• Develop Crysis surrounding buildings
• Make internal videos
• Research music for videos
• Create Information/presentation boards inside model
• Create vegetation for model

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
  

Team Urbans Meeting with Class Tutors

Team Urbans had a discussion with Jeremy and Graham, were we ran through our ideas on what it was we wanted to change for our final assignment. It was advised that we were to really polish up on the external texture; as it was suggested the importance of getting the blocks to the right dimensions, as the human eye will help to convey the overall size of this building. The discussion lead to the idea of where most appropriate the information centre should be located. Either the information centre would be put in an area that was slightly off the main path as the user heads toward the building, surrounded by trees, park like features, and a stone like structure somewhat similar to that of one seen in parks today. The other suggestion was that the information wrap around the internal of the structure, both these ideas were praised and we were told to experiment with them further. Jeremy and Graham agreed that the environment need a little work in regards to the trees and the water that runs throughout the environment, this will help make the environment look more realistic and convey a more atmospheric place to explore.

Areas of improvement for Team Fabrication

There are five areas of improvement that has been discussed, after reading the peer reviews. We as a team believe that adding AI to our design will conger a social atmosphere and will help to portray size to the overall building mass. Having the circulation off human activity will help to express the overall picture being conveyed in this park like environment. Secondly we have discussed the improvement of texture throughout the model helping to create a realistic approach to both the exterior and the interior of the construction. By experimenting more with the models textures we hope to discover the right array of materials to help portray the era and degree off setting. The third improvement that we intend to progress is the water; we intended to make the water flow at a reasonable depth and have a smooth realistic manor towards the surrounding environment. By having improving the interaction of water with the environment we believe will help to convey a peace full park atmosphere. Our forth improvement that we have put thought into is the walk ways within the building, wrapping around the internal part of the dome. By having these walk ways they introduce an inviting area of translation as the visitor will find themselves exploring and discovering meaning towards the building they are inside. The fifth improvement is how we have decided to convey our information centre, we are going to play with the ideas of either having the information written on the walkways that wrap around the internal of the building or a separate garden area that is placed on the side of the path as you head towards the building itself. Both of these ideas will most probably work nicely but we shall experiment with looks in our final product.

Final Presentations

Our final presentation went well, as we all had particular parts in development of our final design, we all had allot to share with our audience. It can be said that as a team we all have developed strong team building skills that we have shared with each other. Our presentation was a more relaxed introduction of our development and stages throughout our design. As a team we shared with the class what our errors were and how from our errors we built a stronger and safer structure in which we as a team could elaborate on in more depth. Our final presentation was a good learning curve in how to get as much vital information to the audience scanning through what we thought the audience would find most interesting. The class gave us some feedback that we have taken on board for further improvement and development. Positive criticism we found great as now we know where we can improve.

Final Video 1 (Re-edit)

Assignment 2 - 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.

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 Crysis Environment:

http://files.filefront.com/13720477

Final Video 2

Final Video 1

Final Model

Our final model folder on filefront http://files.filefront.com/Crysis+Assignzip/;13713034;/fileinfo.html

Final Fabrication

Project Progress - Final Design

Project Progress - Dome

We wanted 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 mini dome that would lie directly underneath the outer dome. We used the original sphere and copied and scaled it exactly to fit the outer dome in 3dsmax.

We remodelled in 2 spheres in 3dsmax and we imported Pui Pui's version 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.

Project Progress - Adding Custom Textures

Adding Custom Textures from Crysis

Because we exported from 3dsmax to Crysis, all of our existing textures were lost during the process. We had to start re-texturing from scratch through Crysis. The process involves converting all of our jpeg textures into dds files. As photoshop does not have the ability to do this, Michael downloaded a open source software called paint.net.From there he 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.

Team Meeting

Another team meeting was held in labs today. We had to resolve how we were going to export our model. We knew how to do it, but unfortunately we needed a version of 3dsmax other than 2009 to use our SDK plug-in. I emailed Gordon on what the plan for the week was. We had called each other a few times during the week and promised to push our team to finish the model in crysis and have all the necessary files and textures files ready to file front to Gordon by sunday, so that he could place it into our environment.We arranged another meeting the following sunday so that we could work on exporting, and trying to import everything into crysis.

