Plantree
Work: Character Design, 3D Modelling, Animation | Softwares Used: Maya, Adobe Photoshop 2023
Introduction
This was a several part assignment in which we had to design and model a character based on items found at home. For the final we had to create a short walk cycle of our model. This features a futuristic nature-driven robot who comes from a world ravaged from climate change.
Concept
Plantree refers to a fictional company in the far future when the earth is ravaged by climate change and humanity is forced into bubble cities to survive. They create pet robots that take care of the gardens in these highly advanced cities. PS1000-00514, the model depicted above, is one of the company's robots. It's owner is a soldier who ventures beyond the city's borders in search of habitable lands for humanity to expand to. It snuck its way into one of the missions and got separated from its owner after a fierce desert storm. Since it was not designed to withstand the intense desert heat it begins wearing an ancient meditation bell it found as a hat to protect it from the scorching sun. But thick metal is heavy, making the little robot slump as it walks. Now it wanders the ruined earth, driven by its in-built nature to seek out, log, and take care of plants.
Character Design
One of the requirements for this assignment was to develop a character using a household item found at home. For my model, I chose to create it's head based on a doorknob, as use a meditation bell for it's hat. I took inspiration from Wall-E for the rest of the robot design.
3D Modelling Process
Final Results
I used a shiny green and beige palette to texture this model, referencing it's nature-focused programming and it's futuristic design. For the final walk cycle, I had the robot lean forward slightly and stomp as a direct consequence of wearing a heavy bell as a hat.
