Immersive Art Project

A project by MA students at the University of Hertfordshire

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Final Thoughts

Rooshil Hibbert

As the project draws to a close, here are some of my thoughts about the overall experience.

This was one of my more pleasant team experiences and painted a much clearer picture of how a group should ideally operate. We were able to allocate roles quite effectively so that all team members would be able to contribute.

The challenge was taking advantage of the wide range of skills possessed by each group member. Since three members including me were experienced with 3D software, and the other two were more experienced in 2D, this was why we decided to construct a 3D scene.

The main software we used to arrange our scene was Unreal Engine. Since only me and one other group member had experience with Unreal Engine, we communicated quite heavily, and I spent the last couple of days before submission troubleshooting and providing technical assistance.

The final result unfortunately could not be carried out quite to the level we were hoping for due to technical difficulties with Unreal Engine such as lighting and rendering. Due to these problems we did not have time to render the scene in higher resolution, which impacted the look of our final product.

I regret being unable to share the work in Unreal Engine more equally, as I was unable to directly make changes to the final result. There were limited ways we could share the files, and we were constrained by the size of the project folder.

Despite my buildings not being featured to the degree I would have preferred, I am glad that my animation of the statues received the spotlight in the final experience. Due to its importance, I spent much time and care perfecting the movements of the statues and I was satisfied with the result.

Despite issues with the final outcome, the overall experience was very rewarding and familiarised me with group dynamics. Part of the reason I found this team project more pleasant was that everyone was equally committed to finishing the project, and it was easy to agree with other members of the group about certain decisions such as meeting times, decisions for future development, etc. and providing updates on WhatsApp.

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Poster and Final Thoughts Considering Group Role

Giorgia Menon

This is a very small and not really worth talking about work, but I still wanted to include this on the blog. This was also a way for me to put some of my soft and creative skills into action and I'm glad to have made it. I believe, as with everything else that I've produced, I left time and space for my teammates to have a say in what I was creating, therefore I feel like I made it easy for them to interact with me and my work. This way, everyone can be completely aware of the work that is being done, even behind the reflectors, and can agree on it recurring in an eventual overall satisfaction.

Finally, I wanted to write down some final reflections looking back at the work that I and the members of my group have done and focusing especially on group roles. In order to do this as transparently as possible, I've decided to share here the results of the Belbin test that I took at the beginning of the course.

According to my own perception of myself, I seem to have registered as an Implementer and Completer Finisher character. I must say that in normal circumstances I would most likely agree with these statements, however, this group project has brought into action slightly different dynamics in my opinion. Given that the project was mainly 3D-based and given my little to no knowledge of 3D software, it was almost impossible for me to have full control over the final output. On one hand, I knew I wanted to behave differently than normal, having received the results before the groups were even assigned, on the other hand, I knew I had to learn to trust my teammates and delegate work. This has been especially hard for me, given the fact that I usually prepare to not ask for any help and take care of my own work by myself, but this has been one of the precious teachings that I have received during the progress of this assignment.

ENFJ: Leverage Your Personality Type

As for Jung and Myer's test, I resulted in having an ENFJ personality type, which means Extravert(3%), iNtuitive(12%), Feeling(22%), and Judging(12%). I remember taking the same test in the past and receiving the same results...which means that I haven't changed much in these aspects over the years. Related to the teamwork environment, I can see myself described in a few lines that say that ENFJ people tend to see the bigger picture of things and can manage a group of people. Even though I'm not a big fan of this trait, I can see myself being slightly "manipulative" sometimes, as the test suggests. This of course doesn't happen on purpose, but it's just a direct consequence of behaving as a helper/enabler as I aim to be for my group. I can also see myself neglecting my own feelings/personal time to finish a task, as describes in the explanation of the test. However, over the years I tried working a lot on this specific aspect of my personality and I believe I have come a long way... nonetheless, I believe it's always going to be part of my persona in a way.

