# Interdisciplinary Practice 2 #

## BY FINLEY HUNT (21423424)
## & LILIAN VIDOR (21442634)

## Tree Project
The Tree Project is a project owned by "Things that go on things LTD - (TTGOT)".In partnership with MMU it was offered to students who would be interested to work in this project with professionals to get more experience while learning. It was open to all MA creative disciplines with a payment fee offered for all students involved.
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## Art collectives project:
> " The Artistic Concept
>
> We want to bring the forest to the housing estate - the woodland to the city - via an animated narrative roaming light installation.
>
> Through the use of film, animation and AR and combining these disciplines with traditional story-telling, dynamic projection and bespoke audio we will highlight the story and plight of TREES and help turn concrete jungles into living green spaces."

---
After the agreement for some students and other collaborators to work in this project we were divided in groups.
This portfolio is to present our work as the group responsible for the AR project.

Therefore the aim of this project is to show a final work in Augmented Reality (AR).

### Platforms and engines used for this project:

* Blender
* Autodesk Maya
* Z brush
* Procreate
* Mudbox
* Meta Spark

For the final result it was used Blender to create the tree, which was inspired on a OAK tree due to the proximity and familiarity of population in UK to this tree.

Maya was used to create the roots and to refine the numbers of polygons either to the roots and the tree. There is a minimun of polygons accepted into meta spark. Using Maya to reduce the polygons of the tree and the roots made possible to conclude the project as both were too large and not accepted at first including the sound created for this AR.

Z brush was another option to reduce the number of polygons by doing the Zremeshing.

Procreate was used to do the concept art and GiF animations to present the ideas for production.

Mudbox was used to transfer FBX files to Maya.

Meta spark was used to Create the AR.

Meta spark was chosen by the company and we were guided sometimes on how to use it, however it was necessary to learn all steps of the process. For some difficult times it was reached some help from Dan Hobson (Technical Officer 3D, Animation, and VFX Digital Arts & Media Team – Faculty of Arts & Humanities - Technical Services CHATHAM 1.12 (Digital Media Bar).

Meta spark was chosen due to the possibility/ flexibility of having the AR using Instagram or Facebook. Considering the audience would likely to have mobile phones and able to upload the AR using their own Instagram or Facebook. However we made this AR accessible on Instagram using Mobile phones or tablets.
For a backup we had a video in case of no internet access or possible technical problems.

### Group for this part of project

This part of the project was made in collaboration with other students. A group of 3 students and 1 supervisor. Group consisted by Two game artists ( Finlay Hunt and Lilian Vidor) one Filmmaker (Alikan Asadi) and one Supervisor (Jack Hardiker).
This was a work project, named: "The Tree Project" with a payment fee for the participants.

### Company information
Company's name: **Things that go on things LTD - (TTGOT)**. Presented themselves to MA students at MMU for the occasion to offer these students an opportunity to learn/working with professionals linked to Manchester Metropolitan University. This project was for a more realistic working experience in the field of Game Arts. Introduced to students during Dylan Yamada-Rice classes , IP2 lesson.
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### Company's request to our part of the project

For this project, our group was responsible to create a AR using *Meta Spark AR* to be accessed using *Facebook* or *Instagram.*

**The company's first request:**
> ..."Ali, Fin, Lilian and Jack - we would like you to work as a group to produce a prototype of the VR forest for the tree stump - working through a mobile phone. We would love it if Ali’s notion of the trees appearing slowly in the tree stump - and then growing into the forest through the magic of VR could be visualised.
> Jack is happy to oversee / mentor / advise on how this could work. We know this is quite a lot of work in terms of design and 3D modelling etc and so thought working as a group would work best in terms of time. Remember this is just a test so does not have to be a fully formed finished piece - we would just like to test the overall idea with audiences on 2nd / 3rd March."...
---

**The company's nearly final request:**

> Overall idea: A white tree, with mycelium growing from its routes all around. Then white particles floating up from it. Once you have made one tree work and look good, maybe try having multiple trees.
>
> Fin:
> 1. Work on the growing mycelium mask and advice Lillian on the file type you need for it. Probably vector.
> 2. Make tree white - please send me a screenshot when done.
> 3. Work on particles floating from the floor up to the sky. These should be beautiful tiny white dots, like little fireflies. They should start when the mycelium has fully grown.
> 4. Look at person segmentation (so the mycelium can go under people's feet father than appear on top of them): https://sparkar.facebook.com/ar-studio/learn/articles/people-tracking/background-segmentation/#optimization
> 5. Look at if there's a way to have the tree fade in, or appear more beautiful than just suddenly dropping in place.
> 6. Create indoor smaller version and outdoor full size version.
>
> Ali:
> 1. Work with Lillian to get the right aesthetic for the mycelium
> 2. Work on sound for the piece
> 3. Once the filter is finished, create a lovely film of the filter working (including screen recording from the app and also video of people using the filter).
>
> Lillian:
> 1. With guidance from Fin, create the VECTOR image of mycelium. Chat to Ali about how this should look.
>
> Thank you all! Give me a nudge if you have any questions.
>
> Jack

This Idea was modified again as during the production we had to adapt to what we were doing and to what was realistic considering the time we had left to produce it and also regarding to what would be acceptable in Meta Spark while keeping in mind a way for audience interaction with it.

