This project will ideally consist of four projected screens creating a room that the viewer walks into and surround themselves with. Upon the wall there is a continuous image that seems to span all walls without break of a forest. There will be ambient sounds and foley to emphasize the essence of being in a forest. Taking this image to a more engaging space, the images projected on the walls will be active. All images are CGI renders that will play back in real time, so trees will bend and sway with wind, and lighting will move with the simulated sun.
A scene of a forest must be drawn up in Unity or Unreal Engine, with simulation of wind and real time lighting to push the idea of creating an active, ambient space letting the viewer into this digital world that focuses on realism. Four projectors hooked up to once computer rendering the scene in real timethrough Unity of Unreal Engine. A 360 degree camera will have to be implemented, or four 90 degree cameras in order to project individual, seamless images on all four walls
his digital world will surround the viewer in a more natural way than VR, and also represent natural things to make the viewer feel comfortable. This will be an installation piece that will ask users to question the spaces they occupy and what they represent. This project will transform a room from something sterile and banal into something that is not only active but seemingly alive. This will also become a meditative space through this transformation.
The following images are prototype environmental scenes made in Unreal Engine 4. They represent preliminary work and proof of concept. From this scene these images can be exported to almost anywhere or to any digital medium including VR or 360 video.
Below is a video walking through the digital space using an Xbox controller and standard UE4 settings.
Below images are even earlier prototypes of the digital space, using digital modeling and making sure this could be done in UE4. You can see the current aesthetic emerging in the third image. Please note although the current materials of the scene are highly digital, I do want to prototype a realistic environment if possible. Having these current materials and having highly realistic materials will convey very different ideas. one being very self aware that is is a digital environment (which in itself is pretty cool) and other other being a simulacra of a real forest, but feeling like one with the appropreate polish.
Realism
This is a show of progress, 11/14/17
Note the realistic and moving foliage. a background must till be implemented, lighting must be rebuilt and must change over time to add realism. Particle effects must be added and it would be nice if the trees could also move.
Nov 19th Update
Further Realism has been added, now working with a wrap around view. More assets have been placed, as well as background shapes (rocks) and added foliage. Lighting has been rebuilt and some generative particle effects. Shots for all three screens have been generally established and are displayed below as left, right, and center.
Also, a high resolution 4092x2352 screen shot can be seen below
Click to View Large
Nov 20th Update
Three screen video example