The course will address various topics within the field digital imagery and CG production. By introducing advanced tools and techniques and through productive experimentation we will also address the ongoing discussion around the digital realm, image sciences and the iconic turn. Students are invoked to further develop their technical abilities as well as define/refine an attitude towards their style of visual communication.

CGI production overlaps the domain of architectural production although approaches and methods are slightly different. Where architects need to measure and keep a consistency between the existing physical space and the artifact, CGI production just operates in the realm of visual content.  CGI tools are more derived from sculptors painters photographers animators than from constructors or engineers.  CGI production needs to be fast, imaginative- consistency is needed just when you can see it. Think of a set design from the movies.

Shedule

S01451 – Architectural Computer Generated Imagery (SEW)
05.03.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG)
12.03.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG)
19.03.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG) Krit First Tutorial
09.04.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG) Deadline Tutorials 24.00h
16.04.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG)
23.04.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG)
30.04.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG) Speakers corner
07.05.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG)
14.05.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG)
28.05.2024 – 11:15 bis 13:30 | Seminarraum 10 (OKPV, 1.OG)
11.06.2024 – 11:15 bis 14:00 | Final comments / crit session in groups of 2 OkP 2 / Room 130
04.07.2024 – 24:00 final Submission per email

Links

Download Blender

List of Resources and Tutorials

01 Tutorials

Choose a Tutorial (one of the recommended) either from the list or by your own choice. We need to get into “Low Poly” modelling, Scene setup and basic Light/Materials so the tutorial should focus on these topics. In case you are a complete Beginner in DCC software please come back to me to find appropriate lessons.

For the next two sessions i want to get an impression of your progress so please bring your laptop with the current stage of your work to the course. When done you send me your final outcome per mail (3 images, screenshots and the file).

Skills required after the fourth session:

-Navigating in Blender knowing the Basic Interfaces
-Setting up a Scene (Lights and Camera)
-Making basic Materials (Material Qualities without Texturing)
-Understanding the basic Concepts of Low Poly Modeling (Quads, Topology, Loops, Snapping)
-Scene Organisation (Right Scale, Copy/Instance, Parent/Child, Modifier, Collections
-Rendering a still image in EVEE and CYCLES (differences?)

Speakers Corner: “Blender and I”

Normally done at the beginning of a course we should catch up with a short (personal) presentation. 2- max. 5 minutes you can talk about anything regarding you and your experiences with blender so far. I want you know more about your relation to Blender. Show us your favourite tool, some trick, something you found out, maybe a personal achievement you are proud of, CGI jokes or memes. Whatsoever. Either just talk or show us something in Blender. Technical questions are not allowed! positive! no lacking features bugs etc..

Main Project

Kitbashing Piranesi
Based on the chalcography “Allegorical Frontispiece of Rome and its history” from Giovanni Battista Piranesi we will create a contemporary interpretation of Piranesi’s “Frontispiece”. The composition of the image provides a perfect playground for experiments around composition, perspective repetition, scale, lighting and the technique of creating imagery through the use of premade assets, aka “KitBashing” , and of course of learning from a great architect and illustrator.

Project outline:
-First let’s dive a into Piranesi’s work, his motivation, life, work, time, profession, career etc.- google will help you.
-Describe the image, how is it made, what’s specific about the image, try to describe its composition.
-How would you transfer Piranesi Allegory into today’s world? Not a big concept, some ideas, what pops up in your mind?
-Now we go straight into Blender:
-Try to reconstruct Piranesi’s cityview with the help of 3d shapes. Find the right proportions, camera setup etc. the setup should come as close as possible to the original image.
-Collect your own asset-kit. What do you want to use in your image? Architectural elements, greenery, other artifacts.
-A good starting point for using assets is the “BlenderKit” Collection. You can integrate it as a plugin into blender. But there are numerous other repositories you are welcome to use.
-Please try to define your library before distributing objects in your scene. Maybe you want some assets done by your own. It works a bit like cooking a nice soup. Ingredients need to prepared first and then be composed.

-Its all about composition, repetition, scaling, clumping, clustering, refining and of course about organization!- otherwise you get lost or even your computer might not handle the data.

-After rendering your images please don`t forget to do same afterwork – post production.
Final Deadline ist the 04th of july!