I used inspiration from games and programmes I had watched to create a guidline for what story genre I wanted. I am very good at accidentally directly copying things I see, so I used A.I to slightly vary my ideas to my liking. With this skeleton structure that I had mostly created with slight influence from A.I to break up my inspiration I started to write the actual story.
This example passage, in harlowe, shows the ease of access toolbar at the top. In which you can change the: fonts, alignments, colour, weight, and style of the text. Additionally macros could be simply pressed instead of typed. This seemed usefull at the time as it would save time writing code.
I then wanted to create more advanced effect such as text being typed and auto text styles for characters.
I firstly researched videos on how to do this, but most twine content is near to a decade old.
I started experimenting with A.I to write code. However it did not like the harlowe format and would just keep spitting out malfunctioning code.
Therefore I switched to sugarcube to allow for easier javascript, html and css controll.
This video from kc (2022) helped me learn the basics of the suagarcube formatting, as it wasnt as simple as harlowe. Decoding Twine Episode One | Passages, Links & Variables. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-X-7Z2r4gU [Accessed 16 Dec. 2025].
Furthermore I couldnt work out how to style text so I learnt from this video byDan Cox (2023). Twine 2.6: SugarCube 2.36: Introduction: Applying Text Styles. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQY2C4MMgGA [Accessed 16 Dec. 2025].
Now with the basics re-learnt I could create simple passages again and next week I will continue fighting A.I over prompts for code.
I initiallly chose harlowe, as that is what I had used as a test. Additionally its easy toolbar features such as the ability to change fonts and colours with a press of a button was pretty useful.
“add example which i need to collect from college”
This was some basic story branch testing.
Next week I will create a story and start putting together a structured story.
Riley Belleville (2022). Unreal Engine 5: How to Make an Object Pick Up Counter HUD with Blueprints. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/neF4dPJraAY?si=vW6jwaJCvVj73goR [Accessed 20 Nov. 2025].
BuildGamesWithJon (2022). How To Select (Highlight) Other Actors/Objects By Looking At Them In Unreal Engine 5. [online] YouTube. Available at:https://youtu.be/R7oLZL97XYo?si=pAPZawkYNMt0CUb7[Accessed 20 Nov. 2025].
Matt Aspland (2023). Press E To Interact | On Screen Prompt – Unreal Engine 5 Tutorial. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/BpS1D6J09KE?si=BB1QyJmQPJLB2UtN[Accessed 20 Nov. 2025].
Matt Aspland (2023a). How To Make A 3D Interaction Prompt In Unreal Engine 5 (Tutorial). [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/kB1_qxNUi9Q?si=BoaP83iqxqnLtDJn[Accessed 20 Nov. 2025].
Ghosts Of The Hollywood Garage (2024). Never Step On A Corpse Again – Enemy Collision Avoidance In UE5. [online] YouTube. Available at:https://youtu.be/4Eqb9bpGTFs?si=GBN55YQFvcR7tMpn[Accessed 20 Nov. 2025].
I like writing my own code so slowly as I understand unreal more I will rewrite parts that I dont understand from a video unless I think the videos methord Is the most logical or optimal.
I created basic peices and a container for them. All the sizes where scaled to the 0.2m² tile at the top which I will use as a the grid that I will snap the pieces to.
I then created a start and end piece with example textures that wont be used in unreal as they cant be transferred correctly. I will learn to use substance painter in a later blog
And I also exported them to unreal to be used as static mesh components in blueprints such as
I will start learning and practicing coding in the next dev log as I want to work on mechanics.
I first Applied the mirror modifer to create a few panels that where unsymetrical.
Image of a few of the asymetrical panels I engraved
To create the next level of detail I chose to manually paint on many lines to act as more panels or small liveries on the F22
Image of my texture painted panels and liveries
From researching professional models, their topology is much cleaner than mine with better edge flow and similar sized quads. I did know this while modeling my entire jet, however I decided I was too far in the detailing to restart the details, just for a prettier topology.
Images of my topology copared to a test of a remeshed one.
However because I used a subdivision surface modifer set to 2 divisions, the mesh mostly consists of only quads. With any setting of the remeshing tool, it could never keep enough lines to hold the shape of the details I modeled so I made do with what I had myself and fixed any areas I could to have better Flow. (More about remeshing on my unit 1 page.)
I then finally fixed the cockpit glass with a solidify modifier set to a low amount, as for some reason the glass would not refract or be transparent correctly if it was only a 2d face, which does make sense scientifically as refraction needs the light to travel throught the glass material for a time to be distorted on the otherside. Finally, I managed to get the Radar reflective orange pigment shining over a accurate transparent glass material.
To set up my renders I first used some tips from On Mars 3D (2024). Blender 4.0: Create Stunning Renders for Your Portfolio Like a Pro. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_IE40R4xsw[Accessed 30 Oct. 2025]. Which helped my render times be unbelievably quicker as Blender was actually using my GPU. Many other render tips I discovered from this video such as different render layers to render a beauty, clay and wireframe image all in one render pass.
However I also decided I wanted to use multiple cameras for different angles so I researched how to properly set up multi camera rendering from Blender Made Easy (2023). How to Render Multiple Cameras in Blender at Once. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX5YnybYFSI [Accessed 30 Oct. 2025].
While creating my Clay renders I wanted a Different coloured background so I used a video by KatsBits (2024). Blender 4.2 LTS+ Backface Culling in Cycles. Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-3QM1n1Ft4 [Accessed 30 Oct. 2025]. And also one by Bhagath Goud (2023). Exclude Materials from Override in Blender (Clay Render). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2SeMFGxgQI [Accessed 30 Oct. 2025]. To create a material that had the outisde faces missing and also avoided the material overide I was using to create the clay texture on everything.