Thinking back at the first class, during the "egg exercise", I can see myself putting into action the theory that is listed above. While for the first experiment (the one where we had to cut sheets of paper), my group seemed pretty confused and we didn't perform that well, I believe that with the second exercise, we did well! Even though that day one group member was missing, therefore the dynamics were slightly different than what the actual group was going to look like later on, I remember observing my group mates during the first few interactions. Having addressed a lot of shyness and the majority of people not wanting to take charge, I decided I would. Knowing myself, I know that I like following rules and that I want to perform well... for myself and others. And this is exactly what I wanted to do for this assignment as well. First of all, I remember making sure that we were not surpassing any of the indications given by the professors, given that we could start to outline a plan for the building of the structure. I recall pushing everyone to express their initial ideas and thoughts, resulting in a few confused ideas. I remember feeling slightly bad for having to reject some ideas to reach a communal agreement. Again, I took it upon myself to "reject" the ideas that I though didn't have much future. It's kind of dirty work but it needs to be done, for the sake of the group and the project. Even though I didn't really enjoy this aspect of the process, I always tried to come across as respectful and relaxed. During the actual "making of" the structure, I remember delegating the work among the people around the table. Looking back at it I might have come across as too "bossy", but at the same time, I thought that the group needed to move in the same direction. Until that point everyone was kind of fixating on their own idea and I believed that in that way we were not going to complete the assignment the best way possible. Eventually, the assembly of assets started coming together, and the anxiety levels of the group started rising together with the countdown of the remaining time. The last few actions around the egg were complete chaos. I remember seeing members of my group deviating from the main idea and focusing too much on specific details, without noticing that we hadn't used all the materials offered. Therefore, I had to start redirecting them and reminding them of the time passing by. I'm not sure how we did it, but we finished as the time went out. During this whole experience, I remember trying to communicate with the teammate who was absent that day. Communication was definitely hard given the loudness of the classroom, the black camera on the other side of the phone, and the impossibility of inclusion in the process. Either way, I believe we made him as participative as possible, with the time and energy that we had.

I believe this first interaction was essential for the creation of the actual subsequent project that we made in the following three weeks. I think that that day, we kind of understood our roles in the group and we kept them up during the whole development of the project. This resulted in a very enthusiastic and attentive group, that had the interest and the skills to work together around a deadline. Everyone was really creative and willing to put their technical abilities into action for the creation of a type of work that none of us had every done before.

References:

Belbin (2022). Free Belbin test - looking for a free Team Roles test? [online] www.belbin.com. Available at: https://www.belbin.com/resources/free-belbin-test-looking-for-a-free-team-roles-test.

Butt, J. (n.d.). ENFJ: Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging. [online] www.humanmetrics.com. Available at: https://www.humanmetrics.com/personality/enfj.

Humanmetrics Inc. (2024). Personality test based on Jung and Briggs Myers typology. [online] www.humanmetrics.com. Available at: https://www.humanmetrics.com/personality.

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Blog 5: Finalization & Reflection

Mithesh S Kotian

To deepen the realism, I focused on lighting, asset concentration, and camera dynamics:

Lighting: I used multiple point lights to produce a sense of depth and emphasize key architectural details.

Environmental and foliage density: In order to enrich the immersive nature of the cave environment, I positioned a varied range of trees, moss, and ground-level foliage in strategic places.

Camera Adjustments: I tuned camera movement to apply subtle smoothness and controlled shock to create a natural floating feel.

Panoramic Render: I imported image sequence inside Adobe After Effects to create fish eye kind of render, which can be later played inside the Dome.

Final Challenges and Lessons Learnt

Rendering Times: With the project deadline looming, rendering time took longer than anticipated. In order to speed this up, I temporarily disabled anti-aliasing; however, this negatively affected the crispness of the final product.

Team Organization: Coordinating different aspects of the team allowed me to develop leadership skills and improve communication efficacy.

Time Management: This project emphasized the importance of carrying out preliminary tests and rendering settings optimization in advance.

Improvements for Next Time

If more time was allowed, I would: Re-enable anti-aliasing to produce better output quality. Implement Niagara particle effects to enhance ambient conditions. Extend each section's duration to allow a more gradual and immersive feel.

This project was a large learning project, improving my Unreal Engine proficiency, technical problem-solving, and team working.

References:

Hutchison, A., 2019. Digital Cinematography & Directing. Oxford: Focal Press.

Unreal Engine Documentation, 2024. Niagara Particle System. Available at: https://www.unrealengine.com

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Blog 4: Production & Technical Execution

Mithesh S Kotian

As a lead of Unreal Engine, I was responsible for designing environments and technical implementation. My workflow included various components:

Underwater Scene: I used Fluid Flux to simulate realistic water dynamics, bubble generation, and fish behavior. The initial build was incompatible with Unreal Engine; hence, I shifted to Fluid Flux v3.0, which solved rendering issues and boosted workflow optimization.

Cave Environment: I modeled the exterior of the cave using 3Ds Max and exported it to Unreal Engine. I used coarse ground textures to provide a natural feel and added stone and moss assets that I sourced in the Unreal Engine library.

