All projects are due BEFORE class begins. Projects 1-4 are now at the bottom of this page.

Project 5, Due May 20.
No late projects will be accepted unless you have an accommodation from the Office of Accessibility.

• For this project, I would like to see you build on one of your previous projects (1-4).
• Please email me a link (e.g. Google Drive) to one of the following:
  1. A Unity directory that includes
     • A 2+ minute screen recording in which you’re interacting with your fullscreen Unity build or “game” tab. Include audio, and please show the world of the project. DO NOT show the Unity UI.
     • A subdirectory that contains your Unity project files (with, at minimum, the sub-subdirectories of Assets, Packages, and ProjectSettings).
     • Optional (extra credit): A Mac OS Unity build.
  2. A polished, 4+ minute 3D animation that uses visuals AND audio to build on one of your earlier Maya or Blender projects. It should have some kind of implied narrative to it, in that it changes from the beginning, to the middle, to the end.
• In your email, please briefly answer:
  • How does this project build on your previous work in this course?
  • Did you use sample projects, models, images, audio, or other assets to make your project? (Please provide links) 
  • Have you worked on this project outside the scope of this class (e.g. a group project with other collaborators)?
  • If you used a sample, how did you significantly change or add to it?
  • What were the biggest challenges and/or learnings in making the project?
  • If you had more time to refine the project, what would be your next steps?
  • EXTRA CREDIT: Reference Audre Lorde’s work in your project and discuss how you did so.

Extra Credit: Can be submitted until May 24 @ 4pm.

• Tutorials shared by you: listed in this doc from our Breakout Room class.
• Audre Lorde reading:
  • “The Master’s Tools will Never Dismantle the Master’s House,” “Notes from a Trip to Russia,” and/or all of Sister Outsider. You can also read some of her Poetry. We can continue to discuss in class and/or you can reference this work in your upcoming projects.
  • Africa-Asia Conference (discussed in her “Notes on the Trip to Russia”)
  • Contemporary Woman Poets video: Audre Lorde reads her work
  • Recent Audre Lorde exhibit
  • You can also submit your work to Hunter College’s Audre Lorde competition for a cash prize.
• Constellation Stuff:
  • Download and explore the Digital Universe data, and send Prof 3+ paragraphs about it.
  • Submit your Ursa Minor (or other constellation) image or animation for extra credit. The star positions must appear as we see it on Earth.
  • Try running a different Constellation MEL file in Maya and render a quick animation like with the Ursa Minor animation. The star positions must appear as we see it on Earth.
  • Don’t see the constellation you want? Try generating it using one of these Perl scripts and send me the file for EC. If you don’t like Perl, try converting the script to Python and send me the script for EC.
• Earth Stuff. If you’re interested in more about Earth terrain data:
  • Sentinel Land Classification App
  • Google Earth and 3D terrain
• Coronavirus Stuff:
  • Watch Prof D’s Youtube playlist on Coronavirus vaccines and sending Prof 3+ paragraphs about what you learned.
  • Try downloading the Coronavirus Spike Protein (see the extra credit below to learn more about these proteins), then try using MeshLab to convert it into a model that Maya can read. If you want to learn even more about protein and DNA in 3D, check out new resources on the Data Sources page.
  • Challenge: can you import a molecule into Maya with its color? If so, send a screenshot to Prof for EC!
• City Visualizations: Install QGIS. This is a very useful app for preparing geographic files. Try downloading the shapefiles for NYC building footprints and opening them in QGIS. If you prepare this file in black-and-white, you can them use them as a surface relief texture.
• Unity stuff
  • Go through any/all of the non-playground tutorials in the Physics Playground series (the non-playground tutorials start at “Intro to the Unity Physics Engine 2019“) and send prof 3+ paragraphs or other documentation (pics, video, etc) about the process.
  • A useful Unity asset management tutorial: Creating LODs (levels of detail) in Maya for Unity. Give it a try and write 3+ paragraphs for EC.
• Games and Misc:
  • Play Temple Hunters and email me 3+ paragraphs about its 3D virtual environment.
  • Submit to this $10k opportunity for Smithsonian Open Access proposals. You can share your proposal with me for extra credit.
  • Try out the 3D Map Generator (costs $21) and send me a 3+ paragraph write-up.
  • Play with the sample of Unreal Engine’s MetaHuman Creator and email me 3+ paragraphs with your thoughts on the software’s pros and cons.

