For our first assignment for this class we were asked, as a group of 5, to create a 3D environment using one of the prompts from a list we were given. My group decided to combine the fairy house and the dungeon ideas, creating a fairy dungeon idea instead.

As we discussed the idea, we created rough sketches of the layout and a Pinterest board to collect inspiration.

Rough Sketches:

These were made by Charley, Charlotte and Lauren. I think they look good and help give an initial idea of how the areas of the environment may look.

Pinterest board: https://pin.it/5upkFss

3D Blockout:

Once we had rough sketches done, I made a rough 3D blockout of the upper area in Maya.

I think they turned out well and gave us a better idea as to how everything could possibly fit within the upper area of our environment; the nicer area of the environment if you will.

After that, we made an asset list and decided we would go with a style combination of Animal Crossing and Link’s Awakening as it would make the environment seem deceptively cute and safe despite the darkness occurring within the basement.

Asset list:

We also tried our best to keep the asset list updated with whether or not we had modelled and/or textured our models as the weeks went on. I think it was an easy way to see who was assigned what and help us avoid making unnecessary duplicate models.

Style references:

We decided on these two games as reference for our style as they’re simple and round but also on the cutesy side which would help lull people into a false sense of security as the basement is anything but safe in comparison to the upper area of the environment. We also thought it would be an easier style to keep consistent.

The following weeks consisted of us taking our time and going through the motions of creating and texturing our assigned models. I personally got my models finished and textured within a week or two.

Finished 3D models:

I think each of my models turned out pretty well and I’m proud of how each of them looked once fully finished. I’m not particularly good when it comes to texturing but I think I textured my models pretty well. My models were primarily for the upper area of the environment.

Reflection on assignment:

At the beginning of this assignment, I was excited and looking forward to creating a cute but creepy environment with my group but as the weeks passed and some members of my group had periods of time where they were completely unreachable, it became less and less enjoyable. The biggest issue we had is that Charley never uploaded her models and textures which meant I was forced to leave the upper area of our environment unfinished and I wasn’t able to use it in my cinematic which was disappointing as most of my models were for that half of the environment. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time before the deadline to try and create replacements for Charley’s models. I was proud of how my models turned out in the end so it was upsetting that I wasn’t able to use them in my cinematic for submission. Regardless, if things had gone more smoothly, I think our environment and idea would have looked pretty awesome all put together and finished with the right lighting and it’s a shame we’ll never get to see it in that state of completion. Here’s hoping that the next group project we have has less bumps in the road.