Academic · BA CGI · 3D Foundations

BA (Hons) CGI — Foundations Archive

This selected BA (Hons) CGI progression shows my foundation across modelling, texturing, lighting, animation, real-time work, rendering, photogrammetry and early effects.

Client
Solent University

Year
2015–2018

Tools
3ds Max · Maya · ZBrush · Substance · Mari · After Effects · Unreal Engine 4

The brief

Build a broad CGI foundation across three years before specialising further through an MA in Digital Effects.

My role

Student artist responsible for modelling, texturing, lighting, rendering, animation, real-time work, photogrammetry and basic FX.

Outcome

A broad technical base in CGI that made it possible to move into more specialised Houdini, compositing and effects work.

01 · Third year

Environment, asset and real-time development

Third-year work expanded into more complete environments and higher-detail assets. Projects used Unreal Engine 4, Granite, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Substance and Mari to connect modelling, texturing, lighting and real-time presentation.

The course encouraged exploration across CGI before narrowing towards the workflows most relevant to VFX.

02 · Second year

Animation and early destruction

Second-year assignments introduced animation, scene composition and basic destruction. The Shed and Room studies used 3ds Max and the pFlow plug-in to explore how simulated action could be designed and presented.

03 · First year

The starting point

First-year work documents the beginning of formal CGI study: environment setup, modelling, UV unwrapping, texturing and rendering.

The selection includes the first university environment, a monthly competition entry that won first place, an early beauty render and a robot modelling study.