Major Project 2: Final Compilation & Reflection

5.2.2026 - 29.3.2026 / Week 1 - Week 8
Adriena Tan Yan Zi / 0351236 / BA of Design (HONS) in Creative Media
Major Project II
Final Compilation and Reflection

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Major Project II

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Modeling & Texturing 

The first 2 weeks we started with modeling our characters continuing from our idea we proposed in major Project 1, The Forgotten Spirit. Each one of us are tasked with different characters to model, which them i am tasked with modeling the ghost form of Xu chen which is the main character. Other than the character, i was in responsible for modeling our props, food as well as the main house building. 

Modeling ghost 

Modeling skull

Separating the key features

As previously mentioned, I was assigned the task of modeling the main character, Xu Chen, in his ghost form. Since the animation is primarily targeted at a younger audience, we decided to adopt a simpler and more stylized approach to the character design. To achieve this, I referenced an image of a simplified skull shape and based my model on it. Additionally, I separated key features such as the hollow eye sockets and nostrils to facilitate a more efficient and controlled texturing process in later stages.

Texturing ghost 

For the ghost body, I experimented with multiple cloth textures to determine which would best complement his irregularly shaped form. The initial darker-toned fabrics appeared overly reliant on image texturing and lacked visual cohesion with the overall design. After consulting with Mr. Kamal, I decided to proceed with a white, ragged cloth that wraps naturally around the body, creating a more unified and fitting appearance.

Modeling Yun's house 

Using the boolean modifier

Adding details

This building differs from the original sketch concept, as I found this design to be more suitable and accurate in representing traditional Chinese-style houses commonly seen in kampung settings. I referred to several reference images from Pinterest, along with a tutorial, and modeled the structure accordingly. During the process, I encountered some issues with the roof tile proportions; following Mr. Kamal’s feedback, I revised the tiles to ensure both sides of the roof were even and visually consistent.

Texturing Yun's house 

Texturing the roof

I encountered some issues while texturing the roof, as the colors and textures were not displaying correctly due to problems with the UV mapping. I resolved this by applying an automatic UV unwrap, which allowed the texture to display properly. Minor adjustments were then made to resize and realign the texture for a more accurate and refined result.

Texturing the glass

Following a tutorial, I created the glass texture in Cycles by adjusting the emission and index of refraction (IOR) settings within the materials panel.

setting up the lighting

I set up the lighting to evaluate whether all textures were applied correctly and to ensure they appeared cohesive and harmonious with the overall texture of the house.

Modeling pendant 

building the rough shape with a cube

subdivided

refining the details

Building the body

Using a reference sketch of a dragon, I first constructed the basic forms before applying loop cuts to progressively introduce finer details. After subdividing the model, I revisited the geometry to further refine and enhance the details, ensuring they remained clear and visually defined.

Texturing pendant 

Texturing in Shader editor

Adjusting the material

I applied gold and jade image textures to the pendant and dragon, adjusting the sheen in the material panel to achieve a more polished and realistic appearance.

Modeling food offerings 

Modeling with hair particle

Bowl of rice

Modeling the drumstick

Modeling the fruits

While modeling the food offerings, I used a hair particle system to create the bowl of rice, randomizing the grains to achieve a more natural and realistic appearance.

Texturing food offerings 

Texture painting the dumplings

Image texturing on foods

 

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Rigging 

First attempt

Aligning with preset rig

In my initial attempts, I tried building the bone structure from scratch; however, for reasons I was unable to determine, the rig could not be successfully generated. I then experimented with the built-in animal rigs available in Rigify, such as the shark rig, but after modifying and removing certain bones, the rig still failed to function properly.

Second attempt

Making the bones with samples

I consulted Mr. Kamal regarding the issues I was encountering, and he suggested building the rig using the sample bones. This approach allowed me to successfully generate the rig and apply automatic weights; however, some areas, such as the head, are not deforming correctly. I will need to realign the bones to address these issues.

Final attempt

Last attempt realigning

Adding squash and stretch 

By using lattice modifiers and linking them to both the main armature and a secondary top armature, I was able to animate the ghost with squash and stretch effects, adding more life and dynamism to the overall animation.

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Animation & Lighting 

Scene 1 

Scene 2

Blocking the walk cycle

cleaning up

applying the interpolation stype

Scene 3

keyframing the alpha

working on the movements

Scene 4 

parenting the lanterns with an empty

interpolation type 

emission to the door way

Storyboard 1

bloating tummy

Lighting 

sky texture

Spirit realm fire

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Rendering 

Rendering with Evee

We did try to render with the evee settings as it is faster and it's less heavy on out laptops as we are reaching the end of the semester, however the quality is not satisfactory as a lot of texture details are missing in the evee setting.

Rendered final with cycles

After trying to render with cycles we noticed the difference in quality and decided to continue with cycles to ensure the animation quality is consistent. 

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Posters

We worked on producing the posters using both Blender and Canva. We developed two versions and decided to retain both, as we were satisfied with the outcome of each design.

Poster Ver.1 

Poster Ver. 2

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Slides & Submission Compilation

MP2 - FINAL PRESENTATION by Adriena Tan

 

MP2 - Art Bible by Adriena Tan

Submission link compilation:
 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OiwYb_hBe_PLsjlPMb0ZJJ8G_p_JNtN1/edit

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Final Reflection 

This project was completed within a span of seven weeks, which, when reflecting back on Major Project 1, initially felt quite unfeasible given the scope and complexity of the work involved. Despite the tight timeframe, we remained committed to pushing through the challenges and making the most of the limited time available.

Throughout the production process, I made a conscious effort to step beyond my existing skill set and take on new technical challenges. This included learning how to rig a character, modeling additional characters, and contributing to the development of a full animation that extends to approximately four minutes in length. These tasks required not only technical understanding but also adaptability and problem-solving, especially when balancing quality with time constraints.

The experience was both demanding and rewarding, as it pushed me to grow significantly as a 3D animator. Working under such limitations taught me the importance of efficient workflow, time management, and prioritizing key aspects of the project to achieve the best possible outcome.

With the strong support and collaboration of my teammates, along with the valuable guidance and feedback from Mr. Kamal, we were able to overcome many of the challenges encountered throughout the production process. Overall, this project has strengthened my confidence in handling larger-scale productions and has encouraged me to continue developing both my technical and creative skills in future work.