Industry: How do professionals plan?

In the industry, having a clear methodology behind planning can be a very important step, particularly if you are working on or managing multiple projects
at once which can easily become confused with one and other. The process of planning for a 3D Artist, begins with receiving the brief. The client who
provides the brief to the artist should have a graphical style in mind, along with of course the product they want modelled. Once a brief has been given, and
any questions regarding the project such as time scale or any finer details have been asked and answered, the majority of 3D artists will spend time
sketching rough ideas and looking at the graphical style the client has requested. They will then move forward to playing around in their 3D software of
choice, manipulating shapes in various ways in order to gain a rough idea of potential layouts and concepts they may want to use within their final piece, this
can also be a strong piece of inspiration. This primary stage is known as research and experimentation. After the artist completes this, they move forward to
start developing slightly more advanced mockups of their advanced ideas. These can be made from scratch in 3D or compiled from a mixture of images and
pre-made 3D assets. Many artists create multiple mockups which are often provided to the client in order for them to provide feedback or contribute any
potential ideas. If working within a team a vast amount of the primary research will be done by a concept artist. Once planning is complete and a final idea
has been settled on, the artist begins modelling, which in some cases is a process that can take weeks to complete depending on the complexity of the
model. While completing the modelling process they will also need to consider the poly count of the model, since some models might be moved into larger
scenes, a higher poly count will drastically increase render time. Models can easily have upwards of two million faces. Another attribute the artist will need
to keep in mind is whether the model needs to be rigged for animation and whether its being placed in a game engine, and if so the style of scenery its being
placed into and the entire style of the game.
Industry: How do professionals plan?
Industry: How do professionals plan?

The concept artist creates a concept of the product, in this case, the house
from the movie UP. These are very detailed since the 3D artist needs to be
able to accurately model the product as closely to the artists work without
having to guess any parts. This comes after the client has given the team or
designer the project.
Industry: How do professionals plan?

Once the concept artist has created the outlines and ideas for the house,
the design is then handed over to a lead designer or back to the client for
review before being given to the 3D artist who starts to model the
product. Once it has been modelled it would then be passed back to either
the client or lead designer for review. After this it would either be signed
off on or modified.
Moodboards

I created these moodboards

as a beginning to
exploration behind
concepts for sketching and
rendering the case. Many
companies opt to not create
renders that appear to be in
a room but instead in a
completely white
environment. This can help
display the case in a simple
and effective fashion, while
adding a visible
environment can become
distracting.
Moodboards

These two moodboards

provide a stronger
insight into colours
schemes and finished
products, these are
particularly important
to look at as they
provide insight behind
smaller details such as
cable management and
design along with
advertisement and
photographical
elements which can be
very effective.
Practice & Tutorials
Practice & Tutorials
Practice & Tutorials
Practice & Tutorials: Plotting Airflow in Flow Designer

This is a software called Autodesk Flow Design, the purpose of it is to create a “virtual wind tunnel software simulates wind tunnel
testing around vehicles, structures, and products.” This means that we can easily create the airflow pattern of air through the system,
this will be incredibly useful due to the fact that when building systems, especially in custom cases that haven't been designed by
manufacturers or have been modified, the airflow can vary around components vastly, due to this, Flow Design allows us to find out
how air will flow through the system without having to manually test it and risk overheating the system and frying a component. The
software is outdated and no longer updated however it works perfectly for what we are doing. In the example I created the flow of air
around a bullet, the texture on the bullet shows how the air collides with the bullet, creating a pressure map. I modelled the bullet
from scratch and exported it as an OBJ before importing to Flow Designer via the “Local” menu option. The settings within the
designer are very simple to use and it has a native function of exporting photos and videos of the airflow.
Location Scouting

