Image 1: A look at what goes into Level Designing

ANI210 ANIMATION STUDIO BLOG POST 2: Designing the Fuse Room for The Studio Project

Kudakwashe Mateta
Aug 9, 2017 · 5 min read

After establishing that the main focus of the Studio Project this Trimester revolves around plugging myself into a team, finding my role within that team, doing the tasks given to me and working with the team while being as dynamic and consistent as possible. (How did I do with all of this? Well, I will touch on that in my next Blog post which includes footnotes from my awesome lecturer Tim Kitevski, so stay tuned for that… PS: The Blog has been updated, click here to read it).

Overview of the Studio Project We Decided to Work On

The task of the studio project is to create a walking game simulation that will allow players to walk through and explore an engaging and interesting environment. So as someone who only managed to start attending lectures on Week 3, I was not able to be there for the introduction to the unit and choose the group I would be apart of, which was definitely a blessing in disguise. The team I landed in was happy to have me and I fitted in with them quite well. With that being said, as I only landed in class on the third week of the course I was absent when they were coming up with the concepts and themes of the overall simulation, and most of the tasks had already been allocated by the time I arrived so I did not get to really choose how I would contribute to the overall project, which was fine by me.

Image 2: The ideal work space to have (Let’s hope it’s not already obselete :P)

The premise of the Walking Game Simulation is set in a space shuttle that has crash landed underwater on another planet. The crash has caused the power of the shuttle to go down, so the goal of the game is to go to the Fuse room and switch the Fuses, old one non-functioning fuse with a backup fully functioning fuse. Once the functioning fuse has been switched with the working one the ship’s power is restored.

My task with the project was to design the concept of the Fuse Room and design the assets that would be in there.


“Hey Kuda, Wanna Work on The Fuse Room?” “Yeah sure…” “(Me to Myself) Alright, So Where Do I Start?”

My Contribution Towards the Project

So the Fuse Room and the Control Room were two very crucial aspects for the overall outcome of the project. So i decided to do some research and find some designs for the Fuse, Fuse Reactor, the Storage Case, and some of the other assets I designed which were not necessarily for the Fuse Room.

The Fuse and Fuse Reactor

The overall theme and style of the environment is meant to be going for a Futuristic Steampunk style. So with that in mind I did not intend to go for a fuse that had leather and gears all over it, but the idea that I had in mind was a sleek design that eluded to futuristic technology, with the other assets in the fuse room showing their influence by the Steampunk genre.

Futuristic Fuse Reference Image

These assets were going to be the gears on the fuse room walls, the fuse storage case and the fuse room pipes that will get lit up after the new fuse has been replaced.

The Fuse Storage Case

As I said earlier on, the fuse room storage was definitely intended to display elements of Steampunk influence in it’s overall design and texture, but at the same time showcasing the Futuristic Technology feel to it as well.

Fuse Storage Reference Image

The image below displays the main reference that inspired the design of the asset and I went on to add the futuristic feel with the sliding panel that opens up and allows players to replace the fuse.

Away from The Fuse Room i modeled a Steampunk Couch that would be an asset lying around in the hallways of the ship, which add to the narrative that the ship has crash landed underwater so things from the ship are lying around all over the floor in most areas on the ship.

Steampunk Couch Design Reference

The references that inspired the design of the couch are taken from some images of leather couches with aluminum lined edges that I felt were suitable to fit in the Steampunk style the project is leaning towards, and that turned out quite well.

Modelling a Few Extra Assets Towards Completion

As with any project it is important to be aware of any changes that may need to take place and leave room to be able to implement any suggestions that the Project Managers may have. That being said, after completion of the assets listed above I had to design a few more assets that had were a result of the constructive criticism given by the course lecturers Tim Kitevski and Jonathan Li.

The Fuse Reactor Floor Panel and Fuse Room Pipes

Accompanying the Fuse Reactor in the scene is a floor panel that is attached to the floor and is intended to give the Fuse Room a bit more depth, because towards the end of the project, after having to drop out the idea of having rotating gears on the wall Tim Kitevksi and Jonathan Li had a look at it and said it looked a bit bland and was lacking depth as there was a lot of empty space in there with just the fuse reactor being underneath the floor and the Fuse Storage Case being on the side right against the wall. So this Fuse Reactor Floor Panel as well as the Fuse Room Pipes served that purpose, which was to fill up the room, give it more depth and life to it.

References:

  1. Image 1 Retrieved from: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q7M9ZyKUWpI/UXAcJT3pSUI/AAAAAAAAAak/FvXRSHtOsik/s1600/DwarvenKitShot.png
  2. Image 2 Retrieved from: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5c/d5/dd/5cd5ddd145c6a1293214948d9eb53e85--artist-workspace-office-workspace.jpg
  3. Image 3 Retrieved from: https://padletuploads.blob.core.windows.net/prod/202987967/6a176505d77c644b9d1e13751c6805e3/0008_jpga3339387_795d_4705_9ccd_207fa4e74500Original.jpg
  4. Image 4 Retrieved from: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/51/94/fe/5194fe400872ee94ed1370337799912f.jpg
  5. Image 5 Retrieved from: http://www.viendoraglass.com/server10-cdn/2015/08/24/christopher-knight-leather-club-chairs-susan-olsen-23fc32790578711a.jpg
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