-Site modification and edited terrain

The following pictures shows the development of our WCC terrain from assignment one to the final fabrication. This is according to the real part of map of Manhattan city in Google earth. We can tell that the more realistic terrain you created the better environment it will be. At the beginning, the map has not enough surrounding buildings. It can’t show how busy this city is and people can not tell this is part of New York city. By creating and developing more new variety of building models(objects), the whole environment has changed immediately.

-Creating a yellow car and export them into crysis sandbox map

This is properly most tedious headache for everyone in the class. I’ve learnt how to successfully export a car from 3D max to Crysis game engine. Don’t freak out how complicated it sounds. It’s very simple for everyone to do it as long as you are a patient person. Steps are:

- Installed SDK plug-in and 3D max (except 2009 version, it will work perfectly)

-A car (your model) is ready

-Break a car into 4 different parts in order to export smoothly. I divided them into shell, edge, window and wheels. SDK refuses to work if you have a very complicated model. So don’t waste your time!

-Save each piece of model into separate different 3D max file.

-Export them into CGF.file by pressing export node, you may also create your material now inside of 3D max or you can do it later inside of crysis sandbox. It’s up to you

-Then copy all the CGF.files that you created and paste into Level>Objects folder, then you may get them into crysis by using brush tool in sandbox roller bar.  (I suggested you’d better put all CFG files with your original 3D max files together for the purpose of modification)

-Finally, you can texture a car and you are done!

The following snap shots that recorded the whole process of exporting a car from 3D max to Crysis.

-Fix the problems of Mel’s file (Our main building import) and textures

This is supposed to be Mel’s job because she is the person in our group specilised on 3D max and import objects. However, she didn’t work successfully due to her busy full time job and unstable SDK plugin in her unpowerful labtop. She was quite confident about what she was doing and left everything last minute till big problems appeared. Then she passed her file to Karl and Karl couldn’t sovled problems. Finally, it became my job. Here we go, problems won’t be solved when there was not enough time. I did try my best to fix the problems. Finally, I figured out that everything won’t work out without original 3D max model files, but Mel refused me to send me such a huge file about 400mb and she said it would take 4 hrs or more. Again, we are out of time! Time issue….

Our main building has major issues of scale and functionality of walking on each level. Because she didn’t ajust right unit setting and didn’t assign materials for each object she created in 3D max, our main building looked out of scale once you import our building model in crysis and AI can not walk on it if we scale it up. This caused us a big trouble. It’s too late to remodel WCC again cos she noticed these issues last minute!

Eventully, I ended up importing them, textured them and  join them together again with original scale with people walk on stairs in order to make a trailer video.  

 -Importing people and make them walk

Suthea’s original job is creating a variety of AI and making them animated. However, she had so many problems and troubles to achieve a result. She couldn’t figure it out before she left the country. So this became my job, since I was the only person who knew how to do this. Meanwhile, I have to wait for Mel’s file so that I can put people into the map. I found that it was difficult to work together based on the final file. Once a person delays his/her work, the whole process for the team is postponed as everyone else waits for the file to be sent. That’s the main reason why our team work was not efficient this time.

You may use default AI from Crysis and you may also custom your own AI by changing the settings of Grunt. And draw your AI path and give a name of it with off tick option Road under AI path’s property. Finally create your AI flow graph to make your AI walk or run with the path you’ve created. That’s how I did the AI for our fabrication.

The weakness of E-volve is the presentation of the building that includes the concept of space and the form of the building. They think the challege is that how to deal the water feature and not let it clash with their main theme. The layout of interior furniture has been seriously taken into consideration for this team. They have troubles to import their furnitures because errors keep occuring. This consumes long time to place each piece of furniture individually for them.

The strengths of this team have successfully established good connection between the building on the site and landscape and appropriate portrayal of desert environment on the theme of survival. The textures of interior space are very rich and quite outstanding compare with the rest of teams in our class. Their interior space looks more alive with some features such as flowers, pictures, rugs, crokery, stationary and electronic devices.

Omega

Team Omega successfully fabricated the Bodo Cultural Centre, concluded with solid foundations for a beautiful envrionment within Crysis. They did a great deal of research and even attempted to contact the architects to attain any information possible. They eventually got response from the leading partner of Langdon Reis Zahn Architects, Ross Langdon. The information sent allow them to further understand this environment holistically.This is quite inspiring for the rest of us. In addition, they have expressed particular efforts in modelling the environment and context of which the Centre belongs. The interactivity is also successfully delivered by importing Walking AI, movable yacht etc.

The interior space and textures could be further developed and put more details.

Orange

This project of team Orange has created a nice urban environment and also contains  some urban environment such as bridges, roads and parks. The whole atmosphere has shown a good urban modern city. This makes their main building more outstanding. The light effect and the interactivity are also their strengths. These efforts enhanced the final look of the environment. However, the interior space and textures are less effective than gand exterior buildings.