For this request it was made a previz in Maya to an animation that could had been developed more and with nore details in order to show the mycelium network.
**Picture below:**


*YouTube channel link below to see this previz. (Animation idea for a mycelium network underground with mushrooms, but could also be used for trees or plants)*

https://youtu.be/wT8N1vpq9YM

---

**Final Idea and production**

After some meetings and discussions also tests it was decided to create one tree with growing roots. The company wanted it's color to be white. The AR would also contain a sound which was created by Alikan Asadi, Filmmaker. This tree on AR would also have particles flowing around it to demonstrate the interaction from the myscelium network that happens starting in the underground and benefit the entire tree and surroundings.

---

**Main ideas**
*All the main ideas were elaborated by Jack Hardicker and Finley Hunt. We all from the group were collaborating in helping to make the production for final idea to be in AR.*

---

**Below pre-production and production images for final idea:**
*Concept Art by Finley Hunt*


*This Tree was modeled by Finley in Blender and imported to Maya by Lilian to reduce the number of Polygons as per limitation when going to Meta Spark.*

For using Meta spark some requirements are necessary. The 3D object's mesh or the "triangle count" will impact performance. The requirement is to keep it as lower as possible.
* The maximum number per object is below 50.000
* Keep the total triangle count for all objects in an effect below 150.000.
* Generate pur UV maps manually instead of auto generating them.
* Keep UV shells to a minimum and don't overlap them
* For texturing the best is to use sRGB space/max resolution (1024x1024 pixels)
* When using Adobe substance painter then use "Meta spark templates" to make the texture compatible.

**Above information obtained from https://sparkar.facebook.com/ar-studio/**


*Polygons reduction and counting by Lilian using Autodesk Maya*


Pictures of tree's roots as suggestion on how to 3D modelling using Autodesk Maya.

*Production: some steps for 3D Modelling the tree root using Autodesk Maya by Lilian Vidor*



*Roots duplicated and rotated*

*Roots separated process from duplication and spare geometry deleted due to Meta Spark requirements have a minimum number of polygons that can be accepted.*

Restrictions apply to the number of quads/triangles. Meta Spark suggestion is to delete internal geometry from a mesh.





Polycount reached a minimum without affecting to much the 3D Object look. Now able to go to Meta spark.


*Tree and root placed together using Maya by Lilian Vidor and send it back to Finley Hunt to be applied in Meta spark*



*Experiment using AR. Picture of AR tested inside a house*


*Group comments about AR test*


## AR Final product and presentation:

**Following there is a link to a YouTube channel, of our group's outcome, for this project.** AR final product named as ***"Sacred-Oak Tree"*** video recorded as a backup if unable to access via ***Instagram*** due to possible online or technical issues during the presentation on the 3rd of March 2023.

***https://youtube.com/shorts/kuxwvSjzJbE?feature=share***

Video playing, during the presentation ***in addition to Augmented Reality:***
***https://youtu.be/Lxq8JoFMphI***

___
**Instagram address:**
( on picture below)
This is the final product from our Group part of the Tree Project.

[https://www.instagram.com/ar/910022200303854/](https://)

---

*Glowing Tree Stump*

*Tree project presentation. Following, there is a picture of YouTube recordings showing some parts of the presentation. It can also be accessed on YouTube link below*

We all came togother to bring each aspects of the project group members have been working on.

*Video presentation 01*
https://youtu.be/T4LdOnf5dZw

*Video presentation 02*
https://youtu.be/kQTEODHiEtM

*Video presentation 03*
https://youtu.be/bgo7aqag57k

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---

## Before the final idea for our part of this project was finally decided, there was some experiments and other ideas. These were all discarded.

