BSA227, AE to PS and back workflow, 20 October, 2016

Vaughn tried this out last night and showed me an easy way to get the film out of After Effects to Photoshop and back again.

AFter Effects:
composition menu:  add to render queue
lossless- choose photoshop sequence (just above quicktime)

Every frame will be rendered and will have a PSD extension.

In Photoshop
file/scripts/load files into stack (select all)
Edit frames ( will cut out Suvarna and Josh and do all of my processes on them and then...)
file/export/export layers to file (PNG-24)
have transparency ticked and untick Trim layers

Back in After Effects....
import file/ PNG sequence/Force alphabetical order


This is NOT a fast process.  Leave plenty of time for PS to export all the layers.

BSA228, "Making Things Look Good in Unity", 20 October, 2016

This is an actual channel on youtube, and a very timely discovery by Joe Ramage.

It's a series of videos in which the host dabbles and uses case studies to improve the visuals of video games made in Unity.

I need fireflies around the tree chandelier, animated doors, and general gloom over the world which could be fog, flickery scratches on the "lens" of the camera, and sound.

Particle 102
uses unity 5.2
particles can be adjusted at birth or over time
check pre-warm so nobody sees the loop start
additive blending gets particles made of RGB colours to turn white when they overlap

Animation 101 see animation instructions at 2:55 mark
hit record to get started

free fireflies particle kit from unity store

free lazy fog system

something I didn't realize I needed: music
music with loops for seamless play- look in free music file at school
ambient horror sounds
more horror sounds
tinkly horror sounds

Deadlines, 19 October, 2016

BSA215
soft turn in for critique         26 October           10AM (need to put in minimum 20 hours between now and Wednesday)
Comic                                   31 October         Noon

BSA227
Short film and blog                2 November     5pm (need to put in minimum 10 hours between now and next Wednesday)

BSA228
video game  build                 10 November     5pm (can only put in 5 hours outside of class between now and next Monday  :(  )
Game design document        11 November     5pm

Southsure paperwork/binder is due when????

Southsure entry Ashes to Gold final version due 6th November.

BSA227, Using Photoshop to Rotoscope, 19 and 27th October, 2016

Rotoscoped(selected) in After Effects.
Imported frames to layers into Photoshop

frame changed from RGB to black and white, no adjustments, then a dark stroke filter in PS
Brush size 9, normal mode around the edges

Had to correct the exposure of this sequence and the filter, as well.  Yuck.
Another step.  Brush is now on 5
Veil spotty brush preset on 48 with white and medium gray colour

This sequence has 256 frames, but the original sequence is much longer.  Frames at the beginning and the end have fallen off.  I exported everything I had already rotoscoped and everything I wanted to rotoscope in one long sequence.  Vaughn thinks it was probably too long for photoshop to handle.  But why didn't it start from the beginning?  It seems to have started a few seconds into the hand emerging from the drawing.

October 27th
There was a shortfall between the two sequences of rotoshopping I exported out of AE.

hand1 sequence begins at 4 seconds and 13 frames
ends at 12 seconds and 17 frames
replicate first frame of hand2 sequence to fill gap
hand2 sequence begins at 12 seconds and 19 frames
ends at 17 seconds 3 frames

BSA228, Assets and what not To be made, 18 October, 2016

Garden
in Maya
Lady Greigh topiary (try using a prefab face and then texturing it in Mudbox.  also, blend shapes so it will speak)
extra topiary trees/bushes
2D "card cutout" of Todd?

in Unity
overgrown grass

Mazes
in Maya
door handle 1
door handle 2

in Unity
overgrown grass

Corridor
in Maya
animate door knocker hands with blend shapes (grasping motion)

in Unity
overgrown grass

Foyer
in Maya
Lady Greigh's glasses
clock (and animate a 10 second countdown, too!)
calling cards
Butler's bell
silver tray

in Unity
vines
animate doors

Curio Box
in Maya

Lulu
fix up her animation cycles and get them into the game
put a smooth node on all action cycles
start coding
???

The list is getting shorter!!!

BSA228, setting the scene, 17-18 October, 2016

I've been worked on assets all weekend and made more Monday night.  I've been decorating the game world for two days now.  Nothing has gone in with LODs, in spite of a half-hearted at making them, because I question their necessity.  When you leave the room, you wouldn't see anything, anyway, so why should there be any level of detail? Rachel says not everything needs it anyway, and LOD can also be loaded in within Unity.

 View from the garden, looking up at the house.  This is a view only I as the programmer will see.  The player will see from the just behind Lulu and probably wouldn't go this low?

Decorating the house.  Very exciting!  Sooooo many props to load in and place, and there are still more to make.  

 Shiny windows were added by selecting the window faces and changing the material to a highly reflective blinn and monkeying with the transparency settings.  Making them black and setting up a black plane inside the window makes it look both transparent and like a dark room is inside.

