Blog Post and Work Log 11/21/2

Brainstorming Page:

Here I wanted to brainstorm about ideas for the ground of my project. I have a few things in mind for my options, and I want to compare the components, time, difficulty, and overall look of these ideas to figure out the best plan of action.

Grass Image Texture Only:

One option that I thought of was just using an image texture of grass with nothing else. This would be a quick and easy option, and would be the simplest out of the three. However, I don't really like how it looks in the final product, and it tends to look unrealistic, low quality, and two dimensional, which is not what I want. I could try texture painting the ground with this image to make it look more natural, but I still think it would look fake. Overall, I would not prefer to use this option, but it might be a necessary back up plan if the other options take too long or are too difficult. 

Grass Particles:

Another option I came up with was using a particle system for the grass. To do this, I would follow this quick tutorial that I skimmed. From what I saw, it looks straight forward, but it would probably be slightly more difficult than just using an image texture. I think it looks a lot more visually appealing though, because it is more realistic, 3D, and higher quality. The only thing I would be worried about is that all the particles in addition with the leaf particles might lag out the laptop I use. There is probably a way to avoid the lag though, and I think it would be a necessary sacrifice for a better looking background. Because of this, I am leaning toward this option.

Path Way Image Texture:

The final option I thought of was making a dirt path along with the grass. This option could go with any of the grass ideas. and would be made using an image texture. This could add to the landscape and make it more interesting. I would have to figure out how to make it look natural with the grass if I decided on this. Although, I don't know if it would be worth the effort and time, because it would only be in the background and you would barely see it. Also, I feel like my time would be better spend working on the tree or the actual animation. So I am not fully convinced on this option.

Final Decision:

I have decided to do use the particle system to make the grass instead of just using an image texture. This is because I think it will look more realistic and visually appealing overall. As for the dirt pathway, I think I will hold off on that idea because it is not a necessary part of the project, and it would just add more work for something that you would barely see.

Work Log:

Monday:

I worked on adding all the leaves to my tree by watching a tutorial.

Tuesday:

I continued following this tutorial and specifically worked on making small twigs for my branch.

Wednesday:

I finished making the twig by following the tutorial.

Thursday:

I continued following the tutorial, and this time I got to add the leaves to the tree through a particle system.

Friday:

I finished the tutorial on how to create the leaves of my tree using a particle system.