As part of our project, we are planning on live streaming the build of the system on a website
named twitch which is designed for people who mainly wish to stream games or themselves
hosting podcasts, however more recently it has gained a channel for real-life content. In
order to live stream this, we need a location to do it. The first potential idea for our project
would be to stream it in one of the classrooms, however the issue with this would be securing
a location which I can use for a long enough period of time to complete the build and host the
stream in a professional manner. The other available location would be one of BRIT’s music
suites which are hidden in the upper level of the school, these rooms are completely
soundproof which allows us to use higher quality audio equipment without worrying about
potential echo issues or background noise from corridors or other lessons feeding into the
stream. The rooms are also segmented which means that audio from both the controlling
room and the recording rooms could be isolated and fed through separate channels, this
allows for potential commentary over the stream which could potentially allow for us to turn
the build into not only a piece of entertainment but also a guide for future builders.
Location Scouting: Potential camera setup

As part of planning for the live stream, I have created a potential live stream setup for
cameras and the microphone that we can set up in practically any environment. This
potential setup will be helpful when setting up the actual layout since it will help us visualise
the layout before we actually do it. We could also potentially plan how we hide cables with
this setup.
Location Scouting: Potential camera setup
Live Stream Kit List

As part of the branding side of our project, we decided that we would also stream the build of
the system which we can then transform into a timelapse along with other forms of
advertising. For this live stream we will use a few pieces of kit to allow the stream to run
smoothly.

- Laptop or computer with appropriate inputs.

- 3x DSLR Cameras
- Microphone & Audio Interface
- Connecting cables to connect the DSLR’s to the laptop/pc.
- 3x Tripods / Mounts
Idea 1: Modern

The first Idea for my design, revolves around modernism and cases in the style that
companies such as Fractal, NZXT and Corsair produce. These cases are very modern, with
clean and well polished exteriors. While due to the nature of our cases we cannot create a
polish or matt finished exterior, we can reflect this style within the internals of the case,
taking NZXT’s style of clean white exteriors of their cases and translating that into the
interior of our case. This ultimately creates a case which aesthetically, on the outside appears
fairly low key, maintaining the original style which contains raw, rough and imperfect
features which while sounding somewhat rustic, in the military style holds a sense of history
and meaning while the interior of the case appears very modern, with the components being
encased in a clean, white tempered glass finished interior. The components can be mounted
on a variety of materials, for example frosted acrylic, this would both solve issues relating to
short circuiting hardware along with providing the ability to mount lighting underneath the
acrylic and provide a smooth lighting effect. Alongside the aesthetic of modernism, we can
create a system which means no cutouts in the case are required for the power button
whereas instead the system can be powered on and off via a remote which is connected via
an internal PCIe connector or motherboard USB header. I could also potentially explore
using brushed aluminium as opposed to glass for the interior which may be easier to work
with while creating the case.
Idea 1: Modern - Modernism

Modernism, is an philosophical movement, which carried a very clear Aesthetic with it. This
movement began to gain motion towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of
the 20th century, around the age of the industrial revolution. Modernism is a trend, which in
effect, certifies the power which humans have to make, improve and reshape the
environment which we live in. The movement of modernism covered many forms of media,
ranging from Music and art through to architecture and literature. Minimalism in an artistic
form has many sub-styles, these range from minimal art (Minimalism), pop art, surrealism,
cubism and expressionism. “Modernist artists abandoned orthodox intellect for intuition
and depicted their world as they perceived it behind the physical appearance. Their work
was not seen as highly valuable even within the latter stages of the movement. However,
famous artworks are now prized possessions in most Art Galleries and have become a
significant period in the transition between traditional paintings and the artworks known
currently.” *

● https://modernism-literature-movement.weebly.com/modernism-in-art.html
Idea 1: Modern - Sketch.

I created this drawing as a concept

surrounding this style of the case,
the idea was to highlight how the
interior would be outlined in a
white style with soft curves on the
corners as opposed to harder
curves. I also decided that the
components for the system should
be broken down along the length
of the case as opposed to being
grouped together. In order to do
this we would use a series of riser
and extension cables allowing for
multi-angle positioning of the
graphics cards ect. This will also
improve airflow since it can easily
flow over the components.
Idea 1: Modern - Colour Scheme.

