Dipping the Toes into AR
Augmented reality (AR) is something I have been eager to learn for quite some time. Our Immersive Design assignment this week was a simple but open ended creation project. We were tasked to use Cinema 4D, Adobe Aero, and other other tools needed to create an AR asset. I have been tossing around many ideas about an AR final project so this was an awesome way to dip my toes into the realm of possibilities.
A Simple Idea
As a first go, my plan was to remain simple. I have been enamored with an online trend of satisfying simulated videos. These videos are 100% digitally created but use 3d models and real world physics to give an uncanny satisfying feeling.
My plan was to create a version of these videos but in AR. I would have a ball fall down through a series of tubes, be launched out of each one, and barely land in the one below. The ball would then shoot out across a floor before being launched back up to its starting position. After setting the scene with several tube shapes it was time to add life.
The Physics of It all
The most important thing for my project was that the ball fell and moved naturally. To achieve this I applied a real world physics engine to the scene. With this, the ball would move and bounce in a realistic fashion. This also streamlines the animation process as you simply let the scene behave and set keyframes after the fact. Within the physics engine attributes like friction and bounce can be tweaked to achieve the desired look.
I was Never Good at Basketball
With the physics engine up and running a familiar overconfidence set in. Tweaking the slightest model attribute threw my entire project off. Because the ball only barely landed in each tube things needed to be lined up perfectly. By positioning the models over and over again I eventually got everything set. After key framing the simulated physics it was time to break the laws of gravity a little. The final action of the ball shooting back up to its starting location needed to be key framed by hand.
The Final Asset
The final animation is then imported to Adobe Aero where it can be created as an AR asset. Finally, a cloud link is created that can be opened by any IOS device. As an Android user I am unable to open the asset on my device and thus am unable to include a video. Below is a photo of my creation supplied form a classmate. One glaring issue is the visual properties of the final asset. The material created in Cinema 4D had a translucent property to it. This allowed for the ball to be seen as it traveled through the tubes. Unfortunately this did not carry through the final asset creation.