Architectural Pieces: Rooshil modeled the pillar and surrounding buildings, while Alisa and Giorgia helped in creating new textures to provide more realism. Another team member Wang Yang developed character modeling. I integrated these pieces in Unreal Engine to enable their easy inclusion in the scene.

Solutions to Problems

Rendering Issues: In implementing panoramic rendering in dome projection, I experienced black spots in the scene that appeared during rendering. After consulting my module leader Neil Gallagher, I changed rendering settings, eliminating the problem.

Optimizing Performance: The increasing scene complexity was starting to impact rendering times negatively. I was tasked with striking a balance between visual fidelity and improving performance.

During this process, I developed my scene composition, water simulation, and problem-solving in Unreal Engine.

References:

Unreal Engine Documentation, 2024. Fluid Flux Water Simulation. Available at: https://www.unrealengine.com

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Blog 3: Blocking out the Concept

Mithesh S Kotian

Firstly, I started Blocking out the environment for better understanding the levels of the environment and placements of the assets.

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Blog 2: Idea Finalizing & Pre-Production

Mithesh S Kotian

For our dome project, we have finalized that we will design a fun ride that would take riders to various ancient worlds. The person observing, sitting in the dome, would move up and down like in an elevator—with a start in an underwater world, moving to a magical cave with old buildings, ending in floating islands in the air.

One of my primary concepts was to use a statue to raise the dome, based on inspiration from the Indian film Kalki 2898 AD. In the film, a statue assists a character to move higher up, and I adapted this concept to our project to simplify moving between worlds. I also proposed using Fluid Flux to generate realistic water effects and using the European Hornbeam asset pack in Unreal Engine's library to generate realistic vegetation in the cave scene.

Pre-Production Phase Problems

Transitions: One of our challenges was ensuring that transitions between the underwater, cave, and sky worlds would be smooth. We desired each world to be distinct yet related in the dome experience.

Asset Choice and Workflow: We debated whether to build new models from scratch or use existing models in Unreal Engine. The time-management aspect of custom work was crucial in making a decision.

Much of this phase was dedicated to researching old buildings, water effects, and transitioning scenes in a unique manner. We researched history and took inspiration from how movies visually tell stories.

References:

Gombrich, E.H., 2000. The Story of Art. London: Phaidon Press.

Manovich, L., 2001. The Language of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press

FluidFlux. Fab (2024). Fab. [online] Fab.com. Available at: https://www.fab.com/listings/196c70cd-1283-4249-bf6b-c3019d1cbe11.

European Hornbeam. Fab (2024). Fab. [online] Fab.com. Available at:‌ https://www.fab.com/listings/c6f917b6-ffcb-4b86-9d9f-5274ba7f6a8e

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Blog post 7 - Music and sound creation

Alisa Flier

I decided to make the music myself, using the GarageBand app. There I chose a number of sounds from the library that matched the mood and tone of our theme, and put them together into a composition. I didn't want to make the music in an ancient style, to make it more interesting I rather focused more on the concept of mystery. The music was meant to reflect something like divinity and magic, and be mostly background and calm, as we decided earlier and what was the request to me. To find the right sound and theme, I first looked at examples such as Poppy's composition "Make it happen" from her album "Music to Read To" and another one "Obnoxious Blocks" from her album "3:36 (Music to Sleep To)". I felt like my music should be similar to this style, and when I shared these examples with the group, we went with the first one. The result I created was truly in the spirit of mystery, and in its own way reflected the atmosphere of our video.

As for the environmental sound effects to put in the video such as water, rocks and birds, Wang Yang helped me with finding all of this. She shared with me a website ear0.com, as well as YouTube channel Pizza No.8, and found the right sounds as well. later, editing the overall sound in CupCut together with the music and inserting these sounds to the video, I changed them a little, and also put them at certain moments according to timing.

In general, although I don’t have too much experience in making music, I was successful in creating something in GarageBand earlier, so I had no doubts about taking on the role of music maker for this project.

Here is my composition itself that I created in GarageBand:

Also, during the overlay of all the sound on the video, there was a small problem: at the time I asked for the full video version, my colleague only had an unfinished and shorter one, and although I made the sound lasting all two minutes, for some reason it didn't fit later into the actual full version of the video that my colleague finished later. When I noticed the mismatch and quickly fixed it, it was already too late and the work had already been sent. Anyway, we decided to just put the correct version straight on canvas. It's probably not that noticeable really, other than the inconsistency in the water sounds. Most of the audio is music, not the environment sounds, so I really hope that it is not that big of an issue.