Urbans

The Cenotaph, a clasic style building situated inside of a natural environment, that being Regents park london.The virtual interior solar system is quite inspiring and interesting for the rest of teams. The site was created and gave a sensation of peace and tranquility that helps prepares as they walk into the design. The solution of layout of their main building is quite successful and earthy tones providing a realism of the building once coming from the earth.

Atlar

This team has created an interesting and challenging underwater environment in Crysis. They were over amount of obstacles and solved problem quite successfully, although still some issues need to be developed. The underwater structure has been redesigned to look more realistic. The underground complex train system has also been modelled and designed within Crysis as the main transport route from the mainland of Dubai to the Hydropolis Island. This feature makes their design stand out and practical. However, the interior textures were unfinished and could be develped further. Over the whole project, this team’s many efforts encourage the rest of us and quite impressive.

Peer Review

My contributions for Assignment Two are:

• Creating main surrounding models and make main landscape features
• Helping/assisting Melissa solve our main 3D building import from 3D max to Crysis
• Making a final video represent our story

figure01. tab section on wikipedia webpage

This tab section provides four main features of webpage and directs people to different links where they want to discover more about the topic they are searching for on Wiki webpage.

• “Article”- the main information of topic
• “Disscussion”- it is like a forum where people discuss and write different
• “View source”-People may view and copy the script (source) of the page
• “History”-a list of information of who and when edited that page. It also show what comments or information they wrote

Then the introduction or general background information is usually followed. After that, there is usually a content box on top of  the main information.

This will give you a clear overview of all information on one topic next. “Notes, references, external links and further reading” will be standard features/catagories for every topic on Wikipedia webpage. In addition, there will be functional columns that will lead you to different other links which suit your needs. For instance, you may search another new topic if you wish or interact with wikipedia, or even you can choose different language translation for the page which are extremly handy and effecient. This is also a virtual community for people persuit and update their knowledge and information which include discuss and edit functions. These will allow you to post your comments and ideas, even change others’ inappropriate words so that make the whole wiki webpage more accute and complete.

Before you start, there are a few things you will need to set up first in order to make this work for you. You will need to install a few things in the following order:

1. Install “Python 2.5.4″ (python-2.5.4.msi), which can be found at:
http://www.python.org/download/
2. Install the “Python File Format Interface” (PyFFI-py2.5-1.2.2-windows.exe), which can be found at:
http://sourceforge.net/project/platformdownload.php?group_id=199269&sel_platform=3089
3. Install “ColladaCGF” (ColladaCGF-py2.5-0.3.5-windows.exe), which can be found at:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=235915&package_id=286549
4.You will also need to use an image editor that can create “.dds” image files. I used “Paint.Net”, as suggested on CryMod, which I found at:
http://www.dotpdn.com/downloads/pdn.html

Then, Here is the complete full procedure to export a model from sketch up to the crysis sanbox engine:

-Install ColladaCGF -( Which you should have already done by now)
-Set the sketchup units to Meters under “model info”
-Make your model
-Texture it using proper sized textures. – Powers of 2 (e.g. 64×64, 128×128, 512×512, etc.) I used 1024×1024 pixels.
-Open the “Model info” and go to statistics, cllick “Purge unused”
-Export the model to using “Export to Google Earth” (Not upload to 3D Warehouse)
-Rename the .KMZ to .ZIP
-Unzip the files
-Goto /Model and right click on the model and convert it to a .CGF (the first option)
-Move the material files from the /images folder to the same folder as the .CGF
-Open all the materials and save them as .DDS using Paint.Net or similar
-Open SandBox2 and import the model. ( Put the whole unzipped folder into C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\Crytek\Crysis\Game\Objects, then find your object in the RollupBar using the “Brush” button under the “Browser” section.)
-Open the model’s texture file in the material editor
-Replace the .JPG links to point to the proper .DDS files
-Tweak the textures from there

Here are some quotes from the forum and they might be helpful too!

For the final video presentation, I edited and synchronised it with video clips which were recorded inside of cyrsis game engine as well as the background music by Adobe premium pro CS4.

References:

• Wikipaint, Jeremy, 2009 accessed April 2009
  <http://arch1392-collaboration-2009.wetpaint.com/page/Using+ColladaCGF>
• Crymod forum, ZapWizard, 2008 accessed April 2009 
  <http://www.crymod.com/thread.php?threadid=19058&hilight=XSI+EXPORT>

Blog have a tendency to promote group-oriented cooperative learning conditions in which the teacher denotes the authority and thus lend themselves well to structured learning environments such as learning management system. This creates the conditions for students to gain the skills and confidence to become self-directed, or proactive participants in the learning process. As a socially networked environment, blog would aim to create conditions under which self-direction, peer feedback, intertextuality, accoutablity and student control could be fostered.

