{"id":3478,"date":"2022-09-21T18:49:38","date_gmt":"2022-09-21T18:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/digitalmedia\/?page_id=3478"},"modified":"2025-04-16T14:01:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T14:01:31","slug":"virtual-sculpture-resources","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/digitalmedia\/virtual-sculpture-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"Assignment & Resources: Virtual Installation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Create a virtual installation you can explore in first person using models found online.
\nLook for mundane object with baggage, history and built-in symbolism.<\/p>\n

Student Work<\/h2>\n

Isaac created a nook in the museum you can peek in<\/a>
\nMeg made a James Turrell-esque architecture using Probuilder<\/a>
\nBosi made a memory labyrinth reminiscent of <\/a>MC Escher<\/a><\/p>\n

Requirements<\/h2>\n

The installation has be in the “museum” or “desert” scenes.<\/p>\n

If choosing the museum you can modify colors and rearrange architectural elements, as you would in a real museum, but keep it “institutional”. I’d rather this work be in dialogue with installation art practices, rather than video game level design.<\/p>\n

If choosing the outdoor scene, focus on your installation, and not in decorating the environment with trees and rocks. The point of the desert is to avoid environmental art which can get quite technical. You can modify the dunes with the terrain tools – see video below.<\/p>\n

Even if the environment are somewhat realistic, you can be as surreal, abstract as you want.<\/p>\n

You should not re-stage something that is already someone else’s art. Use generic looking-objects as raw materials, stay away from models with a highly personal style.<\/p>\n

During critique we will play each other’s environments so make sure it runs properly, and players don’t fall out of the level, enter objects, or get stuck.<\/p>\n

The project should run smoothly in play mode. As a rule of thumb the stats panel should always display less than 3 million tris (triangles). Each downloaded assets should have under 100K triangles (no photogrammetry).<\/p>\n

You can play with materials and textures, but be aware that proper texturing requires UV unwrapping. Glitched texture are not allowed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
A character texture applied to mismatched models. This is not a “cool aesthetic”, this is not acceptable.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Deliverable<\/h2>\n

The delivery format is a short video walkthrough of the installation taken from play mode using the Unity recorder (in class demo).<\/p>\n

To record HD videos follow this tutorial<\/a><\/span>
\n<\/span>The recordings end up in the project folder, the same where the assets folder is. NOT in assets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upload the video on google drive or youtube, post a link on discord.<\/p>\n

Come up with a title and a project statement (wall text).<\/p>\n

Grading Criteria<\/h2>\n

There is attention to form, color, silhouettes
\nThe objects form new visual and symbolic relationships
\nThere is a strong concept behind it: there is a readable theme, there are aesthetic, personal, political, or philosophical issues at play. One can imagine it existing as an installation in the real world.
\nThe elements form a cohesive unit, you didn’t just decorate a room
\nThe installation is “immersive”: it’s compelling to explore and to observe from many points of view.
\nThe assets have been transformed, or recontextualized in a novel way, you didn’t just rely on someone else’s art.<\/p>\n

Template<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>Download this package<\/a> (virtual installation museum etc)
\n<\/strong><\/span>Open Unity Hub
\nNew project
\nSelect 3D core
\nGive it a name that makes sense like Virtual Sculpture
\nSelect a location that makes sense like your external hard drive or the local document folder
\nConfirm, it will take a few minutes
\nDouble click on the package with Unity open, import everything.
\nOpen the scene Museum or Desert and save it as something like “Virtual Installation”<\/p>\n

It has a lot of assets and scenes to play with, they are described in various videos below.<\/p>\n

Finding assets online<\/h2>\n

Since we aren’t getting into 3D modeling, you’ll find some free<\/strong> 3d models online. There are plenty of website with free assets online but many of them are sketchy and the models aren’t “game-ready” so always start from the Unity Asset Store and Sketchfab.<\/p>\n

Unity Asset Store<\/a> filter by free.
\nShow import process<\/em>.
\nhttps:\/\/sketchfab.com\/3d-models\/<\/a> artsy\/stylish stuff not always great for games. Select downloadable.
\nShow download and import<\/em><\/p>\n

If you can’t find what you need you may try to look for other online resources like turbosquid or blendswap.
\nLook for generic looking stuff to assemble and recombine in new ways.
\nDon’t use models that are already digital sculptures, highly stylized, or full scenes.<\/strong><\/p>\n