References:

ear0.com - Sound map

Available at: 水 - 搜索 - 耳聆网 - (声音分享云|音效素材库) [Accessed: February 10, 2025]

Pizza N.8. YouTube.

Available at: https://youtube.com/@pizzano.8799?si=tuV77HfMt0RbQdn7 [Accessed: February 10, 2025]

Poppy (2020) Make It Happen. YouTube.

Available at: https://youtu.be/CN9vAP6_7sE?si=bBkfFz8bWW1vmAFG [Accessed: February 10, 2025]

Poppy (2020) Obnoxious Blocks. YouTube.

Available at: https://youtu.be/ov8UEShGHfU?si=wMErMPaUVNvkcUH9 [Accessed: February 10, 2025]

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Blog post 6 - Flying Islands, background illustration

Alisa Flier

This Friday, February 7th, a day after creating the patterns, I finished an illustration with levitating islands for the background, which earlier the group and I agreed that I should do for one of the scenes. There were also several 3D models of islands that were closer to the viewer in space, but to complete the picture, it was originally necessary to draw a 2D background with even more of these islands going into the distance. We came to the conclusion that this approach would significantly facilitate the work of the 3D artists. From the sketch stage and throughout the entire process of my work, I consulted with the group a couple of times to choose the right angle, look and overall style. However, on the very last day before the deadline, after seeing our final video while adding sound, I discovered that my colleagues were not as confident in the implementation of the illustration as they were at the beginning and that they decided not to include it in the video. It was quite unexpected, and although I tried to suggest some alternatives of how to use it, it didn't lead to anything. At the moment this illustration remains on our poster.

I didn't draw any foreground objects specifically to leave a space for the models. In the third picture this is how it was expected to look:

As I mentioned in one of the previous posts, I decided to somehow stick to the artist Raphael Vanhomwegen (fig.1), as his approach allows the work to look realistic while being simple. Of course, my style is still different, although it is also simplified in some way, so the inspiration from Raphael's works just helped me to trace the direction of overall design and to draw faster the way it is shown in his speedpaint videos. Among other things, I added fairy-tale and magical notes to my work so that it would correspond to the video.

Fig.1

Speaking of experience, it was definitely a useful practice for me as an artist who doesn't often draw backgrounds and locations, but rather focuses on character design.

Reference:

Fig.1: Raphael Vanhomwegen (2024) An abstract piece. Quick experiment, fully on procreate, perspective grid, big brushes, default brushes mainly

Available at: https://www.instagram.com/share/BAJI4qiFKh [Accessed: February 7, 2025]

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Blog 5: Overcoming Challenges in Scene Building and Title Design

Wang Yang

This week, our team made significant progress on building most of the scenes for our immersive project. However, we noticed that some areas still lacked detail, so I decided to contribute by creating plant models. To speed up the process, I used ZBrushers I purchased online, which is great for quickly generating detailed plant models.

I planned to add vines hanging from the ceiling to enhance the atmosphere. Initially, everything went smoothly, and I was satisfied with the results. However, as I added more details, I realized that the polygon count of my models had become too high, exceeding 20 million polygons. This caused my computer to slow down significantly and became a major issue for the project.

Before starting, I had asked Rooshil and Mithesh whether the plant models should be high-poly or low-poly. They suggested keeping them low-poly for efficiency. Clearly, my current models were far too dense, so I needed to fix this. To reduce the polygon count, I imported the models into Blender and experimented with various optimization methods. After several attempts, I successfully reduced the polygon count to around 1–2 million polygons. While not perfect, this was a big improvement and allowed me to integrate the plants into the scene without overwhelming the system.

Today, we went to the classroom for a simulated demonstration of our project. During the test, we realized that our video lacked a proper title sequence, which was essential to introduce the audience to our work. I volunteered to create the title effects since I had prior experience with Adobe After Effects.

I started by researching online tutorials to find inspiration and learn new techniques. After a few hours of experimenting, I managed to design an engaging title animation that fit the theme of our project. Seeing the finished result incorporated into the video was incredibly rewarding.

This week taught me the importance of balancing creativity with technical efficiency. While adding detail is exciting, it’s crucial to keep polygon counts optimized for real-time rendering. I also learned that even when problems arise, solutions can often be found by exploring tools like Blender and being persistent.

Another takeaway was recognizing the value of teamwork and flexibility. Volunteering for the title design was a chance for me to contribute in a new way and leverage my existing skills. It reminded me that being adaptable and taking initiative are key traits in collaborative projects.

Overall, these experiences not only improved my technical skills but also reinforced the importance of problem-solving and teamwork. I’m excited to carry these lessons forward into future projects!

