ASU1 - Weekly Update

This week I decided to create more assets for my scene. I created table, table and cutting board assets. On suggestion, I also created an arch for the walls, to help break the hard edges of the wall assets and make the scene more realistic. These have been fully modeled, baked and textured. I also forgot to mention last week that I began to play around with LUTs in UE4

I used pre-existing Victorian cook book pages for the pages of my cook book asset. Due to time constraints, I wouldn't be able to ilustrate my own cook book pages so I used pre-existing ones.

Images found here: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/36/2b/6b/362b6ba9e3bf71a73293bfc7163bd048.jpg

https://wimshulcooks.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/dainty-dishes_new2.jpg

RIPU - Research

Quick post this morning:
I haven't done much for RIPU, as I've been focusing on my ASU1 project this week. However, I did managed to get another interview done for my project with a researcher.
I also managed to clean up some of my research pages I have done for RIPU - they were a tad messy to use the term lightly.

But this week I also tried to find this particular story about games, but couldn't for the life of me I couldn't find it (which is really annoying, as it was from many years ago and I thought it was from one place but it wasn't. So I was tried for a few hours to find the article), But whilst trying to find the original story, I did find another similar story regarding a similar situation that happened seen here: 6 Acts of Real-Life Heroism Made Possible by Video Games - this also shows how people helped others which was made possible by gaming.

I was also recommend during my interview to look at Nice National Institute for Health Care Excellence - this has all the latest evidence, research and models for treating mental health
Nice National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

RIPU - Creative body of work

This week I focused on getting some of the creative body of work stuff done.
I also managed to conduct an interview with a professionals within a mental health trust in Norfolk for my RIPU project.

This last image is a reference to the Butterfly project, which seeks out to using they symbol of a butterfly to prevent people from self-harming. This has influence some of my other creative body of work. Recoveryourlife.com - As seen here and I quote: 

'The idea is simple. The self-harmer simply draws a butterfly on their place(s) of self-harm and, if the butterfly fades without them self-harming, it means it has lived and flown away, giving them a sense of achievement. Whereas if they do self-harm with the butterfly there; they will have to wash it off. If that does happen, they can start again by drawing a new one on.' - Recoveryourlife.com 

ASU1 - weekly updates: UE4 Renders

Updates on scene within UE4. Also added text to the pots.

ASU1 - Weekly Update: Dat Copper Texture

This week I created a light asset for the level. Means this scene is based within the later part of the Victorian period, I can create gas lighting - which is handy as this would means there's a reason for artificial light within the level. Though most gas lighting within the period, the lights were facing upwards, I did find some that faced down. The reason I wanted to find a light that faces down is that light would be facing the floor. Ideally, I would have liked to have the lights facing down but I have yet to figure out how to do glass within UE4. I was told about the Fresnel node within UE4, I tried to use it, however to no avail.

UE4 documents I looked at for the Fresnel node: Using Fresnel in your Materials

Research into Victorian Lighting:
http://www.historichouseparts.com/pdshop/shop/category.aspx?catid=605
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/lighting/lighting.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_lighting
http://victorianlighting.co.uk/short-history-lighting/
http://www.lucyworsley.com/a-quick-history-of-domestic-lighting/
http://www.1900s.org.uk/1900s-lighting.htm
http://www.stedmundsburychronicle.co.uk/gas/gashistory.htm
http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/guides-advice/gas-lighting-in-victorian-times-16562
https://www.oldhouseonline.com/articles/guide-to-victorian-lighting
https://www.thevictorianemporium.com/publications/history/article/history_of_lighting
http://www.1900s.org.uk/1900s-lighting.htm
http://www.lucyworsley.com/a-quick-history-of-domestic-lighting/

Also done some research on Victorian household and I found these two articles of interest:
10 dangerous things in Victorian/Edwardian homes
10 Crazy Ways People Accidentally Poisoned Themselves During The Victorian Era

Sketchfab link to the light model: Light

The light model was fully modeled (high and low poly), baked and textured this week. I am really happy with how the copper texture look on this light. The base copper texture is the copper texture I created within Substance Designer a few weeks ago. This made the texturing process quicker.

Spice Boxes: 

Also textured the spice boxes - not happy with the painted metal textures. 

Also done some tests on the Wall textures within UE4 to see which maps would look better and to use with vertex colour:

ASU1 - UE4 Renders

Also this week, I wanted to add the assets I've already made and place the textures on them within UE4. Results seen below. I also forgot to mention within my other ASU1 post this week is that I added a fire particle effect within UE4 for the oven. I tried to create one, but it didn't look too good so I used one from the UE4 starter content.

I also had a slight faux pas with the fire particle effect. I tried to down scale the particle effect, but the particle ended up going wrong and didn't work properly. I tried to go into the particle effect settings and change it to work properly. I didn't want to spend too long on this one little things as I have a lot more work on this project to do. Though it would mess up the scaling I had down within Maya, I scaled everything up within UE4, so the original fire particle effect would look right. Unfortunately, though this has messed up my measurements and scaling within Maya, I had to use this work around due to time constraints

RIPU - Research and Creative Body of Word

This week for RIPU, I whilst doing my pages of research, I wanted to make a head start for the creative body of work needed for the unit. I wanted to create a concept piece for depression. Results seen below. I used a lot of black in my concept piece as the colour black, scientifically means the absence of light and often used figuratively represents darkness. I wanted to use these two meanings and use them towards the character design. Why did I choose this? Often, when people are depressed they feel like there's no light. They feel darkness surrounds them - I combine these together to create the character design below 

ASU1 - Weekly update

This week I tried and failed to create a texture within Substance Designer for painter metal. Both first and second attempt failed.... Badly. Though second time did come out slightly better than the first, it still doesn't look like painted metal. But, I did manage a somewhat good looking cork, fire wood, charcoal and coal texture. I got several misc items textured too


Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first.

The red textures was the first attempt at creating a painted metal texture. The top two are the second attempt. These haven't turned out well what so ever. But with practice, I will hopefully be able to create a painted metal texture.

Bad stuff out of the way. Now for the good bits: 

Textures I created this week: Cork, firewood, coal and charcoal textures

Also done further research for the project. I looked at influences of Victorian cooking and recipes - as these would influence some of the misc assets
Pages I looked at:
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/s/style-guide-influence-of-india/
https://britishfoodhistory.com/tag/british-empire/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/victorian_technology_01.shtml
http://reframingthevictorians.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/indian-influence-in-victorian-era.html
http://reframingthevictorians.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/victorian-encounters-with-india-and-its.html
https://qz.com/639435/the-indian-curry-is-merely-a-figment-of-the-british-colonial-imagination/
http://www.academia.edu/4429360/Indian_Influences_on_British_culture
http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/a-spot-of-curry-anglo-indian-cuisine
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8370054.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bygzm
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDA9CC4EF1C54F5D0
http://upbproducts.co.uk/blog/asian-food-uk-indian+cuisine-influenced-uks-palate/
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/victorian-recipes/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/victorian_recipes
http://www.historyextra.com/article/food/7-victorian-recipes
http://cookit.e2bn.org/historycookbook/index-23-victorians.html
http://recipespastandpresent.org.uk/victoriancooking/

I know from own knowledge of the Victorian era is that during the mid and later part of the era, Victorian food was influence a lot by Indian food and spices. India was regarded within the British Empire as the 'jewel of the crown'.