Project Synopsis
ForestScape is an immersive psychedelic forest simulation. As a user, you get to control your own avatar that explores the forest environment and are continuously affected by the mushrooms on the forest floor.
As you wander through the forest, you stumble upon a clearing, where you see two humans performing a ritualistic cult-style dance, in-sync, around a campfire, by a pond.
You can walk up to the two characters to get a closer view of their performance and their movements.
As you get closer to the characters, you can hear the music that they are dancing to in a state of trance, and the closer you get, the more you are affected by the psychedelic experience.
As you get closer to the characters, you can hear the music that they are dancing to in a state of trance, and the closer you get, the more you are affected by the psychedelic experience.
Game aesthetics inspiration
The look and feel aesthetics of ForestScape has been inspired by the following famous video games
Ancestors : The Humankind Odyssey
Assassin's Creed : Origins
Far Cry 4 (Into the Bliss)
Environment modeled after
The flora and lighting and the environment design have been inspired by the forests of Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Nagarhole National Park, present in the region of South India.
Motion Capture for Animations (Rokoko SmartSuit Pro 2)
The Rokoko SmartSuit is an IMU-based motion tracking system. IMU stands for Inertial Measurement Units, and are sensors that track the angular rate through gyroscopes and specific forces through the accelerometer data to determine the position and rotation of the device in space at any given point in time.
The MoCap data is captured on the Rokoko Studio software and is in the form of a skeletal structure marking where each sensor is placed. The data can be exported to other software as an FBX, a BVH, a skeletal mesh, or as a basic 3D model as well. This makes it more versatile and easier to use the data.
For my motion capture recording, I performed a fully improvised movement routine and recorded a trance cult-style dance sequence.
For my motion capture recording, I performed a fully improvised movement routine and recorded a trance cult-style dance sequence.
Environment Iterations
Before arriving at the final environment landscape, I modeled and created multiple landscape iterations in order to get a feel for and experiment with Unreal Engine 5, given it was the first time I was using it, as well as to create the most accurate environment landscape.
Final Output
Creating the Environment
To set the scene, I modeled, textured, and created a Forest landscape, using the game engine Unreal Engine 5. I tried out multiple variations and iterations of landscape design, and below are screenshots of the final “ForestScape.”
To set the scene, I modeled, textured, and created a Forest landscape, using the game engine Unreal Engine 5. I tried out multiple variations and iterations of landscape design, and below are screenshots of the final “ForestScape.”
Creating the Metahumans
The next step was to create three metahumans, one that would be the playable character that walks through the forest (Bes), and two metahumans (Yaga and Astra) that would embody the MoCap data recorded via Rokoko and be the characters in the environment that would perform the ritualistic cult-dance.
Below are screenshots from the Metahuman Creator used to model the characters.
The next step was to create three metahumans, one that would be the playable character that walks through the forest (Bes), and two metahumans (Yaga and Astra) that would embody the MoCap data recorded via Rokoko and be the characters in the environment that would perform the ritualistic cult-dance.
Below are screenshots from the Metahuman Creator used to model the characters.
Recording the performance for MoCap-based animation data
Once the suit is set up and connected to the WIFI, I wore the suit and played the music in the background of the room I was recording in. This helped me be fully aware of the movements I was making as well as the facial expressions I was demonstrating throughout the performance. I let my body go with the flow, feeling the rhythm, the notes, and the beats in my body and letting it loose while swaying to the music. I didn’t restrict myself with the movement and performed dynamic movements, in order to later understand the limitations of the MoCap technology.
Once the suit is set up and connected to the WIFI, I wore the suit and played the music in the background of the room I was recording in. This helped me be fully aware of the movements I was making as well as the facial expressions I was demonstrating throughout the performance. I let my body go with the flow, feeling the rhythm, the notes, and the beats in my body and letting it loose while swaying to the music. I didn’t restrict myself with the movement and performed dynamic movements, in order to later understand the limitations of the MoCap technology.
Live-Linking the MoCap data from Rokoko to the Metahumans in Unreal Engine 5
Probably one of the most challenging parts of the project is to stream the MoCap data onto the Metahumans. This was done by following the below-mentioned steps –
Probably one of the most challenging parts of the project is to stream the MoCap data onto the Metahumans. This was done by following the below-mentioned steps –
1. Firstly, the Metahumans’ skeleton had to be replaced with a skeleton the Rokoko software recognizes.
2. Then, using the node/blueprint-based code in Unreal, the skeletons of each of the Metahumans must be changed to the T-Pose (which acts as a base, or, reference pose for the animation that is to follow.)
3. Next the Metahuman’s skeletal meshes should be linked to a blueprint that must be created that streams the data from the Rokoko Studio Software to the Metahumans.
4. Finally, the settings in the Metahuman must be changed in order to receive streaming data for both the body as well as the face.
Final Level Cinematic
In-game Screenshots
