Caitlin Hannan
Final Project
Production Log
Here is an overview of my process throughout the whole of this project.
08/03/22
Getting through the plans -
In this lesson, I had to fill out a contingency plan template where I created a list of possible scenarios that could happen during this project, including the risk level, severity, and a solution if it was to happen. In this lesson, I also had to complete the project proposal guidance and template, which included my concept for my final product game, my aims for my project, and to reflect on, review and summarise my progress and achievements through the first 7 units of the qualification, and the knowledge, skills, and understanding I have acquired.
Concept -
In the second half of the lesson, I had to come up with two different concept ideas and find some inspiration that could help give me a better idea of what I wanted to achieve for my final project. The most challenging part of this lesson was trying to figure out what I wanted to make as a game and what I wanted my overall project to be, in the end, I settled on the plan of keeping to the environmental and modeling part of this project and id make a game about looking around a simple house.
10/03/22
Concepts for the website –
In the planning and production section of my website, I worked on making mood boards and explaining the theme that I want to go for, including the tone of my game, the story, the style, and the overall feel and look of my game. The main part of this lesson was to think about what it is my game will be, what storyline/ plot I want for my game, and what style I want my game to look like in the end. And by the end of this lesson, I knew that I wanted to make a walking simulator game where you walk around a deceased relative and have the game give a realistic feel to my game but still have that slight cartoonish feel to it. I also created a room layout using a website. Doing this helped me think about how exactly I want my game layout to be as well as knowing how everything will be spaced out. This room layout also helps me keep track of what assets I need to make to complete the map.
Planning and preparing a presentation –
In the second half of the lesson, I had to start preparing a presentation that explained my potential ideas; the research and inspiration used that helped me come up with my ideas, my intended audience; the software, and techniques I’m planning on using; my schedule in Gantt chart format; and finally, my potential outcome for my game and how it will be presented and played. The main part I tried to focus on when making this presentation was trying to make sure my points and ideas got across clearly without going off-track or not going into enough detail.
15/03/22
Starting practical –
In this lesson, we finally started to work on either game mechanics or 3D modelling. However, I had to finish my PowerPoint presentation from the last lesson which cut down the time I had to start modelling, as well as having to present my presentation to my teacher as well as 3 other people in my class. When I finally got to start my modelling process, I thought it would be best for me to create a list of assets that I will need, this way I could keep track of what I have and haven’t done.
21/03/22
Contextual and Theoretical research –
Since my game is about traveling through a house where someone with Alzheimer’s used to live. I had to do research on the illness and find out what Alzheimer’s is, and how it affects a person and their everyday life. My research also includes what Alzheimer’s does to the brain as well as the symptoms. This research is useful for my work since knowing the symptoms I am now able to add little details to the game to make it seem more realistic and give the player a stronger experience. The main difficulty of this research was making sure that everything I had found online was acerate and correct, and to make sure all my information was correct I checked multiple sites and compared what info I had received from all of them. I also mainly used trusted medical websites like the NHS website.
28/03/22
Detailed planning –
For this lesson, I had to do extra planning in detail to help my process throughout this project and to help myself keep track of where I should be within this topic to stop me from falling behind. This planning included a Timeline and a Mind map with all the specific elements and assets I may need to create another mind map to help me discover and find out what type of style id like my game to be. To also help me get a better idea of what would be more enjoyed by players, I created a research questionnaire where I could use user feedback to help influence how my game looks, and how it’ll play out.
The Time line is to keep track of what I'm planning on happening in my game and when. This will help me when it comes to having to use unreal engine because this will let me keep tract of what I'm planning on happening and what ill need to code in order for it to work.
30/03/22
Peer review -
In this lesson, we were given the task of reviewing two class mates websites and giving them feedback on what looks good as well as what they could add and improve upon. Once we had finished reviewing and receiving our own reviews from the other students I had to look at what feedback I was given and then apply it to my website to fix anything that was missing, incorrect, or in the wrong place of my website.
Asset work -
After I had finished my peer review I moved on to making more assets for my project. I stuck to making assets that would go into the kitchen, this way I can slowly work through my list of assets instead of randomly going through the list which would mean that I could possibly miss out on making some assets. I created the assets I needed for the kitchen and with these, I will use them to fill up the area and make it less empty. The assets I made were: plates, bowls, cups, teapots, and teacups.
31/03/22
Kitchen -
I made the main part of my kitchen which is the cupboards, draws, sink, fridge, and oven. I found some parts difficult to make such as the oven racks and the sink and faucet which I couldn't find videos to help me make so I found these assets on Free3D.com (I also used this website to help me find a blanked for my bed asset). Once I had made my kitchen I placed everything out so when I import it into Unreal engine I could easily snap them into place and re-size the assets so they fix where it needs to go.
04/04/22
Substance Painter Research -
I had to research Adobe Substance Painter using the Adobe website 3D https://www.substance3d.com/ to help me answer some questions about the software such as how it's used, what I can use it for, what other type of substance software there is, what they're used for, as well as if I would use Substance Painter for my project and future projects.
