Unveiling the Creative Journey: Discover Middleport's 3D Storytelling Project

As previously mentioned, we're deeply honored to have received Leveling Up funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund, allowing us to work with Middleport Matters for the captivating project, Discover Middleport. This ambitious venture revolves around the creation of a 3D Model showcasing Middleport Pottery and its encompassing surroundings, aiming to eloquently narrate the rich history of the area within this immersive map. Our journey commenced a few weeks back with an engaging session centered on computer games specifically designed for the local youth. With approximately 14 enthusiastic young participants, we indulged in diverse gaming experiences, conducting vital research to align with their preferences and ensure our resonance with the audience.

Our latest installment, Session 2, was dedicated to the art of Photography and Texturing for 3D Worlds. Collaborating closely with Emma Bridgewood from Boilerworks Studios, we equipped the attending young individuals with top-tier DSLR Cameras. Together, we embarked on a captivating expedition throughout the local vicinity, capturing images to be used as textures for the 3D model. Additionally, leveraging Photopea, a commendable free alternative to Photoshop, we demonstrated techniques for refining and enhancing key parameters within the captured photos during post-production.

The session proved to be remarkably successful, yielding a collection of impressive textures, including brick, wood, stone floor textures, and notably, an attendee's creation of a leaf texture.

Presently, we're exploring methods to imbue life into these textures, marking the inception of our scene-building phase.

For an insightful preview of our upcoming endeavors, we've prepared a video outlining the straightforward texture/modeling process. This will serve as a guide for local young participants in constructing models using the images we've gathered.

The ongoing expedition of Discover Middleport strides ahead with our forthcoming session, focusing on Concept Art and Level Design, wherein we'll lead and engage with members of the local adult community.

Kind Regards,

Daniel Waterman