The colour scheme for this concept, would maintain a variety of colours. The most dominant colour within the
scheme would be white since this would be surrounding the components, however there would also be a
variety of colours used by the components of the system alongside this, for example the memory modules
used within the system will be black which will have an effective contrast with the white lining of the interior,
motherboards often utilise a darker ash grey colour as opposed to jet black since Black - #000000 - looks
terrible when printed as a material. In this colour scheme I have complied colours which could potentially be
used together or in contrast with on and other within this concept.
The colour scheme:
Idea 1: Modern - Moodboard.
Idea 1: Modern - Rough Mockup of internal layout

This is a very basic render I

created which displays a
potential layout plan for the
components within this
concept. This render does
not contain any cables and is
designed in a very basic
manner. I Left the
components as floating as
this allows me to add cables
in 3D if I want to develop this
design further. I also did not
colour the components
accurately or add branding
as this varies from company
to company.
Idea 1: Modern - Airflow.

I created a rough mockup of how the air may flow through the system. I created this as it would help for future
concept work and finalisation of the location of components. This does not however take into factor systems
fans belonging to the CPU or GPU, PSU or any other cooling solution and simply maps the airflow surrounding
the components. I did this by hand since the models I created did not have perfect geometry and so I couldn't
export as an OBJ without geometry changing. When it comes to the final model I will create an accurate,
mathematically calculated map.
Idea 2: Military

The second idea for the design of the case, revolves around maintaining the same style which
is reflected both inside and outside of the case, this means that as opposed to the previous
concept, in which I relined the inside of the case, in this concept, I am instead creating a
mounting solution which allows me to mount the components directly onto the case and
avoiding having to reframe the interior, this means that the case will appear as though it is
literally a case, however the items the case is containing are simply held down. This style
refines the idea of repurposing the case for a modern purpose, it completes the idea that the
case is being upcycled, however maintains a little more of its history. Throughout this idea, I
also want to maintain a sense that the full history and colour scheme of the case has been
maintained, this may potentially mean printing a custom shroud for the motherboard and
other components which can be then painted onto allowing us to create a style which fits
perfectly within the case, effectively taking it back to its roots, and if it were to be modified
further to be lighter, it could even be taken back into a military field as a camouflaged system
of some form, which while potentially being less useful in the field, due to the rifles and
equipment that soldiers use already weighing a significant amount, it could be used in a base,
since the military aesthetic is still maintained inside of these in many scenarios.
Idea 2: Military - Military Aesthetic

The military aesthetic, is an aesthetic, which is known very clearly around the world. The
style, in effect, mimics the military camouflage styles such as MTP, and along with this, the
slightly brutalist style that is carried with it, for example the concept of polished black boots,
and very clean folds along with the emotive feeling of power that various military
instalments and pieces of technology carry. Around the world, a military aesthetic is
recognised by nearly everyone who is in contact with the modern world, people very often
dress in a similar style to the military for reasons associated with both fashion, protest and
convenience. The connotation that a military force has power, also contains a link to the past,
in which during protests surrounding events such as the cold & vietnam war protesters
would dress up in military dress in order to try and convey their message. Within our project,
the aesthetic is evident from the start, since the case was originally a military piece.
Idea 2: Military - Sketch
This drawing, portrays the basic
concept for the case, In this case, I
would use standoffs, which hold all
the components up to keep them
from touching the metal case and
short circuiting. Within the layout of
the case, instead of having the SSD’s
mounted directly in front of the fans,
I placed the GPU’s there, my reason
for this is that graphics cards require
a larger amount of cooler air as
opposed to SSDs which have
practically no heat generation due to
the lack of moving parts.
Idea 2: Military - Colour Scheme