Project Progress - Exporting From 3dsmax to Crysis

Obstacles in exporting From 3dsmax to Crysis

After finishing our model in 3dsmax, we discovered the complications of importing into Crysis. Some of the difficulties we ran into were:

• Uni lab level 3 computers licence for 3dsmax no longer works
• Uni lab level 2 computers runs 3dsmax 2009 which is the only version that wont export into crysis using a SDK plug-in
• Rebecca's laptop for some reason refuses to accept the plug-in even though shes running max 9
• Crysis does not like to import huge collection of objects
• Crysis will not import textures assigned in 3dsmax
• Some imported elements in crysis wll either be scaled down by a 3rd of the size or even mulitplied by 10 times the actual size
• Crysis did not like importing our hedges created in 3dsmax (reason for this is because of its high detail and numerous compents - stems, leaves, textures, etc)

How to export from 3dsmax to Crysis

Step 1.

Split up your 3dsmax model into pieces, crysis doesn't many groups of objects being exported at once. We divided the model into 3 main groups. The sphere, the base and the rafters. Rename each file and continue to export from there.

Fig 1.) "Base" in 3dsmax

Fig 2.) "Base" in Crysis

Fig 3.) "Sphere" in 3dsmax

Fig 4.) "Sphere" in Crysis

Fig 5.) "Rafters" in 3dsmax

Fig 6.) "Rafters" in Crysis

Step 2.

Make a new folder in the Crysis folders called "Objects"
eg. C:\Program files\Electronic Arts\Crytek\Crysis\Game\Objects

Step 3.

Because we had designed the model using 3dsmax 2009 in labs, for us to export to Crysis we had to first convert our max files into 3ds files, then import them, then save them as 3dsmax scene files, then save them as .cgf files. Below is a more concise process of what we did.

First install the SDK plug-in

Now in 3dsmax:

• Select File > New
• New Scene > Select New All
• File > Import
• 3ds (3D Studio) import > Select 'completely replace...'
• Save in C:\Program files\Electronic Arts\Crytek\Crysis\Game\Objects
• Group all objects
• Name it the same name you just saved it as
• add selected
• Export to Gemetry (*.cgf)
• Export Nodes

Step 4.

In Crysis:

• Create a terrain
• Go to objects in your roll over menu (right hand side)
• Select Brush
• Your new object you just exported should be in the list
• drag it into your terrain

Note: We discovered that everytime you make a new object (.cgf file). You have to close the crysis editor and reload the program for the object to appear in you brush list. (Unfortunately it does not refresh the list inside the program automatically)
From there we continued to export each group of elements and assigned the same coordinate points for all objects so that they would snap back to together in there original positions.

Week 7 Studio Class

Dr John Barton from City Futures Research Centre UNSW was this weeks guest speaker. I have previously attended one of Jack's lectures before on Urbans development, and found the topics and innovations amazing and quite complex.He started off explaining what he does for a living and how he's involved in the project UrbanIT Project 2030. Which is a project of collaboration involving many professionals inthe field of design and urban planning to develop and propose what should or could be constructed in the city of sydney in the next few decades.He's focus was sydney's CBD and its adjacent suburbs. Jack displayed a video he presented in this project of a 3d model of sydney's cityscape and interactive sections of the city that could be built. It was a very cool video and he was also saying that it got some media coverage a few years ago.The lecture went on to explain the techniques and information available to designers and planners on how digital frameworks support urban development. The players involved in these new systems:

- local council
- dept. of planning
- developers
- architects
- etc.

All of these actors have to combine every amount of information; plans, data sets, research and ideas to successfully create a structure for urban design.
Their every involvement acts to facilitate the overall goal to create a cohesive and highly functional city. This in turn improves its use as a living environment and pushes for buildings to use other external factors in its design. A concept that will probably be more apparent in the years to come, as all this information may be one day systemised and easy accessible to those who need it.

Project Progress

We decided on what sort of materials and textures were needed to make our design successful. We chose simple yet classical materials and sourced them as jpegs off the internet and created custom textures to assign them to our building inside 3dsmax. The below pictures are some over the materials we've used and some of the rendered images created in 3dsmax.

Fig 1.) Grey marble texture

Fig 2.) White marble texture

Fig 3.) Square sandstone texture

Fig 4.) jagged block sandstone texture

Fig 5.) Off white marble texture

Fig 6.) Rendered image using 3dsmax

Fig 7.) Rendered image using 3dsmax

Fig 7.) Model in 3dsmax

Fig 7.) Model in 3dsmax