Project 1.0 digitalDIORAMA

The diorama functions as a device to portray landscape as a spatial experience. The diorama provides an opportunity to create a landscape representation that is focused around a limited vantage point. Your vantage point and the composition of the diorama is vital to create a compelling experience.

Your goal will be to use one of the landscape types to develop a digital diorama that will be viewed through an animated camera. Beyond representing the landscape type your diorama will explore the following concepts: background, middleground, foreground, atmosphere, light/shadow, color/tone, scale, perspective, blending. Your animation will move between a section and perspective view or vice versa.

For this project you will create a diorama in 3ds max and render a 15 second animation. Your diorama will consist of “planes” that are textured with images. The diorama will be viewed through a single camera that will be animated in a 15 second sequence (450 frames).

The environment for your diorama will be based on one of the following Louisiana landscape typologies. It will be necessary to research the defining characteristics of your assigned typology. The diorama should capture the essential qualities (as defined by you and your research) of the landscape; topography, light, vegetation, etc. You may share your research with your group as well as share collected and masked imagery.

Landscape Types:

  • salt marsh
  • freshwater marsh
  • agriculture
  • bottomland hardwood forest
  • swamp

Your animation will be assessed on creativity, clarity, attention to detail, and quality of craftsmanship.

Deliverables . Due 9.17.12

  1. 15 Second Animation, Quicktime File @ 30fps, 852×480 pixels H.264 codec
  2. Quicktime file uploaded to your vimeo account and shared with the class vimeo account, before uploading the quicktime file must be under 10mb

Movie file, 3ds max scene file and all linked textures will be submitted on CADGIS server in /students/project01/lastname_firstname folder

Tutorials

Adding Materials and Mapping Planes/Surfaces in 3ds max

Student Projects