References:

Taobao (n.d.) 商品链接. Available at: https://e.tb.cn/h.TKU4k5GaEExrW3b?tk=BHNze68dFuY (Accessed: 11 February 2025).

Bilibili (n.d.) 新媒体内容创作 [New Media Content Creation]. Available at: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ti421o7Bs/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click&vd_source=b5d464283e6d76fcdc3a9f8655e8e7e8 (Accessed: 11 February 2025).

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Animation work

Rooshil Hibbert

Over the weekend I was working on the main animation for the large statues. The first thing I did was convert the existing rigs into IK rigs which would be easier to animate.

To understand the functionality of Blender’s animation system I looked at a few tutorials, which were relatively easy to understand. The main workspaces I needed were the Timeline, Dope Sheet and Graph Editor. The Timeline and Dope Sheet were used for the basic setting up of keyframes while the Graph Editor was used for more minute changes and adjustments of motion paths. It took some experimentation to figure out how changing the curves in the Graph Editor affected the movements of the character, and throughout the animation process I needed to continuously go back to adjust previous movements and make sure they were smooth and natural.

The most difficult part of the animation process was tracking the hand of the statue to the shape of the dome the viewer would reside in. This took quite some time to get right, but the result was very satisfying.

Following a meeting with my group, the movements needed to be made much slower and drawn out to make the size of the statue seem more believable. I also needed to add some buildup before the statues grabbed the viewer, further developing that sense of drama.

This was the final result:

Learning how to export animations so that they work in Unreal Engine was slightly frustrating, but I eventually got it working. Unfortunately I was unable to keep the dome and the statue attached in the transfer process.

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Progress Update

Giorgia Menon

These are two of the models that I made for one of the characters that are going to be part of the final video output. I made them in Photoshop and I took inspiration from two Babylonian Gods so that they would go together with the theme of our project.

I certainly based the two characters on the images I found on the web, but I also re-imagined them according to my liking and to whatever style I thought would look best in the space that my group and I created. I loved the idea of imagining these two obscure and mysterious figures appearing from the hole in the ceiling, just staring down at us (the audience). The final effect was supposed to be kind of intimidating, but it was also supposed to be fascinating for the viewers. A hint of "magic" was added to them, contrary to the actual references, because of the overall theme that me and my team chose for this project. Since the statues that have been modeled by my group mates have similar stripes and shiny geometrical shapes on their bodies, I decided that they also needed to have them. One final but essential touch, in my opinion, was the addition of the grainy and decaying texture on top of the drawings. Since they would have already stood out from the rest of the environment (given that they are 2D assets in contrast with the 3D atmosphere surrounding them), I thought that adding a texture on top of them that resonated with the appearance of the buildings and walls around, would do the trick. Then of course, after seeing the image quality of the dome and the video resolution itself, I don't think they'll be very noticeable, but I'm still glad I thought about placing them in.

A final asset that I made during the past week is this wall texture, that was supposed to be applied to the internal walls of our main structure. However, the final video doesn't have this texture in it. Even with multiple tryouts and different formats, we thought that the final look was not really coherent with what we were going for. For some reason, it always looked to yellow, too wide, or too flat... so we finally decided to not include it in the final piece.

Overall, even though the role of a 2D artist in a project like this one was hard to spot an easy to miss, I believe I did my best to find ways to make myself useful for the team. Besides the pre-production, which was of course 2D since it consisted of storyboards, I tried to use my creativity to embed my 2D imagination into 3D pieces. Although not every single one of my pieces has been included in the final output, I believe this is one of the sides of working on a group project. Not everything is going to go your way and your ideas might not always match up with the imagination of your group mates. However, it's always good to try and bring your own proposal to the table... you never know, someone might like them! Therefore, I am satisfied of the role that I played in the creation of this video, even though I wish I could have helped with the 3D building a bit more. This is however not a regret, much more like a stimulating feeling that will definitely push me to delve more into the tridimensional world. I surely learned a lot from every single member of my group and had a great experience overall!

Image references:

Inspiredpencil.com. (2021). Babylonian Gods. [online] Available at: https://ar.inspiredpencil.com/pictures-2023/babylonian-gods [Accessed 11 Feb. 2025].

John (2016). A Babylonian Sufferer Ponders the Gods. [online] Blogspot.com. Available at: https://benedante.blogspot.com/2016/09/a-babylonian-sufferer-ponders-gods.html [Accessed 11 Feb. 2025].

