Fracture Mode and Physics
This week, we explored physics in Unreal Engine, focusing on Fracture Mode and Chaos simulations. Fracture Mode allowed us to break objects into different types of fragments, such as uniform or radial patterns, making it easier to create believable destruction. I experimented with fracturing glass and adjusting the impact point to achieve more natural-looking cracks, which was both intuitive and satisfying.
We also worked with Chaos Physics to simulate collisions between objects. By recording the simulation using a Chaos Cache Manager, the physics could be converted into a stable sequence suitable for rendering. This helped me understand how important planning is when working with physics-based motion.
In addition, we explored physics constraints, creating pendulum-like setups and experimenting with constrained movement on meshes. Overall, this session showed me how physics can enhance realism and add a strong sense of weight and motion to a scene, while still leaving room for creative control.
Storyboard
This week, alongside exploring physics in Unreal Engine, we also focused on planning our final project. We were asked to create a storyboard and collect visual references in the form of a moodboard, including images and rough sketches to communicate the idea, atmosphere, and direction of the project.
My initial concept was slightly different from what it is now. I wanted to include a butterfly that would guide my character through portals into different worlds. As the idea developed, I realised that this would be quite complex to fully achieve within the given time frame, so the concept is still evolving and we’ll see how much of it can realistically be implemented.