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Yuchen Zhu
Art Creation
Destruction of a Space Station with Mechanical Animation
My thesis project demonstrates two different level versions of a space station , which showcase mechanical animation , destruction , and dynamic FX ( special effects ) in Unreal Engine 4 . This includes more than five different types of mechanical animation and various destruction types , including both materials and models . The dynamic FX include explosions , electric shots , and fire effects , all of which can affect the environment and could be run in real time .
With this artifact , I learned how to fully set up and build an environment . In it , there are two different interesting stories happening in separate scenes . In the non-destroyed version of the level , an observatory room is shown , and viewers can see the mechanical animation of the entire space station . In the destruction level , viewers see the observatory room , which has now been destroyed by an exterior space station and explosion .
The goal of this thesis was to expand my knowledge of different materials , machinery , and VFX ( visual effects ). I selected my project theme because of my passion for sci-fi . I have always had an interest in space stations and NASA , so I was inspired to make a space station scene , including a destroyed version to provide visual interest and prove my skills in creating different kinds of destruction .
I chose destruction as one of my masteries because I wanted to learn how to create different materials and how to apply those realistic materials to the 3D world . I chose mechanical animation as one of my masteries because I wanted to learn the machine structure and the process of mechanical animation . Lastly , I chose dynamic VFX as one of my masteries because I wanted to explore the Niagara system and gain more knowledge about how to create VFX .
30 ART CREATION