CAGD 373: Sprint 2

ePortfolio

Sprint 2: From a cube.

Publication - 11/12/25

The Goal

            By the end of the semester, my team will present to our peers a recreation of a game scene of our choosing. The scene we chose was the Super Mario Galaxy's Comet Observatory. This scene will test all of the skills we have accumulated up to this point.

The Role

                I am the lead on my team, which also acts as a producer who assigns each person a task to complete during a sprint. From the last sprint, I have used my knowledge of the roles from CAGD 370 to the best of my ability to provide clear communication between team members to ensure work is done properly and as efficiently as possible.

The Sprint

            During this sprint, I was focused on the environment at the bottom level of the Comet Observatory. As a team goal, we hope to be done modeling the environment by the end of Sprint 3 to ensure we have enough time to texture properly and implement the interactables. During the creation of the environment, I leaned heavily on the blockout I created during Sprint 1 to assist in sizing for continuity.

Starting Platform

            This is the starting platform where Mario first spawns when the player launches the game.

            This is taken from the block out of the starting area of the Comet Observatory. Where the human is located is the starting spot for Mario. 

            

            This is my take on the starting area. I wanted to ensure that this area was done properly, as it would immediately set the tone for the player on how the rest of the scene would feel. Modeling this section was not particularly difficult as it was simple bevels and extrusions of cubes and cylinders.

Terrace Grounds

    

            The next environmental section I tackled was the Terrace Grounds. This section was the largest I would be tackling this sprint. The shape of this section was very unique, which led to multiple attempts with various methods to achieve the desired shape.

    

            This is the blockout design, where, at the time, I envisioned using a series of ovals to create the unique platform shapes. The blockout design allowed me to keep sizing consistent with the rest of the scene as I worked.

    

            This is the result of the multiple attempts. I ditched the idea of using multiple ovals and used a huge cube, which I subdivided until I was able to create the unique shapes. The process was long and technical at times, but the shape I arrived at leaves me satisfied. Doing this section, I learned of a new tool in Maya called Boolean, which can carve a shape into another one easily. The only issue is figuring out how to remove the NGons from the model and how to UV the shape properly.

Pathways

            After finishing up the Terrace Grounds, I worked on smaller sections that served as pathways connecting different sections of the scene. These sections incorporated the same modeling cues, so I was able to get these parts done with little difficulty.

            This pathway specifically is the Fountain Pathway, which connects the Fountain Dome to the Observatory.

            The blockout for this path was really simple, as it just needed to indicate the size it needed to be.

            This is the final result of the Fountain Pathway. I took careful consideration of the low design the real model went for in the game to keep it authentic.

            Another pathway I tackled was the Kitchen Pathway that led to, guess what, the kitchen! This one was created in a very similar fashion to the Fountain path, as it was almost the same process.

            The blockout of this pathway follows the same ideology of the Terrace Grounds, where it was thought that combining a cylinder and a cube would be the best bet. This was changed when it came time to create the real pathway.

            The final product of the Kitchen Pathway utilizes the Boolean tool for the pipeline and a singular cube to achieve the unusual shape. The complex shapes of this scene scared me at first, but the more I experiment with them it the fewer issues I face.

Gateway

            The gateway is a floating island within the scene. This sprint, I knew there was not enough time to do the complete section, but I wanted to at least get the island section done and leave the house to a later sprint.

            There's no need for a blockout example for this, as it was simply a cylinder that was sized accordingly. I went back and adjusted it with some bevels and included two mounds that I reused from the Terrace Grounds.

The Result

            After I made the blockout last sprint, I was worried about how we would transform the sections into something similar to the game. As many of the sections are pretty intricate with unique designs that are hard to replicate unless you understand modeling. The process of creating these environmental pieces consisted of me making sure I had no NGons and that the sizing stayed consistent with the human model and the other sections. Now I am more comfortable with the transition between blockout to real model, allowing me to be more productive for the next sprint to help my team more.