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Blog post 5 - Pattern designs

Alisa Flier

At the request of my colleague Rooshil, I drew several design options for patterns for the walls of 3D building models that he was creating. I was asked to make them in any design, shape and color, and yet, plus to this, I tried to adhere to the theme of antiquity and magic in my work, and not to deviate from it.

As for references, I had several works in mind that I found on Pinterest and just on the internet (fig.1,2). From there I took more the mood, the idea for the basic direction of the pattern, while the designs themselves were simply taken from my head. To be honest, I have never had such experience in my practice as drawing such patterns. Since I tried myself in this for the first time, I needed more than one attempt to come to the final and worthy result. Assessing myself, I would probably say that if I had more practice, I could have possibly done even better. But I liked these resulting options, and I think they fit well enough into the setting of our universe. Here are all the options I suggested:

As already noted, thematically my patterns followed the ancient styles presented in the references. In one case it was ancient Egypt, in another Thai art. However, the most important part of creating my illustrations was to try to make them more magical, and also more detailed than bright, so that there was something to see, but at the same time, so that the patterns did not stand out too much and did not take up too much attention.

Fig.1

Fig.2

It was necessary to make these designs both interesting and neat, which, in my opinion, I succeeded in doing. In the future, I should practice more in this direction, because it can be useful, and will also undoubtedly increase my skill.

References:

Fig.1: Birth Brand (2022) Set thai art, buddhism temple element and background pattern decoration motifs for pillar pattern, flyers, poster, web, banner, and card concept vector illustration

Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/set-thai-art-buddhism-temple-element-2105107484 [Accessed: February 5, 2025]

Fig.2: Kevin Zamir Goeke (2021) Simplifying shapes and values

Available at: https://www.instagram.com/share/BAOS9sHzgx [Accessed: February 5, 2025]

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6th Feb Update

Rooshil Hibbert

Since last week we have made significant progress on our project. I am currently finishing my building models and almost ready to send it to Mithesh for putting into the actual project. 

These are some of the images I have been using as sources of inspiration for my architectural models:

I also recently received some textures and decorative patterns from Alice and applied these to the models, which in my opinion, looks really nice. (see screenshots below)

However, there is a lot of progress that we still need to make in terms of assembling our final project in Unreal Engine and many of the assets still need to be finalised so they can be added.

There are also some elements such as the living statues which need to be animated before they can be imported. We were discussing who would do this and we decided that I would be the best qualified, due to my experience with Blender, which is what I am planning to use in order to animate our statues. This will be a challenge due to me not having much experience with Blender animation. We were originally only going to animate one statue, however we were advised that animating two of them might make it easier for viewers to understand what is happening from different angles.

I am confident I will be alright, as the movements will not be too complicated, or dynamic. I have also had past experience with animating in other programs, which gives me some existing knowledge which can be applied. Last week I was successful in rigging one of the statue models. However, I was considering replacing the current FK (forward kinematics) rig with an IK (inverse kinematics) rig, which could make the animation easier.

We also need to have some presentable material much earlier than we anticipated, as they want to start seeing our videos on Friday. They have made it clear that this does not have to be complete, but so far, as said before, the more complete assets have not yet been added to Unreal Engine and there is a lot of work left to do.

We have also considered using some of the existing models to dot around our scene from the internet but I am personally unsure of how many external assets we are allowed to include and would prefer to ask Saint before making a decision on this.

We are currently figuring out a way for me to assist Mithesh with the final assembly of the project in Unreal Engine and share the project between each other, as well as researching how to add visual effects which could make the user experience more interesting.

Sources:

Hanging gardens of babylon - arab world - arab world: Arab countries (2022) Arab World | Arab Countries. Available at: https://arabscountries.com/hanging-gardens-of-babylon/ (Accessed: 06 February 2025).

Ahmed, F. (2020) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/the-crown-writer/the-hanging-gardens-of-babylon-c096be79ac36 (Accessed: 06 February 2025).

Object and bartv (Bart Veldhuizen) (2022) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon!, Blender Artists Community. Available at: https://blenderartists.org/t/the-hanging-gardens-of-babylon/1417754 (Accessed: 06 February 2025).

Likhachev, S. (no date) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Behance. Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/5476373/The-Hanging-Gardens-of-Babylon (Accessed: 06 February 2025).

Nisha Sharma. (No date) Hanging garden of babylon. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/1aKYq (Accessed: 06 February 2025).

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Blog 1: Brainstorming Ideas for Interdisciplinary Project

Mithesh S Kotian

This blog is all about the ideas, I developed for our Interdisciplinary Immersive Project. In this, I was appointed in a group where each have to bring up their own ideas and thoughts on this group project.

