Exploring a 2D/3D Interactive Game and Pop-up Book Form
In Week 3, I started to think about the direction of my project for this term. I have always wanted to make an interactive work that feels similar to a game. I am interested in combining 2D and 3D visuals, so the viewer or player can explore a space instead of only watching a linear animation. However, at this stage, I still did not have a very clear story, so I began by looking at the forms and media that I was interested in.
I am especially interested in pop-up books, because they naturally combine flat images and three-dimensional space. When the book is closed, it looks more like a 2D image. When the book opens, the images stand up and become a 3D scene. This change from 2D to 3D is very close to the kind of interactive game I want to make. It made me think about whether I could use Unreal Engine to create a pop-up book-like space, where the player can change the camera angle, move around, or click on objects to discover hidden information.
This week, my main focus was not to finish the full story, but to decide the basic form of my project: a real-time animation work that combines 2D/3D visuals, interactive exploration, and the structure of a pop-up book.
Visual references of pop-up books. These images show how flat pages can become three-dimensional spaces when the book opens.
Seeing the past students’ assignments that Serra showed in class gave me inspiration to create a game interaction.
Learning / Related Links：
Science Friday. How To Make A Pop-Up Book With Engineering.
https://www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/pop-up-book-engineering/
Paper Engine. Pop Up Books.
https://paperengine.com/pop-up-books/