The colour scheme for the second concept, would contain a restricted range of colours, since military colours
revolve around Greens and Blacks, with the case also containing highlights of yellow. This is something I will
need to keep in mind with this concept, since this means that I need to stay away from vibrant colours and if I
want to use any vibrant colours for highlights then it would need to be yellow since this is already printed on
the case for the text based elements. The most likely reason for this that yellow is a directly contrasting colour
to green and black and occurs less often than a vast amount of other colours.
The colour scheme:
Idea 2: Military - Moodboard
Idea 2: Military - Mockup
This side view render
showcases the layout style for
this concept, placing the GPU
closer to the intake fans
which would be located in
front of the PSU. In the render
for idea 1, I showcased how I
may line the case with glass or
acrylic before installing
components, whereas in this
render I simply have the
components mounted to
standoffs, holding them just
above the case to prevent
short circuiting. I prefer the
layout for this concept as
opposed to concept one due
to the management of the
airflow.
Idea 2: Military - Airflow

The airflow path for this concept, is slightly different to the path for the modern idea, the reason for this is that
the air will be buffered by the curves that are built into the bottom of the case, however in this airflow map I
will only map the air as if it was running over a smooth surface. I have done this since the difference the curves
make will not be huge but will be noticeable. If I choose this idea as my final one then I will create a
mathematically made air flow map. The main thing to note from this map is that the air will be slightly cooler
going to the GPU’s which will have a positive effect on performance since it will not flow through the PSU and
storage drives which while running fairly cool can still generate a fair amount of heat of extended periods.
Idea 2: Military - Adding to the aesthetic

Along side mounting the components to the case via the use of standoffs, I would also like to decorate the
components in a fashion which matches the green, military aesthetic of the case, potentially exploring
concepts such as spraying or creating covers for the components which can the be painted over, this would
add an increased level of detail to the concept. There are many components in which this would be simple to
do, for example the memory, simply all that would be needed is to remove the heatsink which is pre attached
and then paint / spray the heatsink on the out facing side before attaching them. I could also potentially create
sprays which I spray onto the components in the same style as the bold yellow text on the outside, however I
could print warning signs or something similar. The motherboard would require a shroud to be printed for it
however this is not overly complicated to do and would simply require measuring the cable and heat sink
segments of the board. On most GPU’s the heatsink is removable and can simply be resprayed in a similar
fashion to the memory.
Idea 3: All In One

The third idea that I came up with for my concept is to incorporate the monitor into the PC
case, this would effectively create an all in one solution to the previous idea which discussed
in which the PC could potentially be used in a military environment and easily packed and
moved provided I created a system for building the keyboard, mouse and IO into the case in a
simple fashion that don't require the whole system to be partially dismantled to be moved
and instead can simply function as a high powered laptop. While we are getting to the point
in technology where the power of a desktop computer can be fixed into a somewhat slim
laptop, this system could easily hold function due to the simple steps to being able to upgrade
and repair parts of the system, which is arguably more important in a setting where reliability
is essentially more important that the ability to easily transport. The other benefit to a
system like this is that drives which contain sensitive data are easily removable. There are
also windows features which could be activated which would improve this security. The main
thing while creating this concept will be focusing on the temperature of the system since it
could very easily become warm, the other thing will be maintaining the ability to open and
close the case.
Idea 3: All In One - Sketch
Idea 3: All In One - Colour Scheme

The colour scheme which I am going to use for this concept, is exactly the same as the colour scheme which I
am going to use for the second concept. The reason for this is that this concept, is a advanced version of the
previous concept, secondly, this colour scheme is perfect for the intended purpose of this design of the system.
Idea 3: All In One - Moodboard
Idea 3: All In One - Mockup
My Chosen Final Idea

