End of Year 2

Well the final assessment is already upon us, i can't believe how quick time has gone, it only seemed like yesterday i was reading the mortal engines briefs. I've certainly learnt a lot this year, especially the 3d side, mostly from my mistakes. The mortal engines projects played a big part in this. I made a lot of errors within each project, mainly with the texturing. Now i can look back at it and see how bad some parts were. The small projects heather gave us after Christmas were good fun. I think it would be good for everyone if these were set after each major project.

The group project was a major part of the second year. It showed us how things work in the industry and how important certain aspects are. Having good communication skills are vital, as well as consistency and naming conventions. I certainly enjoyed the group project and look forward to seeing what next years second years create. Even though the group project was fun, i still think i'll work on my own for the 3rd year major project. I like to have full control over what is happening, plus i won't have to worry about people not turning up or doing the work etc. Not that this really happened in our group, but i did notice there were one or two people in some groups like this.

The 3rd year major projects have really inspired me to get to grips with unreal, as some of the results are fantastic, something i am really looking forward to using in the 3rd year.

I'm starting to become more confident now with my drawing, i don't hesitate as much as i used to, i just get on with it, no matter how difficult the scene is. The better the challenge the more you learn i've noticed. The same applies to my life drawing, i feel i am improving steadily, Chris mentioned about getting life drawing every day next year which would be great.

I think the most important thing i have learned from this year is how important time management is. You would be surprised at how many hour you waste each day, and they add up, to a lot. One thing i defiantly need to do for the third is is create my own work timetable, and ensure i stick to it. Otherwise, things could go horrible wrong...

The Group Project At An End

Well, the group project is pretty much at an end now and its been quite an interesting experience. It is a great way to see what things will be like in the industry. The importance of scheduling, naming conventions and more. Personally im really pleased with the way our level turned out and also with the group i'm in. We all got on well and the weren't any bad moments or bitching etc. The use of a forum worked really well, it allowed everyone to upload their work and people download it from anywhere. We also used a blog to keep track of the level's progress and add any concerns or important announces.

From the feedback we got from formative assessment we all agreed to churn out a decent amount of small assets which could be placed around the level, as it felt fairly empty and didn't really have and signs of human activity. Writing on the walls in conjunction with the assets made the level believable. We also managed to get a few sounds and animations in the level.

From the start we all agreed we wanted to use lighting to create the atmosphere. The use of light fog and harsh lighting worked well. You can see enough to know where you are going and to see the assets, but not too much so you can see the whole room. This meant that the person moving around wouldn't get overwhelmed by the details and miss small parts. The lighting meant that you would have to move about at a slow rate, ensuring that you wouldn't miss anything.

Mark did a great job in the unreal department. His experience with UDK really helped us make the most of it, and also meant that we could start creating the level in unreal earlier, due to the fact that no one had to learn it. Obviously we all still had to learn it so we can create our own levels with our assets and textures only, but without the pressure.

I think one of our groups strongest points was that we always were in the labs when we were supposed to be, and at any time when a meeting was arranged. This meant that we would see the progression of peoples work and the level several times a week, ensuring that everything was going to plan and that there were no major issues. Communication overall was very good.

I think the main problem we had was consistency with the textures. Seeing as pretty much everything would have some form of corrosion, dirt and grime, getting the amount right was difficult. We made several mood boards which had the textures we were aiming for, as well as some colour swatches, which helped.

Overall, i feel our group project went well. Communication was good and motivation was high. This enabled us to achieve want we had planned at the start. The group project has taught me a lot and has been a valuable experience. I think everyone deserves a pat on the back.