Semester B: Week 41
Student: Tai Ser Yeet (22064351)
Programme: BA (Hons) Digital Media Design
Task: Week 41's Class Task (Part 2)
WEEK 41
[BLENDER]
I am now creating No.2 which is the adductor muscle. From the picture, it looks like it is essentially a textured sphere with many shallow holes on the surface. I researched tutorials on how to create a similar model and found a video teaching step-by-step on how to produce a "perforated sphere".
A UV sphere was first subdivided which increased the number of faces of the model. After that, random faces on the sphere were selected and deleted and subsequently, a subdivision modifier and solidify modifier were added to smoothen the edges and increase the thickness. Because I wanted the sphere to be solid, I tried adding another sphere inside of it but it was not looking good.
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I tried again but this time, I avoided deleting the faces of the sphere so that it remained solid. Next, I pressed the "I" key twice and this entered the faces since I wanted a slight intrude to the sphere's surface, I dragged the cursor inwards.
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To make the geometrical holes more organic, I applied a subdivision surface modifier and this softened its edges.
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7.5.24
[UNITY]
This week was the last feedback session with Josh and I compiled a list of issues that need solving.
Issue 1
"Label pointing to different parts and clickable UI which opens up a card explaining the function of each part"
Josh evaluated the issue but unfortunately, he wasn't able to determine the cause of the problem. He then suggested I look it up online to see how the button and the canvas can be interactive after being incorporated into the prefab. I did as he instructed and found a few lines of code that I could add to a new script. Unfortunately, due to my lack of knowledge of coding, I did not know how to add modifications to the code and consequently, many errors were produced.
When I consulted Josh again regarding the issue, he advised to instead, create side buttons that allow users to learn more about each function if they wish to.
Issue 2
When I built the app, the AR camera was flickering when the image target was detected. I searched the internet and someone in the Unity Forum suggested changing the "Near" ARCamera Clipping Planes to 0.4. It works!
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8.5.24
[BLENDER]
Making the Oyster's Stomach
Today, I made the oyster's stomach (the odd yellow-shaped thing closest to the shell). Since the shape was fairly organic, it was very forgiving because it need not be so perfect.
I started with a cube then elongated one end and subdivided selected faces. It quickly became oddly shaped but that was alright because the subdivision modifier smoothed the sharp corners. I wasn't satisfied with the base so I remade the model but this time, I began subdividing the cube to increase the number of vertices on the surface and used the grab (sculpt tool) to mould the shape so that it resembles the picture above.
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Oyster's Tentacles
In my very first attempt at making the gills's ridges, I created a curved-like shape that would now be perfect for the oyster's tentacles. I applied the "Array" modifier to multiply the object by a specific amount and later, included a "Simple Deform" modifier to bend the model on the X axis.
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As seen above, the tentacle was not sharp but rather, resembled more of a roof. Hence, it was a reason for me to try again. I started by creating a long, narrow finger-like sculpture with a wide base so that the tentacles combined together more seamlessly.
Using the bezier circle, I created the outline of the oyster concerning the shell I had already made and made sure to add more points to the line. Next, in the curve modifier, I referenced the bezier circle which helped the model earlier form itself into my desired shape.
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Once that was done, I deleted some of the deformed tentacles that were either stretched or squashed during the process of curving them into the shape of a shell and added a glossy, brown color. That has left a gap in certain areas which I patched up by adding one or more original tentacles.
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For the mantle (situated right above the shell), I started by sculpting a sphere using the Grab tool. For context, I elongated the front part so that it tapers and later flattened the top so that the other organs could sit on top of it nicely. After many attempts, it looked disproportionate even after I added the subdivision modifier and shade smooth. Coincidentally, I met Jimmy at the library that day and asked for his advice. He taught me his way of making the mantle which is:
- Start off with a cube
- In edit mode, press Ctrl + B
- Click and drag until becomes a sphere
- shade smooth (depend)
- Tip: Whenever you are working on a geometrical subject, use a cube whereas if you are sculpting an organic and soft object, use a sphere.
Creating the Buttons to Explain Organs's Function
In the game object, I created 9 components where I attached the assigned script so that the labels face the camera. Essentially, 9 labels were inserted into the field where it writes "Object To Rotate" and references the AR Camera.
Compiling All Parts Into One
When I was done with all of the oyster parts, I imported them individually into a new Blender file and carefully arranged them according to the image below. I pressed CTRL+J to join all the layers into one and exported it in FBX. format.
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Importing Model into Unity
I replaced the placeholder object with the final model and added the pointing labels in the prefab.
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11.5.24
[UNITY]
Big Issue
Now this is where it had gone downhill. I assumed that the orientation of the model was correct because that was how it was displayed in Blender and in the prefab. However, I encountered a problem where the exported full oyster model was slanted. It was prevalent as seen when the rotation slider was used. I tried changing the rotation in the original blender file but it did not work. Long story short, the issue was in the prefab itself whereby the origin was rotated to one side. To save myself from the confusion, I created a new prefab and the issue was solved.
Image Target
I wanted something simple but adhered to the criteria of a 5-star image target in Vuforia which meant sharp corners and high contrast elements within the illustration itself. I went onto Illustrator and took the logo which I placed on a square artboard and changed the typeface to the playful one I used for the app which is "Cat Comic"
I then uploaded it to the Vuforia website and waited for the rating to be produced. To my surprise, it was a pretty good image target but to me, it was too plain so I tried another in Figma where I used the cover image of my app.
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Unfortunately, the image target received a 1-star rating which is considered weak due to the lack of markers on the image.
Not wanting to fiddle around with this anymore, I stuck with the earlier logo version but added a blue border to spice things up. After that, I went to print it out in the library and glued it to a piece of cardboard so the card was not malleable and did not bend easily.