I have decided that I am going to go with the first design style for the final concept of the completed system, the reason
I have chosen this concept, is due to the fact that, I feel this system design contains the elements that we want to
display within this project, particularly the style of taking something that is old and seemingly unused - In this case the
container had primarily been used to hold a few spades and trowels and been left in a shed, when I received the
container, it still had spiders in it and a fair amount of dirt, clearly displaying the state it had just been left in to in
theory rust and decay over time. I feel that with this concept, I can create a perfect display of how a old, rusting
container has been saved from a garden shed where it would probably be eventually sold in a garage sale and used for
the same purpose or if not then corroded away, however by turning it into a PC in this style, I have effectively shown
how I have taken the container through a journey and managed to maintain its original aesthetic, history and concept
but turned it into something completely new and of higher value than it had arrived to me in. Since one of the key
concepts of the project from the start has been upcycling, I feel this is displayed perfectly within this idea. I also feel
this could potentially inspire others to do the same with their systems. I also feel that while in concept’s two and three
I explore refining the idea into a stronger maintenance of the cases history and design, aesthetically the first concept
allows a stronger sense of being upcycled, along with easier methods for managing and routing cables. I also feel that
while the first concept will also be harder to complete and will add a significant amount of weight to the case, in the
commercial industry, the weight of cases has become increasingly less focused on, this particularly rings true with
modified cases, in which the primary purpose is the aesthetic. A PC is not often moved either which renders this issue
to be much smaller once it has been put in its place of use. I will however experiment with the layout of components as
I came across different ideas in concepts two and three which could be potentially useful. I also need to do more
planning behind cable management for this idea since it may not be possible to route the cables through the material
we choose to use as a outline for the case. I have also realised while planning that it will be essential to have a cover
over the components since this will prevent air from simply going up and out of the case when it collides with the GPU
fans.
Audience

The demographic audience which I am looking at for my project, is a audience with an age range 16 - 35, the reason for
this age demographic, is due to the fact that around the age of 16 a fair amount of people start to gain an increasing
interest into computing and in some countries you can also start working at 16, because of this a fair amount of
teenagers build computers around this age. The age demographic we have chosen goes up to 35 due to the fact that by
the the average person most likely has a job and can afford to either buy or build their own pc. Some jobs may also
require a slightly more powerful computer for some of the work their job requires, hence placing them in our target
audience. The gender demographic of our audience is neutral however despite a strong volume of females playing video
games, it appears males are more likely to buy a computer. The income class we are targeting focuses strongly towards
middle class and upper classes, which as of 2016, according to Investopedia (03/05/19), the middle class consumes 52%
of the population, while the upper class consumes 19, bringing our audience to roughly 71%. We created an instagram
promotion based around this demographic, this confirmed that our age range was accurate, 61% of the promotion came
from 13-17 year olds, while 23% 18 - 24 and 15% 25-34, no age exceeded 34. My expectations surrounding gender
were also correct, with 66% of men interacting with 34% female. We also discovered from this promotion that the
majority of our audience was in moscow (19%), while england was second (13%) and spain (9%) was third.
Audience

The psychographic for our audience, included interests from people who shared interests in a variety of video games
such as Overwatch, Rainbow 6: Siege, CSGO and Fortnite. They also had interests in Graphic Design, “PC Gamer”,
Desktop Computers, Modification, “Computer Processors”, Smart Tech, Computers, Laptops and twitch. When
combined with our audience which included locations such as France, The UK, Spain, Japan, The US and Russia.

During my research, I mentioned that In terms of our target audience demographic, we were looking to appeal to a
more urban audience within the middle class, who also have an interest in recycling or upcycling, and looking at the
demographic research we have conducted, aside from the interest in environment, which proved to be a very small
demographic, this idea has been accurate.
Production Schedule
Feedback

Date taken: 13 / 05 / 19 Time Taken: 2:45

Questions Asked:

- Is the concept clear?

- Would you change anything?
- Do you like the design of the case?
- Would you buy the final product?
- Do you like the colour scheme?