Below are some of my ideas which can be implemented on our group project :-

The Lost Construction Techniques of the Pyramids

This image is AI generated which is generated inside DallE.

The Great Pyramid at Giza is one of the most fascinating buildings in history. I have heard a lot about its construction, such as big ramps, floating stones with water, and even lost technology. Our dome will allow visitors to view a time-lapse of a pyramid under construction, with workers in ancient Egypt cutting massive stones, rolling them onto sleds, and putting them in position with care.

We can use surround sound in Unreal Engine to make real settings, such as cutting rock, moving stones, and powerful winds. With that, we hope to make everyone appreciate engineering in ancient Egypt and have an educational and inspirational experience.

2. The Mythical City of Atlantis – A Lost Civilization Reimagined

This image is AI generated which is generated inside DallE.

The story of Atlantis intrigued students and authors for centuries. According to Plato, it is a future city under water with a paradise. In our dome, one will swim underwater to explore the famous city, swimming through fallen buildings with coral over them, lovely artwork, and high-reaching spires.

We will implement real-time ray tracing for moving lights and produce underwater simulations to make it have a real feeling. Interactive environment will make one ponder about lost history and enjoy the lovely underwater environment at the same time.

3. The Forgotten Temples of Angkor Wat – A Journey Through Time

This image is AI generated which is generated inside DallE.

Angkor Wat is one of Cambodia's most breathtaking temple buildings. Initially, it was a Hindu temple for Vishnu, but it later developed into a Buddhist complex. Most of its buildings have thick foliage over them, and years elapsed for them to become totally overgrown with them.

Here, through a journey through time, you will witness Angkor Wat under construction, its vibrant ceremonies, and its deterioration over the years. With the use of special software and Unreal Engine, we will develop a most real and elaborate version of this incredible complex. In the narrative, you will witness how time destroys the temple, and even the greatest empires will crumble down.

References :-

Martell, H. (1998). The great pyramid. Austin, Tx: Raintree Steck-Vaughn.

Brier, B. (2007). The Secret of the Great Pyramid: How One Man's Obsession Led to the Solution of Ancient Egypt's Greatest Mystery. HarperCollins.

Glaize, M. (1993). The Monuments of the Angkor Group. APSARA Authority.

Kritzas, C. (2001). Atlantis and the Lost Civilizations: Myth, Mystery, and Reality. National Geographic Society.

Lehner, M. (1997). The Complete Pyramids: Solving the Ancient Mysteries. Thames & Hudson.

Plato. (2008). Timaeus and Critias. Penguin Classics.

Rooney, D. (2011). Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples. River Books.

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[immersiveartproject]

Blog 4: Lessons from Sculpting the Ceiling

Wang Yang

Working on the ceiling for our project was both challenging and enlightening. From the start, I encountered significant issues with the high-poly model. The dense mesh caused my software to crash multiple times, hindering progress. Additionally, my UV unwrapping was not as precise as it needed to be, leading to uneven texturing in Substance 3D Painter during the baking process.

With the support of my teammates, I managed to fix the UV layout and continue with the baking. However, I had to reduce the poly count of my high-poly model significantly, which unfortunately resulted in the loss of intricate details, such as the floral patterns I had carefully added to the central ring of the ceiling.

Reflecting on this experience, I realized that my low-poly modeling also lacked consistency in face distribution, which contributed to some of these challenges. Despite these setbacks, the process taught me invaluable lessons about optimization, UV workflows, and the importance of planning ahead to avoid technical bottlenecks.

While I regret the details lost in the final model, this experience has motivated me to refine my techniques and ensure better execution in future projects. Each challenge in this process added to my growth as a 3D artist.

References:

Taobao (2024) Francisco Salamone / the architect from The Pampas, specialising in gothic and art deco. Available at: https://e.tb.cn/h.Tos7Igo0bYmsAaJ?tk=OTh3eg37o3R (Accessed: 6 February 2025).

Pinterest (n.d.) Pin 294211788176341275. Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/294211788176341275/ (Accessed: 11 February 2025).

Pinterest (n.d.) Pin 437341813830214887. Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/437341813830214887/ (Accessed: 11 February 2025).

Pinterest (n.d.) Pin 21181060742197076. Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/21181060742197076/ (Accessed: 11 February 2025).

Pinterest (n.d.) Pin 464011567876537990. Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/464011567876537990/ (Accessed: 11 February 2025).

