Month: April 2020

What did you learn?
In project 3, I learned how to create a basic 3D videogame using Unity. Through instructions and trial-and-error, I was taught how to import packages into unity, to create my own custom terrain, import a script for our character, change the color of the in-world lighting, add audio to my game, and export it into a genuine playable application.

What was easy?
After installing all the sets, I believe that building the terrain was the easiest part. I enjoyed raising and sinking the terrain because it was easy to see the changes. I also found that coloring the terrain and adding the 3D elements was also shockingly easy. It was very relaxing to include grass and sprinkle trees across the map.

What was challenging?
The most challenging part was assigning the playable character with the proper script to allow it to move. I ended up uninstalling everything and starting all over again because I continuously encountered compiling errors. I’m not sure why I encountered so many problems during this stage, but after reinstalling everything and trying again, I found success.

How could your submission be improved?
I made my maze out of heightened hills. I made sure to make them extremely tall so that the player wouldn’t be able to cheat and view the exit. I do think I should have spent more time evening the hills out instead of having uneven, steep walls. While it doesn’t affect the gameplay too much, I think the game would have turned out more refined if I had smoothed and evened the walls out.

How could I improve the assignment for the next class?
I thought that the assignment was properly explained both from the video lectures you provided, the guest links, and the instructions document. It’s a well-rounded assignment that allows the students to become familiar with lighting, terrain building, character scripting and general game design.

How might you apply your knowledge in future assignments or work scenarios?
Unity is an extremely popular application that can be used to build 2D and 3D videogames on desktop and mobile. Now that I’m familiar with Unity, I can use these basic game development skills to create games. Whether its for a future work scenario or for a future assignment, I’ll be able to create a functional map and a playable character.

How did a specific reading or video inspire or help you?
I was inspired to add audio to my game because I watched the extra videos you provided, and when I noticed how easy it was I felt inspired to start looking for some background music. I settled on some casual folky music since my maze took place in the middle of a meadow. After following along with the instructional video, I had added more depth to my game.

What did you learn?
In this assignment, I learned the essential steps to developing my
own card. Specifically, I learned how to use rulers to represent creases in my
card, became proficient with layers and creating masks, develop paths for text,
and create artboards. All of these skills serve as the crucial steps to making a typical holiday card.

What was easy?
I found that adding new layers and adding text through text paths were very easy. The buttons are easy to identify, and once I became familiar with their locations it became second nature.

What was challenging?
I struggled with finding a suitable background for my card. Perfectionism aside, I especially struggled with turning my card into an artboard. I couldn’t get the exterior of the card to align for the longest time. Eventually, I was able to get it to align but it was frustrating in the meantime. I wasn’t sure what I was doing wrong.

How could your submission be improved?
I feel like my submission could be improved if I found a better background to serve as a scenery. While I’ve seen birthday cards that have beach scenes on the front, I feel like mine doesn’t work well.

How could I improve the assignment for the next class?
I would appreciate a video that goes over all the quirks and uses that artboards can do. While the instructions were straight forward, they still confused me because even when I felt like I followed them exactly, I struggled to properly align my card.

How might you apply your knowledge in future assignments or work scenarios?
I found this project to be very useful because now I understand how to make cards. In addition, through the methods I learned in this project, I could also make paper dolls, brochures, and other paper advertisements that could use graphics and text on the inside and outside of the document.

How did a specific reading or video inspire or help you?
I found great inspiration in the example that was used in the instructions. While it wasn’t birthday related, I could envision what elements I needed and where to put them. For instance, when I saw the pumpkin for the back of the card, I knew that I could do something similar, but birthday related. Thus, I used some birthday cake clip art for the graphic on the back.

What did you learn?
In Lab 1 I learned how to apply filters to an image, specifically the noise filter. By opening the noise window, I’m able to manipulate the filter’s intensity. While I’m zoomed out, the entire image is hidden under a screen of static, but when I zoom in with the magnifying tool, I’m able to see a limited number of pixels entirely. I also learned about transform controls, which can stretch, enlarge, or shrink whatever is selected. By enlarging 6 pixels of an image I can make an appealing pattern.

What was easy?
Applying the noise filter was significantly easy. All I needed to do was select the ‘filter’ submenu from the menu bar above, select the noise arrow, and then add noise.
What was challenging?
Whenever I entered the values for the transform controls, I struggled to properly align the image within the available space. In other words, whenever I entered the values, I would still have solid white negative space peeking through. I had to tweak the values to completely hide the white space.

How could your submission be improved?
I could improve my submission by selecting an image with better color values. The instructions recommended choosing 6 pixels that have an emotional quality to them, so that is where I think I could improve.

How could I improve the assignment for the next class?
I believed the instructions were straight to the point and effective for the most part. I think you should add a disclaimer with the transform control values that we might have to tweak them to hide all the negative space.

How might you apply your knowledge in future assignments or work scenarios?
Now I’m familiar with the filter submenu available on the menu tab, which can benefit my images in the future. Knowing that there are more filter options available in this submenu, I can experiment with future work scenarios. I can also use this knowledge to create a unique, abstract background for future scenarios.

How did a specific reading or video inspire or help you?
I was inspired by the apple you included as an example in the instructions. I kept with the fruit theme, but I went with oranges instead. Proves to show that unique backgrounds can be made from anything, even a simple image of fruit.