Here are some examples of blog hosts:

Brainstorm Map of additional examples of the following topics:

References:

• Hudson, David L, Blogging, Infobase Publishing, 2007, Introduction
• Dillenbourg, P.; Zhu, Z. Learning by Effective Utilization of Technologies : Facilitating Intercultural Understanding, IOS Press, 2006, p343

Step One:

You have to download SDK Mod plug-in, however, it will not work for 3D max 2009. I used 3D max 2008 and I created an object to test if it worked.

Step Two:

If you want your object appears like a solid in the Crysis Sandbox, you will need assignment the material before you import it, even you don’t have an actual material. It’s necessary to click “Assign Material To Selection”.

Step Three:

Go to right hand side tool bar, Select “Utilities”—Click “More”—Select “CryENGINE2 Exporter”—Click “Ok”

Step Four:

Select your object— Click “Add object” on the right hand side of the tool bar—Select “Export to Geometry (*.cgf)”—Click “Export Nodes”

Step Five:

Create an folder “Solid” (you may name differently) under Crysisgame–Game–Objects and copy the Solid cgf file into “Objects” folder

Step Six:

Select Object on the right rollbar—Click “Brush”—You can find the “Solid” folder—Drag it to the sandbox—You’re done

Tutorial part 01

Watch How to export from 3dstudio Max to Crysis in Technology  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Tutorial part 02

Watch How to export from 3d Studio Max to Crysis Part 2 in Technology  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Tutorial part 03

Watch 3ds Max to Crysis Part 3 in Technology  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Tutorial part 03

Watch 3ds Max to Crysis Part 3 in Technology  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Tutorial part 04

Watch 3ds Max to Crysis Part 4 in Technology  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

There were a number of obstacles that we met during our first time group collaboration work. The major troubles are:
-Unsucessfully Import our main building model from 3D max file to Crysis
-Unsucessfully Apply texture to our models in Crysis Engine Sandbox (the building appear with no material when we open the crysis file everytime)
-Fail many times to transfer our goup assignment folder to each other online
-Time management
However, we also have got strengths to do thing together, things like:
-Each member has a positive attitude and work diligently
-Well communication and well team work transition

Finally, Our group decided to do the World Culture Center designed by Think Group Architects for the new World Trade Center site competition. This is a pair of 1665-foot open latticework tower structures that soar upward from a reflecting pool, resembling skeletons of the original towers. This two latticework towers, the tallest structures in the world, will rise where the World Trade Center once stood-surroudning, but never touching, the twin towers’ footprints. At ground level, there may or may not be reflecting pools, but there will certainly be memorials below grade. High up in the sky, at the points where the planes hit, there will be another memorial.

The innovative ideas in this project are breathtaking: the fact wind passes straight through the latticework, for instance, allows Think to install wind turbines which will generate enough power to run the whole elevator system. The engineering is extremly solid, and is designed to stay standing even if large chunks are vaporised; furthermore, because the latticework is made of huge steel beams, it’s more likely to break anything crashing into it, rather than be broken.

These towers are light, in many senses: open to light and the air, they are tall, but don’t cast oppressive shadows. They also keep the towers of light which so touched New Yorkers last year; beams can be sent up through the latticework and  up to the heavens, this time exactly where the World Trade Center once stood.

In fact, the Think team has kept very much to the spirit of the competition, and simply indicated where the offices are going to go, without even vaguely trying to show what they might look like. Think has taken city streets and made them vertical: piling buildings on top of each other rather than alongside each other. The space is up in the sky, not down on the ground. It’s a radically new vision for the new century, and New York would be the envy of the world were it to play host to it.

Reference:

• http://www.felixsalmon.com/2003_02.html
• http://www.september11news.com/WTCPlans.htmThink
• http://www.rvapc.com/Group

The Afsluitdijk Netherland

 

Introduction of The World Sustainability Centre project

This project is about designing a Sustainability Centre which is located on the Afsluitdijk, an icon of the Dutch struggle against the sea. The Centre will be a showcase of new and innovative products and projects. Requirements of the project:

• There needs to be room for expositions inside and outside. Furthermore, the building itself should be a showcase of new and innovative sustainable building and design.
•  The project will be housed in a “War room”.
• The Centre is a place where experts, students and other interested people can work, meet and have access to relevant and up to date information
• The Centre will provide conference facilities, meeting rooms, and sleeping accommodation for visitors and participants of workshop and conferences.
• Restaurant

My team should do this building as our collaboration fabrication because it can bring the best young minds of the world together to explore and implement solutions for environmental problems such as sea level rise, increased precipitation and river flooding, storms and droughts. Our climate changes and we need to act now.

2009 Open architecture challenge :Classroom

• http://bustler.net/index.php/competition/world_sustainability_centre/
• http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/competitions/challenge/2009
• http://www.smarterbetterhouses.com/

Development from Basic Tutorialssss
By doing basic tutorials, I am able to navigate and build different shape of geometries in this virtual real time environment (Crysis Sandbox game engine) which is significantly important to the real architectural building environment.