Image of my Background material with the exterior faces being invisible
To view my final renders for this assignment click the button below.
I started the week of with modeling The thrust vectoring nozels at the back of the Engines, which I had been putting off for a while because of its relatively intricate panelled design. I Modeled the top (with a mirror modifier reflecting it to the otherside of course), then duplicated it and rotated it to the bottom. Then connected them up together to the fuselage.
In the third image you can also see a slight camo texture that I created with help of blenderbitesize (2022). CREATE A PROCEDURAL CAMOUFLAGE MATERIAL FOR BLENDER.
I tweaked my shader settings for a while to create a metallic and properly shaped camo texture.
Image of the base material with higher quality settings
I started to research how to detail the jet with panels and decided on going 50/50. The panels that changed materials, key features or opened I would model into the mesh. The other half of the panels and decals I will Paint on manually or with some texture that I can find but most likely manually with my reference image.
Image of some of the manualy engraved panels I had completed
The imperfections in the bronze panels and later added to the main camo material are aided by Ryan King Art (2024). Procedural Metal Materials (Blender Tutorial).
I then detailed the cockpit a bit more, adding a low poly joystick, a test uv mapped control texture and also seat cushions which the material I created was aided by Ryan King Art (2024a). Procedural Black Leather Material (Blender Tutorial).
As of rendering the image above, I have realised how flat most textures look comparatively to my camo, leather and bronze texture. So I will aim to fully texture all materials with some randomisation in roughness or colour in the next week. However these materials will also be covered by the canopy glass which I am still working on making more reflective meaning the interior will be hard to see anyways.
I also messed with the compositing settings: adding bloom and streaks to the lighter areas of the image.
As mentioned previously this is where I added the bronze dirt effect to the camo but tweaked to be slightly larger and less distorted. I also modeled all of the bottom panels that will not be texture painted and also experimented with texture painting the small decal on the end of the main wings.
My plan for the next week is to finalise the symetrical model and apply the mirror modifier so I can work on some unsymetrical panels. Then once I have completed the mesh, apply the subdivision surface modifer and possibly use some remesh tool to straighten some things, and possibly tweak myself some areas. Then finally texture paint the last decals and panels and then It will be complete!
I started the week by simply extruding what I already had backwards, to create the full wings and fuselage.
Image of the wings and part of the rear
I then focused on creating the last large key features: the horizontal stabilisers and vertical stabilisers. Which I Initially saw no problem with.
I also changed my background colour to blue so I could see black wireframe outlines easier.
Image of the stabilisers
With the help of this tour of the F22 by Paul Stewart (2022). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4y71pDy8t0 [Accessed 14 Oct. 2025]. I started to detail the wings with slits where the directional control panels could move and with the round joints that hold the panels in place. This is where I realised both the stabilisers need to join to the fuselage a bit differently to how I had modeled them which is something I will aim to fix in the next week.
Images of the wing details I had created
I then worked on the canopy and cockpit, In which I used my refernce images to model the canopy to the right shape and Paul stewart’s F22-Raptor Tour video to model the interior of the cockpit.
I debated whether or not to model the interior of the cockpit becuase in many images of the F22, the canopy glass reflects enough light to make it impossible to see in. However I went by what I felt would look the best and decided to model it anyways.
Renders of my F22-Raptor model so far.
In the next week: I will model the thrust vectoring nozels at the end of the engines, Correct the shape of the tail fin, work on some other small details on the wings and cockpit, and start to learn proper texture and scene building methords.
I decided to go for a partially alien and sci-fi theme of a space ship/station for my escape room.
I used msPaint to draw a simple and rough plan of how I may want the puzzles and rooms to fit together.
Most of my planning will be in the main Unit 7 page as theres no point writing things twice, this week all I worked on was rough planning to get a Idea on what to start producing.
I First attempted to apply subdivison surface modifiers to my lower poly mesh. However because I had modeled the vertices to already match the shape of the jet the modifer made many surfaces too round or not round at all. Additionally the plane did not align with reference images anymore as it was a smaller profile than what it was orginally.
Images shows my low poly model with the modifier applied, creating this undisireable amount of curvature.
I spent a few hours researching ways of controlling the curvature of the subdivison modifer and also how to smooth it with a small amount of faces
I Initially trialed beveling however I found it created flaws in the mesh I always had to manually fix. However I found out about this techinique from RenderHub 3D (2025). Blender Tip: Offset Edge Slide Explained. Available at: https://youtu.be/OiDNH7CwTHQ?si=djMUpCu-OiGqD3DX [Accessed 6 Oct. 2025].
This allowed me to controll the sharpness of the subdivison surface modifier.
Images of the Edge slide helping retain the sharpeness
I then continued to model backwards from the nose cone modeling the hole for the canopy, the start of the wings and the air intakes
I didnt run into too many problems that I needed external help from the web or tutors, but I did repeat areas of the model multiple times such as where the intake joins with the body.
Image of my first try
My first attempt at the intakes I joined them too closely to the body, as shown in the image. My next attempt I did not curve the joint as deep as i should of
Image of my second attempt
But on my third attempt I got the shape right but still not as perfect as I will make it in the next week
Image of my current intake
I will work on the Fuselage and wings over the next week, also working on the canopy and more depending on how long It takes to accurately replicate the wings.