18/04/22
Foley sounds -
For my game, I used BandLab to help create the background music, main menu music, and some other sounds I needed for my game. With the audios I didn't use BandLab for, I either recorded myself or found copyright-free audios on New music - Check out our latest tracks | Epidemic Sound.
I made the background music using premade snippets from BandLab. My main goal for the background music was to make it have a sad, slow pace, and mysterious feel. This is so the music helps to give the player a more immersive experience and influences a despairing and depressive emotion while playing.
For the main menu music, I wanted it to be the same as the background music so I could easily transition between them. And so with this as my main focus, all I did for the main menu music was add a slightly more positive feel to the music so it wasn't so slow and didn't have as much of an upsetting feeling.
25/04/22
texturing assets -
I used 3Ds max and substance painter to add texture to the assets that I had made so far. To make sure that the textures were applied properly I had to use Unwrap UVW in 3Ds max and make sure that nothing was overlapping and it was all correctly mapped out. The most difficult part of this was making sure that the textures didn't overlap and when it came to applying the texture they weren't at an angle. Luckily I sorted this problem out easily by rearranging the UVW map and re-sizing it so it stopped the texture from being stretched out. Using Substance Painter was easy for me to use, and to help get the worn/ old look on some assets I added the texture I wanted and then added a darker similar texture over it and made it a black mask.
04/05/22
creating box sides -
For my game, I wanted to add cardboard boxes since the main task is to pack away old items. I decided to create the sides for the boxes myself, this way I could get the boxes to look the way I want them to and so I used Photoshop to make different sides for cardboard boxes. The sides I made include a 'this way up' sticker, fragile stickers, as well as tape to hold the sides closed and top closed.
09/05/22
Layout -
I started off making my walls for my layout in 3ds max, what I did is I made simple short, and long walls, as well as making a doorway, this way when I imported it into Unreal engine I could snap them into place and rearrange them as I please.
After importing the walls into Using unreal engine I made my layout and added texture to the walls and floor. To make sure that the wallpaper was in the correct place and not stretched I had to duplicate the walls and place multiple. I also had to double up the walls so the wallpaper for one room didn't show up on the other side in the wrong room.
12/05/22
Adding assets -
I started importing my assets into my Unreal engine project, I started with the living room and that it would be a better use of my time to complete one room at a time, this way I won't forget an asset. The main inconvenience was having to resize some assets and having to make sure they looked well together, and making sure the room wasn't crowded in one part and empty in another part. I added the texture to the assets as I imported them, this way I found it easier and I could also get a better idea of how the final product is going to look once I'm finished.
15/05/22
extra details -
I used 3Ds Max to create extra little detail for my project so it was more realistic and shows that I paid attention to what I was doing, and wanted to make sure that the details of the game's environment and the modelling were my main focus of this project.
The assets I made that would help tie everything together were skirting boards, door frames, another light, a washing machine, shower doors, and small little assets which could help take up more space so the rooms weren't empty.
16/05/22
Adding details -
In this lesson, I wanted to ensure that my final project has the little extra details that we don't usually think about such as doorways, and skirting boards. I also continued adding assets to each room that needed them. Since this is near the end of my project I was worried that I would be able to add all of the assets I would like and so I focused on adding the main assets needed.
17/05/22
Filling out rooms -
Here I finally started adding assets into the bathroom and kitchen, I found it a better use of my time to add the assets first and then add textures to them after i finish importing the assets i wanted in the room.
My main issue during this was trying to find the right place for everything to go as well as having to resize a few things. I also realsied during this that the rooms i made were to large and that I would have to make the rooms smaller by moving the walls inwards.
19/05/22
Last day of practical -
Today was the last day that I could work in unreal engine and so i had to make sure that everything that i needed to do was done. I started off my resizing my rooms so they were no longer to large, I then made sure that every main needed asset had been added and textured, and finally I made sure to add ceilings and lights into each room. Since I was rushing to get everything done some of the mapping on my assets were not done and so I had to try and rearrange the textures so they did not appear weirdly on the assets. Due to me running out of time to work on my project I was unable to add any extra details to fill out little spaces as well as not being able to work on any game mechanics. Luckily since I was working on the environmental and modelling part of this project I did not need to get too worried over this. Once I had finished what I could, I took screenshots of my work and recorded a short video of me walking around my final product and looking at each asset.
What I ended up missing from my game was the game mechanics (such aa main menu, pause menu, 'press E to -' button, and being able to pick up and look at objects ), Game music, Foley sounds, little assets to fill in more spaces around the flat, pictures in the picture frames, and objectives for the player to complete.
25/05/22
Extra research -
To fill out my research page I decided to look at something that would be useful and help me design and get the appearance I want for my game. And so I looked at different ways in which I could control the look and feel of the atmosphere, this research consisted of how lighting can change the feel of a room, and how music can be used to influence how the player should feel and inform them on what the scene is.
26/05/22
Finishing website -
This lesson was the last day to work on my website and so I had to go through and make sure I've finished all of my work and everything was in the right place. I also added extra text to some parts that I though didn't have enough writing, and filled out parts that seemed empty.
