GMU:Critical VR Lab I - Introduction

Lecturer: Jörg Brinkmann
Credits: 6 ECTS, 4 SWS
Date: Thursdays, 15:15 – 18:30
Venue: Performance Platform, Digital Bauhaus Lab (Room 001)
First meeting: Thursday, 09.04.2020, 15:15

Description

Critical VR Lab I is a beginner module that offers an Introduction to the game engine Unity 3D, an introduction to working with HTC Vive VR-glasses, as well as introductions to photogrammetry, immersive sound and 360 video, body interaction, 3D sketching and animation.

The course emphasises on artistic and opposing ways of working with Virtual Reality. Its aim is to establish individual approaches to VR, a challenging medium which offers artists new possibilities for expression and intercultural communication. We will also look into contemporary and digital art related to recent socio-political and media-philosophical topics. We will create an artistic discourse on the topic of VR which will be presented in the form of individual projects at the end of the semester.

Criteria for passing

In order to successfully participate you will have to develop and document your own project on the GMU Wiki. Also, regularly attend to the sessions and participation is mandatory.

Student works

Syllabus

09.04.2020

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16.04.2020

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23.04.2020

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30.04.2020

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07.05.2020

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14.05.2020

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21.05.2020

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28.05.2020

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04.06.2020

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11.06.2020

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18.06.2020

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25.06.2020

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02.07.2020

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09.07.2020

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VR TOOLBOX

Software

Unity 3D - cross-platform game engine (proprietary)
Blender - 3D modeller with many features (open source)
Autodesk FBX Converter – convert OBJ, DAE, and 3DS files to or from multiple versions of the FBX format (proprietary)
MeshLab - system for processing and editing 3D triangular meshes (open source)
Meshroom - Photogrammetric Computer Vision framework for 3D Reconstruction and Camera Tracking (open source)
MakeHuman tool for making 3D characters (open source)
Meshmixer - "Swiss Army Knife" for 3D meshes (proprietary)
Open Broadcaster Software - streaming and recording program (open source)

Online Tools

Adobe Mixamo - Rapidly create, rig and animate unique characters
NormalMap-Online - create a normalmaps directly inside your browser
Sources/Sounds - where to get audio recordings
Abstract/Technical/Synthetic Sounds (under Packs are several Free ones)

3D Models (for download and use)

Unity 3D Tutorials

Unity 3D Assets

Blender Tutorials

Blender Beginner Series(new) by Blender Guru
Interface and Navigation
Modeling - Creating a kitchen (ignore part 2)
Modeling - Modeling a simple character
Materials - Basic properties of materials
Texturing - Applying textures to an object
Rigging - Rigging a character
Animation - 12 Principles of Animation
Animation - Animating a bouncing ball
Different (aesthetically) interesting Tutorials for Blender (2.8)