ba3 - Evaluation

L09

This project started off quite slowly for me as I was spending a lot of my time working on CS rather than modelling. Once I started modelling the studies though, my understanding of the software increased dramatically and I was well set for modelling the folly; our final piece. 

One skill I learnt whilst working in the studies was how to bake normal maps from high-res models onto low-res ones. This allowed me to create a very low poly scene for my folly, as I was able to bake normal for most of the models. I overlaid the normal maps I’d made in Crazybump on top of the baked normal to create the normal maps you can see applied to the asset. 

I also applied ambient occlusion to everything in the scene as well as colour maps and specular maps.

Having so many maps did lead to quite a large file size though.

L10

After deciding on my folly idea I did a lot of research into the kitchen appliances around my accommodation as well as the overall layout of some kitchens. I made sure to include knowledge I’d learned from this research, such as consistent handles and lots of surface room to the way that appliances tend to rust and walls tend to degrade.

I kept to a fairly consistent schedule for updating my blog but It is quite rushed towards the end as I was working hard on the folly. 

I left working on the folly far too late into the project. I made most of it all in the last week. It certainly could have been more polished if I’d started work on it earlier. However, this did allow me to do much more work for my CS project.

L11

My journal is well annotated and includes various stages of development with both negative and positive critique on my own work. I talk about what I like and which areas need improving and how. I could have done more research into material and how to make a building structurally sound.

My CS presentation includes playboards and various iterations on character designs

L12

Everything is in the correct format as far as I’m aware (other than the specular maps for some early studies) 

Like I said previously, normal maps, colour maps, specular maps and ambient occlusion have been applied to all 8 objects in the scene. I used my knowledge of topology to create low poly assets which are suitable for a game environment. I UV mapped everything in the scene as well as using drawovers as a way to brainstorm layouts. I also used maya to quickly model the scenes beforehand using primitives to get an idea of what would work best.

ba3 - my youtube playlist

a playlist of youtube videos about 3D development that I put together. The ones using Maya were helpful for understand the processes I used in Maya.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE4n3x0OYhkpQJZuW79mAuZmbe76xzHDJ

ba3 - Turntable Render

Make sure to watch in 1080p

(if the embedded video doesn't work, use this link)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd0PBT9xsMY&hd=1

ba3 - Asset Sheet

Colour, specular and normal maps are applied to everything and I'm very proud of the result.
I've also applied ambient occlusion to everything in the scene.

That's
8 x colour maps
8 x specular maps
7 x normal maps (I didn't normal map the frame)
8 x ambient occlusion

I'm shattered.

ba3 - more progress

 A lot of progress has been made.

Here's the colour map for the wall. I put grime along where the tops of the appliances would be and along the bottom of the outer wall.

You can see that the cabinets have mold on them and that the fridge and oven have multiple scratch marks and patched of rust, especially close to the floor where they would be more likely to get kicked.

The floor texture also has more dirt around the appliances where it would have been more difficult to clean.

I'm very happy with how everything has come together so far. I still need to specular map some things and combine normal maps for surface texture with the normal maps already applied.

I am still to do ambient occlusion too.

ba3 - progress

I decided not to make a low poly for the sink because normal mapping it looks weird. What I'm using is fine though, I took some degree of care with the topology even though I wasn't intended on being in the final model. It looks good with nice textures.

I'm making clean textures first so that I have a base an then I'm going to edit them all so they look very worn like in the abandoned appliance research.

ba3 - coming together

I've applied colour maps to some of the appliances and the floor. I've also applied a specular map to the floor and baked a (slightly dodgy) normal map onto the oven.

The shine looks brilliant on the floor, I'll make sure to apply specular maps to everything.

I haven't made low poly versions for everything yet but will do for at least the cabinets and one of the other storage units in order to save space (pun intended).

I've also made a little framed picture of my younger self and hung it on the wall.
Environmental storytelling.

ba3 - Abandoned Research

Since my folly will be outside in someones garden somewhere it makes sense that the kitchen appliances will become weathered.

Metal seems to vary in how much it rusts but I'm going to go with something in the middle. The folly hasn't been out in the rain TOO long.

I'm thinking something like the tiny fridge on the right.

The really worn fridges seem to have lost their magnetism.

Wood doesn't seem to mind the weather too much. Generally it seems paint just flakes and the wood can sometimes get a bit moldy but it tends to retain it's shape and overall look.

Walls tend to crack and paint rips off.They tend to lose their colour and gain a lot of dirt around the base. 

Floors tend to stain and can occasionally crack in places.

ba3 - High poly Kitchen Appliances

Here are the high poly versions of the kitchen appliances.

I'm going to use these to bake the normal maps onto low poly appliances which should be much easier to UV map.

I don't know if we get points for efficient topology or not.

You can see in the oven I've applied most of the things I learned from the research I did the other day.
The beveled glass door, the nobs along the top, left for oven, right for hobs. The horizontal door handle etc etc.