[immersiveartproject]

Blog 3: Evolving the Project with a New Direction

Wang Yang

As our project developed, we decided to shift away from the concept of an elevator. Instead, we designed the audience's survival chamber to float from the water, and was grabbed by the gargoyle to lift it up with its colossal hands. This dramatic change altered the project scope, requiring us to model multiple complex assets, including the ceiling and the giant statue, which became my main responsibilities.

Our concept art embraced a Babylonian-inspired aesthetic. Initially, I wanted to add detailed ornamental clothing to the statue, taking inspiration from historical sculptures. However, due to time constraints, I opted for a more simplified, abstract style that would still convey the statue's grandeur and mystery.

I began by sculpting on a base model and used tools like ZBrushers to enhance the texture, ensuring the rock appeared rugged and solid. To give it a magical touch, I incorporated engraved lines on the surface, drawing from mystical motifs. These lines added depth to the design and hinted at an ancient, enchanted history.

Color experimentation was another crucial step. I tested various palettes and collaborated with my teammates to finalize the design. The chosen color scheme highlighted the cracks and carvings, creating a striking visual effect. This process taught me to balance efficiency and creativity under tight deadlines, and I’m proud of how the final model complements our evolving narrative.

References:

Taobao (2024) Art Deco St. Michael | Art deco sculpture, Sculpture art, Art deco. Available at: https://e.tb.cn/h.TokUYhRxHBDR0H4?tk=LtBQegWa9t3 (Accessed: 6 February 2025).

Taobao (2024) Pin de 유규환 en 오브제 | Uñas azules, Disenos de unas, Cementerio. Available at: https://e.tb.cn/h.ToI3r3I7rGZuVwu?tk=Dm75egW0kM3 (Accessed: 6 February 2025).

Taobao (2024) Francisco Salamone / the architect from The Pampas, specialising in gothic and art deco. Available at: https://e.tb.cn/h.TojELc4Ih0yZQCV?tk=QF2negW0z59 (Accessed: 6 February 2025).

Taobao (2024) Francisco Salamone / the architect from The Pampas, specialising in gothic and art deco. Available at: https://e.tb.cn/h.TL0ck5hf7Mqu70h?tk=ECMkegW1ZK9 (Accessed: 6 February 2025).

Pinterest (2024) Francisco Salamone / the architect from The Pampas, specialising in gothic and art deco. Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/8725793024339913/ (Accessed: 6 February 2025).

Pinterest (2024) Art Deco St. Michael | Art deco sculpture, Sculpture art, Art deco. Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/42784265204592549/ (Accessed: 6 February 2025).

Pinterest (2024) Pin de 유규환 en 오브제 | Uñas azules, Disenos de unas, Cementerio. Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/49398927156665283/ (Accessed: 6 February 2025).

[immersiveartproject]

Blog 2: Exploring the Concept Art

Wang Yang

For our immersive experience project, I created a concept design that reflects our narrative. The story revolves around a fantastical elevator that moves through multiple worlds, and I divided the visuals into four distinct layers.

The bottom layer represents the foundation of the world—a dense cityscape with complex architecture. It symbolizes human life and its intricate systems. From there, the elevator ascends to a floating city in the sky. These cities are connected by the elevators, and I added futuristic designs to give them a magical yet technological feel.

Above the floating city lies a mysterious void filled with massive, glowing eyes. This was my way of incorporating Cthulhu horror. The idea was to create unease, making the audience feel small and insignificant as the eyes follow their movements. Finally, at the very top, the elevator reaches a battlefield of gods. Inspired by New Gods: Yang Jian, I imagined colossal beings locked in combat, their clashes shaking the heavens and sending shockwaves through the entire scene. This dynamic, larger-than-life battle adds intensity and drama to the experience.

Working on this concept allowed me to combine architecture, fantasy, and narrative design into one cohesive piece. I enjoyed experimenting with different styles and drawing inspiration from mythology, cosmic horror, and Chinese culture. This process not only challenged my creativity but also deepened my understanding of how to craft immersive worlds that can emotionally engage the audience. It was a rewarding experience that strengthened my passion for visual storytelling.

References:

《新神榜·杨戬》【4k超清】元神之战_哔哩哔哩_bilibili

官方, 视频播放量 31586、弹幕量 10、点赞数 293、投硬币枚数 18、收藏人数 183、转发人数 70, 视频作者 星星黎小鱼彻子哥哥, 作者简介 天下为局，众生为棋，宁为执棋者，不做局中人。，相关视频：【新神榜】“我们仨”，【杨戬/4K/60帧】“四个小鬼，还敢在你豹