Next gen year 1 week 27

Last week i continued to develop my knowledge of using curves within MAYA. The first small task was to use the information of last weeks lesson to create a pawn from chess. We were timed whilst participating which added the element of pressure. For this i used the pencil curve tool which is the easiest option as you just draw out the shape you want but i wanted to try it out. Afterwards we learned to use nerbs which are basic shapes used to create an outline for shapes. For this we modeled a carrot by adding many 3D circles of various sizes to make the cone shape of the carrot then using the curve tool i added the carrot top.

Continuing the VFX project I spent the first lesson transferring my data over to a room upstairs which was a rather frustrating process as the computers were just bad trying to transfer my stuff over which annoyed me as I could have been working in that time. The next lesson as we moved room i was asked to redo my work on NUKE to get a fresh start whilst i believe it wasn't needed i don't mind doing it again so it stays in my memory.

In coding preparation for our code exam continued. For this we completed the previous exam questions. Overall I still don't know how to feel about this upcoming exam but i'm eager to learn and pass.

Next gen year 1 week 26

Last week I continued to develop my knowledge of coding. This is an area I have struggled with throughout the year and continue to do so. That is why my tutor went through the code of my game line by line to explaining its purpose and how they work. This put me at ease and made me feel better about the coding ahead of the exam.

In continuation of our VFX project we used Photoshop to create a phone screen that will be shown on the phone when edited in at a later stage. We also needed to add a notification on the screen for the sake of the story. After we created the phone screen we went onto after effects. This was to animate the notification sliding down the screen and then animate it so it would go back off screen. This proved to be trickier than first thought as I had to go back and lighten the screen as well as move the notification to the middle of the screen as that is where Frank swipes the screen. Another important issue was timing and adjusting the animation to sync up with the footage so he would swipe the screen at a later stage.

On Friday of that week were doing coding, and specifically looking at the previous exam in preparation of the coding exam. This whole lesson where we answered questions left me feeling on and off about the whole exam with aspects both positive and negative. However I am glad I participated in doing the exam questions as i want to get practice and help while I can.

Lastly that week in our animation class we learnt how to animate using the modelling software MAYA. For this we learnt how to use the animation tools to in order to animate a ball bouncing. Whilst we've done this before on adobe animate but its good know how to use various software's especially one like MAYA which is used a lot in the industry animating shows like 'south park'.

Next gen year 1 week 25

This week was the week of our exam. this was an open book meaning we had access to the internet as well as being allowed to converse with our peers in order to simulate the conditions in which games are created. This proved vital for me and assisted me vastly.

The exam in itself  was a variation of our mock exam being a slingshot style space game. The biggest difference from this was there being no scoreboard. Regardless i chose not to use past resources from my mock and start again as i felt it would be easier for a fresh start. From there i went on to create the game. The biggest problem was creating a path that you would have to follow where if you go out of order the game fails. The production of the rest of the game was fine as i had some experiences from the mock to aid me in creating it.

Despite this at first i didn't meet all the requirements as i could not complete making it arrive out of order. However the college ran a re submission day in which i managed to complete it ensuring i have met all the criteria of the exam.



























































































 

Next gen year 1 week 24

This week was the week that followed after the unity mock exam. For this we received the criticism back from the exam telling us the pros and cons of our work. Overall no one  passed but  it was due to an confusing extension task. Firstly i was with our tutor who helped me with my coding by going through the lines and explaining their purposes. This helped me out partially but afterwards i continued to struggle. The aim of that week was for us to improve the game and gain a better understanding of the code that built it up. This week was a hard and tedious process coming from the mock exam which was very draining. 

The Friday on that week i decided to catch up on art. For this i used adobe animate to replicate the walk cycle. For this i would place a bunch of circles in a wave. From that i would then draw the torso and limbs for the person. I quite liked this activity as it was good to just draw though the final product didn't look to good but it is something I intend to go back on and give it a better look.