Month: October 2025

Week 2: Skip the class

There is no class this day because the teacher cannot arrive to LCC with transportation problem.
So, in this week, I focus on other subject, especially, I would like to visit the LCC library to get a new information like Maya character animation, how to struct the storyboard, etc.

Unreal Engine

Week 3: Project Idea and Planning for Submission

Post author By Seiya Ito
Post date 7th October 2025
No Comments on Week 3: Project Idea and Planning for Submission

Project Idea / Purpose & Aims

I plan to create a work using Unreal Engine 5 that focuses on realistic environments and a simple narrative structure.

Basically, I will make a model assets by myself in Blender and then set them up in UE5. In order to concentrate on acquiring fundamental knowledge of UE5, I intend to keep the animation itself relatively simple rather than overly complex.

Based on the foundational skills I have acquired in this course, I would like to challenge myself with more complex and expressive animation projects in the future.

The main character will be a small creature or a non-human being. In addition, I would like to combine an animation motion that I studied using Maya in the 3D Computer Animation Fundamental course.

Animation Production Timeline Planning

Step 1: Planning & Research

Thinking story ideas and deciding on the concept
Creating a mind map
Researching reference works (backgrounds, worldbuilding, visual tone)
Making a simple story structure
Reviewing Unreal Engine 5 and previous student projects

Goal & Purpose:
Establish a clear direction before starting production.

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Step 2: Pre-production

Character design (rough sketches)
Background and worldbuilding concept sketches
Creating a storyboard
Searching required assets

Goal & Purpose:
Clearly define what will be created and how far the project will go.

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Step 3: Modeling (Blender)

Character modeling
Modeling props and architectural elements
Adjusting scale for Unreal Engine 5

Goal & Purpose:
Prepare all models and try to export the data from Blender into UE5.

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Step 4: Texturing & Materials

Creating textures in Substance 3D Painter
Adjusting base colors and surface details
Exporting textures for UE5 (Base Color, Normal, Roughness, ORM, etc.)

Goal & Purpose:
To make material and texture.

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Step 5: UE5 Setup & World Building

Importing models and assets into UE5
Using assets from Bridge and Fab
Blocking out the environment and camera positions
Testing lighting setups
Building the main scene

Goal & Purpose:
Create a world where the final result can be clearly visualized.

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Step 6: Animation & Camera

Creating character animations in Maya or Blender
Importing animations into UE5
Refining camera movements
Adding simple motions and visual direction

Goal & Purpose:
Creating motion by using Maya or Blender.

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Step 7: Polish & Rendering

Final lighting adjustments
Refining camera composition
Rendering using Movie Render Queue
Final checks and submission

Goal & Purpose:
Polish the project to as a final project.

Maya

Week 2: Pendulum

This week, I worked on creating a pendulum animation. In this motion, the pendulum speeds up as it reaches both ends, and overlapping action also occurs. It is difficult to reproduce this correctly without fully understanding the movement, so I studied it carefully using The Animation Survival Kit.

Additionally, through feedback from my teacher, I learned that adjusting the small movement just before the pendulum stops makes the animation look more realistic and natural.

This is a Pendulum motion before I receive the feedback from teacher. I focused on the gravity and speed in this project.

First making Pendulum motion

Polished Pendulum motion

For a Pendulum motion, I realised that ease out and ease in is significant important to make realistic motion like pendulum. And ease out and in means both ends are the slowest on the other hand, in the middle is the fastest in pendulum motion.

Squash and Stretch

Shows the flexibility, weight, and volume of objects or characters.

Timing and Motion

Controls the speed and spacing of movements to show weight, emotion, or energy.

Anticipation

A small action before a main action that helps the audience understand what will happen.

Staging

Arranging the scene and actions so the focus is clear and easy to read.

Follow-Through and Overlapping Action

Extra movements after the main action, or parts moving at different times, to make it more natural.

Straight Ahead and Pose-to-Pose Action

Two animation methods: draw frame by frame (straight ahead) or create key poses first (pose-to-pose).

Slow In and Slow Out

Start and end movements slowly for a natural feeling and to show weight.

Arcs

Most movements follow curved paths to look smooth and realistic.

Exaggeration

Make movements or expressions stronger or bigger to make them clear and interesting.

Secondary Action

Small supporting actions that add personality or emphasize the main action.

Solid Drawing

Draw with correct structure, volume, and proportion to make the animation believable.

Appeal

Give characters or actions charm and personality to engage the audience.

Unreal Engine

Week 2: At the beginning of the project

Post author By Seiya Ito
Post date 1st October 2025
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I explored UE5 and reviewed previous students’ works. Then, I tried building a world in UE5 by myself and noticed its unique advantages over other 3D software like Maya, Blender, and Cinema 4D. The large library of assets through Quixel Bridge and Fab, along with fast rendering, makes UE5 especially powerful. I hope to use these features to create beautiful and realistic worlds in the future.

Quixel Bridge: Quixel Megascans | High-quality 3D assets for games, film, and beyond – Quixel

Fab: Unreal Engine Marketplace is now Fab – UE Marketplace

I realised each Points (Strength / Weakness)

Strengths (Good Points)

Fast rendering – UE5 allows real-time rendering, which makes the workflow very efficient.
Extensive asset library – High-quality assets can be easily imported from Quixel Bridge and Fab.
High-quality real-time graphics – Lighting and environment realism are excellent.
Blueprints for visual scripting – Interactive behaviors and mechanics can be created without coding.
Large community and tutorials – There are many learning resources, making it easier to find help when needed.

Weaknesses (Challenges / Limitations)

High system requirements – Using detailed assets and high-quality rendering requires a powerful PC.
Complex interface – The UI and many functions can be overwhelming for beginners and different compared to other software like Maya, Blender etc.
Necessary to make material in UE5 – The material has to make in using UE5 because the system is different between UE5 and Blender and Maya and so on. So, I am not able to use Blender node and complex texture details in Blender. However, it might be possible to transfer the data in Substance 3D Painter. Therefore, basically, making original materials requires additional knowledge.
Difficult to transfer data or change save location – Basically, I need to save the data in One Drive or same laptop when I do something.

What to expect from UE5

Through my works, I hope to create artworks that allow many viewers enjoy and at the same time, provide new insights and learning new experiences. To achieve this goal, I would like to produce a variety of animations, primary for children. For example, I get inspiration from Disney, Pixar, Illumination, and Tonko house. In particular, Tonko house has received Annie award in recent years is so fascinated for me because this artwork is so warmly and story is also impressive.

Additionally, I believe that one of the most effective way to reduce waste of time like rendering by using UE5. And this is the point I’m most looking forward to. However, I have limited experience with UE5 and my knowledge and skills are still developing. Through this class, I hope to gain a solid understanding of UE5 and, through further practice, improve my ability to use it effectively in future projects.