Build Up
Our project has gone through a number of different iterations, starting with a 2D animation project and now a 3D immersive interactive project
Modeling Process
We have divided the entire building into 3 main sections, the 1920's period, the 1970's period and the present. And all of these buildings are constructed differently.
In 1920 it was a wind tunnel lab under construction, by 1970 it was a functioning wind tunnel lab and had an airplane in the center as well as a center console. In 2024, it became the current school building.
Models and Material
We used different character models to show the audience the history of the building at different times. The figures of workers, scientists, soldiers and students represent the interesting stories of the building at different times.
The theme of our visual style is manga, so we use a lot of manga materials to color our models. After creating the basic material by using shader, we adjust the color to achieve different visual effects.
Animation
Each NPC will have a different animation, and when in play mode, viewers can see each NPC in action so they can be more immersed in the history of the building.
Some of the NPCs have unique actions, when the character passes in front of the NPC, they will do some other actions to interact with the character.
"This motion-capture project, developed in Unity, offers an immersive exploration of ArtCenter’s 950 building. Players use real-time movement control to navigate its transformation from a 1950s wind tunnel to a modern teaching facility, engaging with interactive storytelling, NPCs, and distinct artistic styles that highlight each era."
Explore three different styles of 950 building in three different eras with this motion capture project.
Welcome to 950
1920
1970
2024
The colors become more brilliant with age. In the 1970's scene, we added a predominantly monochromatic visual effect, since printing technology was not good at the time, we chose to color an object with one color.
1970
1920
In the scene about the 1920's, we used a black and white color theme because at that time comics didn't have colors, only black and white and grey, so we decided to use white as the main color for this scene.
2024
In current times, various printing techniques have become more and more advanced, so for Current's scene, we decided to use more color combinations and more brilliant colors to enhance the visual impact, and we also added black lines to each object as a way of emphasizing our manga theme.
Visual Style
2024
1970
1920
About Project
For this project, we're doing some publicity for ArtCenter's new building, 950, where our project will be presented on a large TV in the hallway.
We also encountered some pain points in exploring this project
Point 3:
How does this project interact with users? What kind of interaction connects the user and the building?
Point 2:
How do we highlight that this is an ArtCenter building? How do we highlight the special of the school in the project?
Point 1:
What is the historical story of this new building that we can publicize.
History of 950
After our detailed investigation into the history of the building, we discovered that the building was actually one of the largest wind tunnel laboratories in the United States.
The building was officially completed and dedicated in 1930 and was decommissioned in 1997.
Ideation
This is a building with a long history and is now a building belonging to an art and design school. We decided to combine these two elements as the central effect of our entire project.
From there, the concept of a comic book-style historical building that can interact with user became an idea that we wanted to achieve.
How to interact
Our project will be placed in a corridor, a corridor that a large number of faculty and staff pass through every day
It occurred to us that we could interact by capturing the direction that people passing by are heading.
Function
We have two main features, and these two features make up the main interactions that give the user the freedom to explore the entire manga style of 950
Control by Computer
This building is dotted with many NPCs that can interact with the user.
NPC
Control by user
This time traveler from the comic book universe would run free in the building.
Run
About RUN
Our goal was to give the user a complete experience of what the building 950 looked like in three different periods, so we set up seven points where the character could stop and visit.
Locations
Movement Track
The character's movement is manipulated by the user moving left and right in front of the camera, and the character will reach different locations depending on the direction the user moves. For example, if the user moves to the left, the character will also move to the left.
In order to make it easier for the user to observe the movement and position of the character villain, we turn we set up a window similar to a comic book grid to give the character villain a close up shot.
Spotlight
About NPC
Each npc on the character's running route is able to interact with the npc, which animates differently when the character is near it.
Interact
For example, a soldier will just stand idly when the character isn't near him, and when the character gets close he will start saluting.
Spotlight for NPC
We've also placed exclusive Spotlight windows for many NPCs, through which users can better see what NPCs are doing in each time period
Each period of Spotlight gives the camera to a few of the most special NPCs, such as students, workers, and center console operators.
Different Periods
Since our building is a huge collection of three different time periods, we decided to style the NPCs to be the same personnel that would be present in different time periods, for example, in 1920, there would be a lot of construction workers and soldiers, in 1970, mostly researchers in wind tunnel labs, and in the present day, it's more like students and teachers.
Comic Book
Captures passerby movements to trigger an animation, following them left or right. The animation mimics 70s-90s comics, blending 4-6 characters into a patchwork of anime-style drawings.
Idea Generation
We had two different ideas in the beginning, and in the end we decided to combine the best of each idea into one project.
Time
The camera captures the silhouettes and movements of the passing crowd, randomly displaying a combination of silhouettes from a previous moment and current passers-by to create a sense of time and space interlacing.
Timewalk
In the end we decided to combine the best of both ideas into the final IDEA. we decided to divide the building 950 into three different time periods and place various people from different time periods in the building and have the player manipulate the character to take a walking tour of 950.
Sketches
Comic
Time
Timewalk
Variation
Our project has gone through a number of different iterations, starting with a 2D animation project and now a 3D immersive interactive project
Version 1: 2D Animation
When the user walks past the TV, he can see some animation happening around him and some NPCs talking to him.
We first used AI to create some concept artwork of a wind tunnel, and then used the bottom half of the screen as an area for the user to walk through.
Version 2: 3D Immersive
Eventually, we decided to switch from 2D animation to 3D immersive interaction in order to better present the entire 950 building.
Walk to the right or left to allow time-travelers in comic book time to explore the entire history of the 950 building.
Building Concept
In the 1920s, the building was still in the process of being built into a wind tunnel for the U.S. Army, so there's a lot of steel, stairs, and military vehicles to be seen.
In 1970, the building was already built and the building came with the presence of airplanes with tests and giant fans, as well as several operator's desks.
By now, 950 was about to become a dedicated building for TRANSPORTATION, so it had the style of a modern school building, along with some model vehicles for students to see.
NEXT PROJECT
Final