Lecturer: Jörg Brinkmann
Credits: 6 ECTS, 4 SWS
Date: Thursdays, 15:30 – 18:30
Venue: Online Seminar
First Date: Thursday, 05.11.2020, 15:30
Description
Critical VR Lab I – Unity Introduction is a beginner module that offers an Introduction to the Unity game engine. The whole course will be taught online. Participants will be introduced to Unity through video tutorials, accompanied by PDFs and it will be possible to communicate through online meetings and individual consultations.
The course will be taught in two phases:
In phase one participants will be introduced to an overview of the Unity interface and different techniques (Lights, Skyboxes, Prefabs, Timeline, Animation). The learning phase will be accompanied by lectures and discussions that are focused on finding strategies for dealing with the possibilities and challenges of working artistically with Game Engines and VR technologies. At the end of phase one, students will have created an experience with Unity and documented it on our GMU Wiki-Page. In phase two students are challenged to reflect, discuss, rethink and rework their Unity experience, based on individual research and experienced insights.
The course emphasises on artistic and opposing ways of working with Virtual Reality concepts. It’s aim is to establish individual approaches to VR, a challenging medium which offers artists new possibilities for expression and intercultural communication, especially at times of the Corona Crisis which creates new challenges to the way we interact with each other. Please watch the video for more information.
Recommended Requirements
No previous knowledge of Unity or other 3D software is needed, but applicants should have access to the Internet, a Computer and Headphones.
Criteria for passing
In order to successfully participate you will have to develop and document your own project on the GMU Wiki. Also, complete the exercises and comply with the submission deadlines
Communication throughout the semester
The GMU-Wiki
Here you can find all the info about our class and also present your work linked under your name
Please create your account under this link with your University email adress:
https://www.uni-weimar.de/kunst-und-gestaltung/wiki/Special:CreateAccount
Email
For individual communication. I might send you download links to material
Telegram
CriticalVR1 will be our collective chatroom
Please download Telegram and join for group discussions:
https://t.me/joinchat/HZlOrxuHLynKhLE44cts_Q
BigBlueButton
This video conference utility will be used for our meetings and consultations
To start the conversation click on the link
Student works (after login, please add your name and create a page)
Tutorials (Video + PDF)
1.) Getting to know the Unity Editor
2.) Lights, Skyboxes, Prefabs, Timeline
3.) Animation in Mixamo and Unity
Syllabus
05.11.2020
Online meeting via BBB from 15:30 - 18:30 CET
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
please watch the video to get some information about the course
https://youtu.be/sbhbC5y-jpI
if you have any questions, feel free to ask me anything at the online meeting
12.11.2020
Online meeting via BBB from 15:30 - 18:30 CET
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
19.11.2020
Online meeting via BBB from 15:30 - 18:30 CET
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
26.11.2020
Consultations via BBB
Choose your timeslot for an individual consultation. To start the conversation open the link which will start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
15:30 - 16:00 CEST – (Ruo-Xuan Wu)
16:00 - 16:30 CEST – (put your name here)
16:30 - 17:00 CEST – (put your name here)
17:00 - 17:30 CEST – (put your name here)
17:30 - 18:00 CEST – (put your name here)
18:00 - 18:30 CEST – (put your name here)
03.12.2020
Consultations via BBB
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
15:30 - 16:00 CEST – (Quan Zhou)
16:00 - 16:30 CEST – Sebastian
16:30 - 17:00 CEST – Beatrice Perlato
17:00 - 17:30 CEST – (put your name here)
17:30 - 18:00 CEST – (put your name here)
18:00 - 18:30 CEST – (put your name here)
10.12.2020
Consultations via BBB
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
15:30 - 16:00 CEST – (Quan Zhou)
16:00 - 16:30 CEST – Sebastian
16:30 - 17:00 CEST – (put your name here)
17:00 - 17:30 CEST – (Deborah Meyer)
17:30 - 18:00 CEST – (put your name here)
18:00 - 18:30 CEST – (put your name here)
17.12.2020
Consultations via BBB
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
15:30 - 16:00 CEST – (put your name here)
16:00 - 16:30 CEST – (put your name here)
16:30 - 17:00 CEST – (put your name here)
Online meeting via BBB from 17:30 - 18:30 CET
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
21.12.2020
Deadline:
1.) Please create an Experience in Unity. Record a video of your Experience with OBS (https://obsproject.com) and post it in our Wiki (GMU:Critical VR Lab I) under your name
Christmas and New Year Holidays
07.01.2021
Online meeting via BBB from 15:30 - 18:30 CET
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
14.01.2021
Consultations via BBB
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
15:30 - 16:00 CEST – (Quan Zhou)
16:00 - 16:30 CEST – Eric Schlossberg
16:30 - 17:00 CEST – Sebastian
17:00 - 17:30 CEST – (put your name here)
17:30 - 18:00 CEST – (put your name here)
18:00 - 18:30 CEST – (put your name here)
21.01.2021
Consultations via BBB
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
15:30 - 16:00 CEST – (put your name here)
16:00 - 16:30 CEST – Sebastian
16:30 - 17:00 CEST – (put your name here)
17:00 - 17:30 CEST – (put your name here)
17:30 - 18:00 CEST – (put your name here)
18:00 - 18:30 CEST – (put your name here)
28.01.2021
Online meeting via BBB from 15:30 - 18:30 CET
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
04.02.2021
Consultations via BBB
open the link, to start the video chat in your browser and click 'join'
https://meeting.uni-weimar.de/b/jor-4gu-qjz
15:30 - 16:00 CEST – (Quan Zhou)
16:00 - 16:30 CEST – Sebastian
16:30 - 17:00 CEST – (put your name here)
17:00 - 17:30 CEST – (put your name here)
17:30 - 18:00 CEST – (put your name here)
18:00 - 18:30 CEST – (put your name here)
31.03.2021
Final Deadline:
Please document your final project on our Wiki (GMU:Critical VR Lab I) under your name
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)
- http://www.myminifactory.com
- http://www.sketchfab.com
- http://www.thingiverse.com
- http://www.turbosquid.com
- http://www.lincoln3dscans.co.uk
- https://3dmodelhaven.com
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)