Songyue's Blog

Category: 3D Computer Animation Fundamentals

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3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Unreal engine

WEEK7:UV Unwrapping & Initial Environment Setup

I imported the models into Maya to unwrap the UVs, merging components that share the same materials in advance to create unified UV sets, which will make the texturing process more efficient later on.

After that, I imported the graybox models into Unreal Engine and set up a preliminary version of the scene.

I centered the composition around the operating table, with the monster seated beside it, performing the procedure. A cold, pale spotlight from an overhead incandescent lamp focuses on the scene, reinforcing the sterile and unsettling atmosphere. Throughout the process, I continuously adjusted the composition through the camera view; however, the lighting remains somewhat flat and lacks depth, which is the main issue I identified this week.

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3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Maya

WEEK7:Hand Pose

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my work:

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my work:

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my work:

Categories
3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Maya

WEEK7:Polish Walk Cycles

During the creation of the walk cycle animation, I gained a more systematic understanding of the relationship between walking rhythm and shifts in the character’s center of gravity. By repeatedly adjusting step length, timing, and foot placement, I gradually realized the importance of solid contact poses in preventing foot sliding. At the same time, coordination and follow-through between different parts of the body helped make the walk feel more natural and cohesive. This exercise made me realize that a seemingly simple walk cycle actually requires careful control of timing and attention to detail, and it also laid a foundation for more complex character animation in the future.

Categories
3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Unreal engine

WEEK6:Body modeling

I do not plan to create character animation, so I approached the character’s body using a modular sculpting workflow. I used pre-rigged character assets to pose the figures in Maya, then imported them into ZBrush. From there, I extracted the parts I needed and further modified them to fit the design.

I envisioned the character in a seated pose, holding a knife and scissors while dissecting a corpse. The brother’s head hangs limply to the side, his facial flesh frozen into a bitter, strained smile—an unsettling and spine-chilling sight.

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3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Maya

WEEK6：Walk Blocking & Plan

I haven’t polished it much yet, and it still looks a bit like foot sliding.

Categories
3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Maya

WEEK6:Polish Pose to Pose Animation & Hand Pose

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my work:

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This week, I continued refining my previous animation and recorded new reference footage, aiming for a more exaggerated and “animated” performance. For some of the action transitions, I experimented with easing to make the overall movement feel more natural and fluid.

Categories
3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Unreal engine

WEEK5:Character modeling

This week, I mainly focused on modeling the heads of the two characters. I wanted them to convey a sense of distortion and grotesqueness, so I intentionally warped their facial features, making them appear smeared and uneven.

In particular, the brother’s face has a melting quality, as if it were slowly dissolving. The psychological unease and discomfort created by this effect is something I find very effective. Rather than turning the characters into overt, aggressive monsters, I aim for a more subtle form of horror—one that quietly unsettles the viewer and creates a lingering sense of dread.

Categories
3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Maya

WEEK5:Step-through animation & Balance Pose

Categories
3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Maya

WEEK5：Pose to Pose Animation

When attempting to connect two actions, I recorded my own performance as a reference, but the overall acting was not exaggerated or expressive enough. During the animation process, the character’s movement still appeared somewhat stiff. Moving forward, I plan to further refine the timing and performance details to improve the animation.

Categories
3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Maya

WEEK4:Concept design

This week, I found more reference images, most of which are related to the character.

I designed my character—or rather, the monster—as a pair of twins. I drew inspiration from elements that evoke psychological fear, such as preserved corpses, freak shows, and unethical experiments from centuries ago, including prefrontal lobotomy.

I designed the character as a pair of conjoined twins, a brother and a sister. The brother’s body is withered and decaying, on the verge of death. They work as taxidermists. In an attempt to save her brother, the sister conducts a series of dark and forbidden experiments.

The taxidermy room is filled with specimens stitched together from human and animal corpses, and at its center may stand an electrotherapy chair resembling an instrument of torture. The sister believes she can extract her brother’s soul from his dying body and transfer it into these reconstructed corpses, unaware that her actions are only causing him greater suffering. Through this character, I aim to portray the sister’s nearly obsessive, pathological love and her overwhelming desire for control.

Below are the sketches I drew while exploring the character.

Visually, they have asymmetrical and disjointed limbs. The brother’s body is withered, twisted, and close to death, with one arm drawn into his chest and bound by bandages, leaving him no choice but to endure the sister’s various experiments inflicted upon him.