*These ideas are below:*


**Some experiments using metascan:**

Opened in Maya in order to Z-remeshing to use it in Meta spark


Some difficulties to re-meshing it using Zbrush:



---

## New idea: for a "cut island" showing trees and their roots

**This idea was rejected as per the lack of interaction for the audience**

*Concept art by Finley Hunt*





*Little "cut-island" previz in Maya by Lilian Vidor*


*Animation in Maya as one of the first ideas. A tree growing from a tree stump previz 01*
YouTube link below to check this previz video:
https://youtu.be/aYlCIclJhU8

*Animation in Maya also as one of the first ideas. A tree growing from a tree stump previz 02*
YouTube link below to check this previz 02 video:
https://youtu.be/nwz6-jw085s

---

## New idea: for a network under the ground


**Thinking of ways to creating a glowing mycelium network using substance painter:**


[](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SJbjF6m4n.jpg)

Dan Hobson's suggestion for how to create a mycelium network.


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*Test of AR Using Mobile phone. AR Tree made and textured by Finley Hunt and tested on Lilian Vidor's mobile Phone.*


*Puppet created for the project by other collaborators. Our Group scanned it using metascan.*


*The mesh was closed using Maya and decreased the number of polygons, UV Map done and into meta spark. However there was no more time available to get it as AR for the presentation.*


*After the presentation and for studying purposes, the mesh was painted in substance painter in order to be also included as AR in case this project goes ahead and this part still requested. By Lilian Vidor*


*Using Maya to make 3D modeling trees previz and a rose as shown below . Using Adobe Photoshop as concept art for the little creatures. The rose would have these little creatures animated on it. By Lilian Vidor*


YouTube Fin AR filter tests:

* test 01:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZIba271w6hw?feature=share
* test 02:
https://youtube.com/shorts/CgaW2eouo6Q?feature=share
* test 03:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Gnw9HkBtZ8c?feature=share


___

***Padlet*** online address for ideas and inspirations for this project.

https://padlet.com/LilVd88/tree-project-m7wgi7mjwkj2be8f

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***YouTube*** video for the ***screen record :***

https://youtu.be/lfF4IWE-MPg

It was decided by the company to have as a **background video during the presentation,** a screen record of **all our ideas that wasn't used to the final project.** It can be accessed on the YouTube link above. The link above is a video containing all the experiments using Maya. It was edited and used for the final presentation. The edited video is called **Trees reel** and the YouTube link to it is at the session :*AR Final final product and presentation:* (Video playing, during the presentation in addition to Augmented Reality) as picture below.

> 

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## References : ##

* 3D Artist HCL. (2017, November 5). Game Artist | Modeling Body Tree - P01 with Autodesk Maya 2017 | Game Design. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvdM-LrMalo
* Alberto Cordero. (2016, January 2). Alberto Cordero - Sculpt january - Mushroom. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYZ-07hyQh0
* Alex Cheparev. (2021, October 18). Maya Extrude and Joint Tools - How to 3D model tree branches. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yDgvyGPqa4
* Art MZ. (2022, March 29). Animated sakura tree growing and blossoming (Autodesk Maya 3d modeling). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMqCe8p3VMI

* Digital Dreambox. (2021, January 29). Model Low Poly Rocks In Maya | Simple Rocks and Stones. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LUTku3AN50
* Digital Dreambox. (2021b, December 28). Maya Curve Tutorial | Part 2 Tips For Working With NURBS Curves. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lv_tUDI6Co
* Dream journey vfx. (2021, May 18). create tree animation and falling leaves. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cf5lC99ht0

* Krupali Patel. (2016, March 30). Autodesk Maya 2014 tutorial Rose Modeling, Texturing. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Ll-0Z6KM8
* Marcus Cher. (2017, July 29). Mushroom Maya Tutorial. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLEqx0G_UzY
* MAYA TUTORIALS. (2015, January 16). MAYA TUTORIAL-HOW TO MAKE THE GROWTH OF THE TREE(NO PLUGIN) 마야에서 나무 성장 애니메이션 만들기. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl1MKzUqO5g

* Shaun Foster. (2018, November 16). Grow a Tree using Alembic Animation in Unreal. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-xW7WhBKzA

* SYIA Studios. (2021, September 28). Maya Animated Tree Creation Tutorial. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q8jj3Ce9j8
* Tim Budgen. (2019, September 1). Polygon Modelling 3 Making a Mushroom with Edge Loops. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co-QoI2rx9o
* TrimitKala. (2020, May 12). 2. Tree | Modeling a Tree & Stones in Maya | Tutorial 2 | Making 3D Scene Step by Step. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pmKU_fl2uQ

## Bibliography : ##

Fowler,A.(2019) *Beginning iOS AR game development: developing augumented reality apps with Unity and C#.* New York,NY: Apress.

Glover,J.(2018) *Unity2018 Augumented Reality Projects*.Birmingham,UK:Packt Publishing.

**Note:**

This was a project contracted by a company for students to work on it, there was not much reading .

We had to learn AR using "Meta Spark Studio". In order to learn it the student needs to register using Facebook or Instagram. The method of learning was via the link below.

https://sparkar.facebook.com/ar-studio/