Previous Project Specs

Project 1, Due February 18

• A Simple Image. Email me a link (not an attachment) to your image. Your image should be in a common format like PNG, TIFF, or JPG and be at least 500×500 pixels. Please answer the following questions in your email:
  1. What is the image?
  2. How did you build it?
  3. What skills did you aim to develop?
  4. What did you learn in the process of making the image?
  5. Did you use external assets, e.g. models, data, etc? If so, name your sources.
  6. Did any particular works or projects inspire you in preparing this image?
  7. EXTRA CREDIT: Reference Audre Lorde’s work in your image and discuss how you did so.

Project 2, Due March 4

• 30-second movie. 
  • Email me a link (not an attachment) to your movie file. The link can be WeTransfer, Google Drive, Discord, YouTube, Vimeo, or any other service you use, just make sure I have access permission.
  • My preferred format is MP4, but other common formats like MOV and AVI are fine. The movie should be at least 480×270 pixels and at least 24 FPS. 
  • Please answer the following questions in your email:
    1. What is the movie? 
    2. How did you build it?
    3. What skills did you aim to develop?
    4. What did you learn in the process of making the movie?
    5. Did you use external assets, e.g. models, data, etc? If so, name your sources.
    6. Did any particular works inspire you in preparing this movie?
    7. If you had more time to refine the movie, what would be your next steps?
    8. EXTRA CREDIT: Reference Audre Lorde’s work in your movie and discuss how you did so.

Project 3, Due March 18

• 1-minute data movie. 
  • Email me a link (not an attachment) to your movie file. Make sure I have access permission.
  • My preferred format is MP4, but other common formats like MOV and AVI are fine. The movie should be at least 480×270 pixels and at least 24 FPS, with a maximum file size of 100 MB. I also recommend adding sound, but this is not required.
  • Your movie must use data that is on the class Data Sources page or specifically approved through an email to Prof. 
  • Note that you can use any of the data-oriented example files Prof prepared for class (constellations, elevations) to start this project.
  • When we critique your movie, we will consider its MOOD, particularly its pacing, movement, form and color. An implied narrative might also be important to consider, but this is not required.
  • Please answer the following questions in your email:
    1. What’s this movie about?
    2. What data did you use to make this movie, and how did you use the data?
    3. What were the biggest challenges in making the movie? 
    4. Did you use any software besides Maya or Blender?
    5. What did you learn in the process of making the movie?
    6. Did you use additional assets, etc? If so, name your sources.
    7. If you had more time to refine the movie, what would be your next steps?
    8. EXTRA CREDIT: Reference Audre Lorde’s work in your movie and discuss how you did so.

Project 4, Due April 22

• Please Email me a link (e.g. Google Drive) to ONE of the following:
  • A 2+ minute screen recording in which you’re interacting with your fullscreen Unity scene. Please record audio in which you’re talking through the environment as you interact with it. Some simple ways to make this recording are with Microsoft Stream, Quicktime, or even Zoom.
  • A directory that contains BOTH a Mac OS Unity build (that I can open) AND Unity project files.
• In your email, please briefly answer:
  • What’s this project about?
  • Did you use sample Unity projects to make your project? (Please provide links) Have you worked on this project outside the scope of this class (e.g. a group project with other collaborators)?
  • If you used a sample, what did you change or add?
  • What were the biggest challenges and/or learnings in making the project?
  • Did you use additional assets, etc? If so, name your sources.
  • If you had more time to refine the project, what would be your next steps?
  • EXTRA CREDIT: Reference Audre Lorde’s work in your project and discuss how you did so.