Rachel put the blue glow in- I think it was for moody moonlight, but it looks quite good coming from the ornamental pond.  

Aerial view of the world.  The roof doesn't fit the building, and doesn't need to because we won't see it in the game.  The house needed to be expanded at the back to accomodate the weird alcoves that come off the doors.  I added prefab trees in Unity .  They'll never be seen but will fill in the skyline above the maze and will make the place look wilder.

Aerial view lavender maze

Aerial view jasmine maze

View from the corridor towards the front door

The dressed front of the house.  

The skybox is currently set on day.  It will be a moonlit scene once the set dressing is finsihed.  

Overhead shot of the 2/3 empty shell of the house and the foyer.  Do I need to put a ceiling on the inside of the foyer?  Probably.  

The table is empty.  It will have a silver tray with calling cards to alphabetize, a clock to set the play time, and a bell to ring the Butler on completion.  I'd like to hide the Gilmour House girls' drawings in here somewhere, but where?

From the center vantage point: The parlour door and the staircases.  

View towards the kitchen door and the portraits on the wall.  Lady Greigh's glasses will be "hidden" in the coat on the coat rack

View towards the inside of the front door.  The mirror needs a reflection shader, which Reuben suggested could be somewhere in Unity already.  I'd buy one if it was cheap enough.

The door to the Conservatory and shrubbery.  

BSA228, final assignments, 17 October, 2016

Assignment Three

Assessment 3: Game Build

For this assignment, you should have an art-based prototype ready for players to interact with your character and world. There must be an introduction page to your game giving your players options to play, escape or learn. Your environment build should be optimised for game play, with physics already applied to allow interaction by the player. The scene should be lit and all post processing applied. The characters should be optimised and ready for game play. Their animation trees should work seamlessly with player input and they should react with their environment. All menus, maps and Head Up Displays should optimised for the game engine and be within the game and ready for scripting.

Characters:

• Motion trees must be set up and work with the scripting to allow seamless player input
• Character design must match the look and feel of the game and your research with texturing and lighting complementing the design
• Characters must appeal to your intended target audience
• Animation must be smooth with all pops ironed out.
• Animation must be weighted correctly

Environment/props:

• All items should have the correct physics applied to allow the characters and objects to interact.
• All artwork must be of a high professional standard
• All items should be complete and textured
• Artist development must reflect your intended style
• All items must be technically professionally finished and optimised for unity
• Cameras must be set appropriately to enhance gameplay and have all post production filters applied
• All areas should be lit to reflect stylistic intent and gameplay

Menus, HUD’s and maps:

• All user interfaces should be logical and player friendly
• Entrance Menus should all be coded and in full working order
• HUD’s should be designed to minimalize player distraction and maximise game play
• All imagery should be optimised for the game engine
• If a map is needed it should be easy to access and optimised for player use

• Assignment 4

Assessment 4: Game Design Document

Your proposal should be updated to reflect the final project, this should include the documentation of your art portfolio and the new directions in which your final production has taken. Do not delete the original explanation, where things have changed reflect this by adding amendments.

Title:

• Game title
• Intended game Systems
• Target demographics
• Game logs
• Logos etc

Story:

• A games story summary
  • Beginning, middle and end
  • Motivations and conflicts
  • Feel and mood of the game
• Game flow
  • What type of game and the main locations and player goals?
  • Progression and reward system
  • How does came play tie into story
  • What is the victory condition?

Characters:

• Incorporates a hero with a defined Character arc
• All characters must have clear motivation
• Backstory which defines the character type
• Signature moves, abilities weapons etc.
• Enemies and or bosses and who are they and how are they being used.
• Final artwork and bios

Game World:

• When and where is your world set
• Describe what the world should look and feel like.
• How the player should interact with the world?
• How do your locations tie into your storyline?
• Level map should be provided with the concept art.
• Final artwork and screen shots

Gameplay:

• Detail how sequences of play are presented
• Are there levels, rounds chapters, mini games, puzzles
• How do the characters play out in these scenarios?
• Include supporting screen shots and artwork.

Mechanics and Hazards:

• Examples of mechanics which aids the player
  • Moving platforms, opening doors, ladders etc.
• Examples of Hazards which can hinder or kill the player
  • Spike pits, flaming jets etc.
• How are these things used in your environment?
• Power up and what they can give the player
• Collectibles and their impact on the game
• Economy system, which is how are the players gaining and spending

Controller:

• How does the player control elements?
• Mapping of elements to main game play i.e. controller, keyboard, gestures
• Where or how is the camera controlled?

Game Experience:

• The look and feel of the whole project as a consumer product
• How is it presented to the consumer? I.e. packaging and cinematics
• How does the player get lead into the storyworld, ie Menus, HUD’s, cut scenes?
• Final Artwork and in game screen shots