I've made both a surface with drawers and one with cupboards below the sink.

The handles on the storage units are consistent throughout and the sunk has the grating area for drying crockery and will be mapped to look like metal.

Also, the fridge has beveled edges and the marble-like surface will be consistent once I apply it to the maps.

These are all things I learned from my research into kitchens.

ba3 - Drawovers

Just quickly, here are some kitchen layouts I designed.

I need to consider that I do need to model all of these things so I should be picky with how much I decide to put in the scene.

The top one is pretty good. I don't know if there is too much to model or not really. I think having the variety of cupboards and drawers is realistic. The large surface is realistic too.

The second one probably has too little storage but it's a nice layout. It's more of a one wall kitchen design.

I like the lowest one but there is a lot going on. Also, stupidly I put drawers in the high up storage units.
The island is quite good but it does limit movement around the kitchen to some degree.

ba3 - Kitchen Research

After talking it through with my friends I've decided to go with the kitchen idea for the folly.

Here's some online research:

These images are all from the google search 'corner kitchen'.

The first thing to note is that all of the surfaces have a marble top to them (for cutting and cleanliness I assume).

They all make good use of overhead space for storage as well as using counters as storage spaces too.

All overhead storage is a cupboard rather than draws. So you can see inside without being ridiculously tall.

They all use the same type of wood for all cabinets and the handles are generally consistent throughout. 

Here's some OFFline research:

I took these fridge photos to get an idea of scale and design.

The general shape between the two shown is pretty much the same. They're both upright cuboids with a tapered corners on the front.

They're also both white. Not all fridges are white but all fridges in the building are white, i.e. the colour remains consistent throughout the building.

The height tends to vary between about 4 foot and 6 foot.

Also, people like to stick things to their fridge doors.

Both ovens are white.

Both have knobs along the top.

Both have a horizontal handle which spans most of the door.

Both have a door which opens downwards.

Both doors have dark glass in them.

They tend to have a variety of hob sizes.

Both of these sinks are metal.

They both have a grating type drying rack area.

They're both surrounded by a marble-like surface.

You can't see it but they both have cupboards below them rather than drawers.

(the lower image is from my home back in Sheffield)

ba3 - Maquettes

I made these maquettes to get a better feel of how the folly might look and feel in a 3D space.

This 'house on legs' folly has 2 variations. I like the one on the left more. It looks more streamlined whereas the second iteration has too much going on. I do quite like the tree though. Nevertheless, neither the tree nor the legs make sense

from a structural point of view. Especially give how the legs have 'joints' in them. If I was to make this folly, it would certainly need some revisions.

I like it. As I said in the previous post. It's fun modeling lots of kitchen appliances. Visually it's quite strong too. You don't normally see kitchens in this kind of context so it's oddly striking.

pretty cool I guess. I really don't have a lot to say. I think I'll avoid modeling a head again because my gargoyle for the last project was primarily head based.

Obviously the eyes are just stuck on but I'm quite proud of the polycount on this one (although it's just a maquette).

It looks a bit like a friendly Andross or Dr.Kawashima.

I used to love visiting 'The wooden place', which is what I called a forest trail in Southampton full of climbable wooden sculptures like this.

I like the teeth and the asymmetry.
overall through I think it's a little basic looking.

ba3 - Folly Drawings

Today I drew some some folly concepts

I particularly like the 3 folly's in this image

The top left folly is very interesting and you could say it was inspired by the 'tree-house' folly from the moodboard.
The supporting beams look like legs and this personifies the folly, making it seem like it's on a journey.

The top right drawing builds on this personification idea by giving the house a face. It looks quite cool but there isn't much more to it.

I'm loving the kitchen folly. It's just so wacky to have a folly that looks like a kitchen. I think it'll be great fun to model too.
Should be good practice modeling, UV mapping, texturing etc since I'm going to have to model each appliance separately.





The screaming head is cool. Like the house with legs, it's quite expressive. I kind of feel like it's too easy to model though and it's mostly just the one texture. I feel like I can push myself a bit further with this project.

Same goes for the tree castle folly. Not interesting enough.

The hamster cage is cool but perhaps too big of a task? Could be good.

Finally the doll house folly. I've had a bit of an obsession with doll houses ever since I read Mary Flanagan's 'Critical Play: Radical Game Design'. It has the potential to be brilliant. It plays with the idea of folly's being like miniature buildings but will still be big enough for people to actually go inside. I can see it being a big hit if it were a real folly.

ba3 - Folly Research

I gathered some online research of follies:

Some of them are pretty abstract.

The tap for example takes advantage of the water hiding the construction beam and is probably made of something really light so it doesn't fall.

The tent like folly does something similar in that it looks like fabric from a distance but is actually made from something much stronger so it retains its shape through harsh weather conditions.


The tree-house folly is interesting because it doesn't look like a conventional tree-house. It's like a regular house on top of a tree.

Folly's are all about being interesting to look at and experience so I'll probably do something quite abstract for my one.