end of the group projects

Well i don't think that in my design document i covered exactly what my role was in the group projects so I'm going to start by explaining that. At first i was just modelling and texturing. I modelled the following objects:

Big Blue chairs
Pillars
Front Desk
Computer(front desk)
Camera(front desk)
phone
sandwich board
posters
classroom windows
box windows
sanitary bin
girls toilet window
round window
TV
and the lugs and pipes that went between the pillars


and i also modelled the following objects when i finished my queens building objects:

dead body under cover
decayed sheet to go on top of the gurney
crash cart
iv drip
computer (hardrive, monitor, keyboard) for security room
filling cabinet

but as the project progressed i decided to move onto the unreal aspect of the project this included uploading my assets and other peoples assets including the textures. I also created quite a few of the decals in the level. But out of all of my assets the part i am most pleased about is the static on the TV.
I found on the whole that the group projects enabled me to learn alot especially in unreal which at the start of the project i knew nothing about unreal and now i can import assets with static meshes and textures and convert them to materials i can also create animated textures, decals and figure out why problems occur.

I had a few problems during the project one of these was the lines running down a few of my assets which i tried hard to figure out why it was happening but as the end of the project drew near i had to give in and make them again and export them differently than i had done the first time around.

This project has taught me to have other responsibilities so that if i fail I'm not just going to let myself down I'm going to let down everyone else in the group, Importing other peoples assets also enabled me to gain some more responsibility in the way that i had to handle other peoples assets and that if i didn't put them in right then that would be unfair to the person who made it so i decided to ask where people wanted their assets to go, which i thought would have been better than me putting them in where i wanted.
At the start of the project I was afraid of the group project and that i wouldn't like having the friction of working with other people but now that it is over I'm glad that that friction was there and if it had been an easy ride i wouldn't have learnt as much as i have.

In my third year (if i make it on) i hope to achieve the skills and high quality level that the current third years have, during one of the presentations by Del the difference between his second year work and third year work was massive, and sitting next to the third years and seeing how easily they use the programmes, form the first year to the second my work already (i think) made a quality leap and i hope that by heavy practice and looking for inspiration from other peoples work and flow lines, i hope that my work will make that second leap.
Drawing wise i hope to carry on improving which i know i am slowly. I keep having small revelations. Where things that have been said to me and explained over and over again finally click and make sense, I hope that in the third year these things will make sense and sink in faster so that i don't waste time making low standard work and then realise at the end of the year whats wrong with it.

Well ive altered and i think improved one of the masterpieces i chose to do way back before christmas. Here is the original of the anne bolyn piece i chose to do:

And here is my piece i chose to make it look more realistic and lifelike:

Well back to the group projects. My god I'm getting bored, its just looking at the same assets over and over again if I see those blue chairs again I might start a fire for them.

I might also have to make some changes in my evaluation because since the last presentation things have changed dramatically and we might actually have something to show at the end of it this time.
Well unreal update (which I've been picking up surprisingly quickly) I've learnt how to create animated textures (thanks Mark) for the TV I've nearly got fracture meshes, and I managed to cut a door out of the wall. I've also managed to get decals dirt and blood and the lighting is better as well. All of this, and all of the teams assets in the scene has improved the look of the level which mike said was boring and which I agree with, but I think now it'll be more interesting, hopefully. And I also hope to be able to have the rest of the teams assets in unreal by the end of the Easter holidays.

So far this “holiday” So called because I'm going to be in for most of it. I'm not complaining having time off is for the summer and trying to get good fast as well, I've started to alter my assets giving them more rounded off edges which heather asked for and I have also altered some of the finals for Chris. The final piece for Chris which I've altered is the train final. I think it looks a lot better, so much so I was disappointed in myself for handing in the first attempt because it was so crap and clearly unfinished.

In my review I had an aphifany I realised what Chris had been saying for the past almost two years less detail in the back of the image and more in the front makes the picture look 3d which is what I've tried to incorporate into my altered version of the train final.

unfortunately at the minute my internet wont let me load it so ill have to do it tomorrow when i go into uni.

Well I have to talk about the second year so im going to compare it to the first to show the difference.
I feel that the second year has befitted from the first years mistakes and as I, in the late first year, Managed to start opening Max without worrying what was going to happen and since have been able to fix most problems Max causes without closing it down in a fit of worry, and have since been able to create and model things faster, an example a four week project which in the first year would have taken me four or maybe more weeks took me one week.
Drawing wise I think on the digital front I have improved quite a bit maybe because ive gotten the hang of the brushes and where everything is, ive also gotten the hang of human poses thanks to life drawing which has enabled me to see the human form from most angles it has also enabled me to practise the aspect of drawing I had problems with perspective and foreshortening.

The group project has also enabled me to work with other people, and tolerate people who might upset me and who I might not work with normally.
I also think that the second year has allowed me to work better without having the tutors looking out all the time and that the other people in my class have helped me to learn things without having to bother heather all the time.
I think that the third year will have the tutors stepping back even further. And will rely on me sorting my own problems out even more than now.
It will also involve me becoming better at the 3D and drawing which is what I plan on doing over the summer by the third year I hope to have:

sorted out my normal maps
texture baking
and to be able to create better diffuse maps

I will also improve my drawing over the summer which will include perspective and landscape views.

Today I got a bit bored of having finished my assets for the group project so I decided I would have a go at the unreal stuff. Which im glad I did because, from mark, I learnt a lot today decals, lighting and what particular problems are and how they can be fixed. In fact I think that if I could have done this project over I would have put myself forward to do the unreal side of the project because I feel I would have been quite efficient with it and would have enjoyed it as well.
Tomorrow im going to attempt to make my tv texture animate so that the static flickers.