Environment Design for vr

Team Members: One

My Role: Design, Prototyping, Storyboarding.

Duration: Three Weeks

The environment is centered around a narrative-driven story called "Robert McVoy's Diary," crafted as part of an environment design course. The story serves as the foundation for creating a scene to design the environment.

Initial story creation

Robert McVoy investigates the mysterious disappearance of lighthouse keepers. He discovers that the lighthouse was a secret military facility studying humanoid sea creatures, one of which he encounters—a colossal, mournful being with a pink diamond in its skull. After returning the remains of the creatures to the sea, the creature leaves peacefully, and McVoy decides to report the deaths as accidents, believing some truths should stay hidden.

Scene Selection

Based on the story, two scenes were selected.
Scene 1: The overall surroundings with the lighthouse at the center. It gives focus to the lighthouse and the island that inhabits the creature.
Scene 2: The second scene is the encounter with the monster.

Proposed Look with Moodboard

Initial Inspiration

Look of the environment

The feel would be gloomy and a bit dark, with an emphasis on creating lighting patches.

Different Points in the scene

Far Ground:

• The overall environment will be seen, including the lighthouse, sea, and some settlements.
• The monster will be seen after the protagonist reaches the top of the tower.

Mid Ground:

• Close-up view of the lighthouse, stairs outside to reach the top of the tower. The protagonist will use (maybe teleport) the stairs to reach the top of the tower.

Near Ground:

• The protagonist will go near the ocean to view the sea.
• Here, the user will see the creature, or maybe a silhouette of it.

Some References taken

• References for Lighthouse.
• Pathway and Vegetation References.
• References for Village Settlements near Lighthouse.
• References for Vegetation like Grass, Rocks, etc.

Lighting for the Environment

Concept Art

I began by sketching out the layout of the island, focusing on the lighthouse as the primary area of interest. The design incorporated large foliage with worn out house that convey the desolate and influence of the nature, contrasted with the the shrubs and bushes indicating its decline.

Grey boxing for the Environment

Modelling the environment

Technical Challenges

• One of the primary technical challenges was achieving an 'AAA' quality look and feel for the environment, which can be quite demanding in Unity.
• The "Book of the Dead" environment showcase asset by Unity was instrumental in maintaining a high level of realism throughout the process, helping to create an immersive environment without compromising on the quality.
• Adding interactions and lighting demanded several iterations to ensure the final result aligned with the original vision.

VIDEO PROTOTYPE

FULL CASE STUDY

For a detailed look at the project and all the steps involved, please visit the Behance page below.

VIEW ON BEHANCE