The course will address various topics within the field digital imagery and CG production. By introducing advanced tools and techniques and through productive experimentation we will also address the ongoing discussion around the digital realm, image sciences and the iconic turn. Students are invoked to further develop their technical abilities as well as define/refine/redefine an attitude towards their style of visual communication. We will also see the strong relation of DCC-production to our physical space, tools and effects.

CGI production overlaps the domain of architectural production although approaches and methods are slightly different. Where architects need to measure and keep a consistency between the existing physical space and the artifact, CGI production just operates in the realm of visual content.  CGI tools are more derived from sculptors painters photographers animators than from constructors or engineers.  CGI production needs to be fast, imaginative- consistency is needed just when you can see it. Think of a set design from the movies.

Shedule

S01451 – Architectural Computer Generated Imagery (SEW)
04.03.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG)
11.03.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG)
18.03.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG)
25.03.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG)
01.04.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG)
08.04.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG) Deadline Basics
29.04.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG)
06.05.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG)
13.05.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG)
20.05.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG) binary city ideas/sketches
27.05.2025 – 10:45 bis 12:15 | Seminarraum 06 (OKPV, 2.OG)
08.07.2025 – 24:00h Deadline for project submission

01 Tutorials

Choose a Tutorial (one of the recommended) either from the list or by your own choice. We need to get into “Low Poly” modelling, Scene setup and basic Light/Materials so the tutorial should focus on these topics. In case you are a complete Beginner in DCC software please come back to me to find appropriate lessons. 
Step 1: Learn to model: make some Objects, Animals, Landscapes, Obstacles etc. based on the tutorials provided. It can be whatever you like, preferable more than only the “Giraffe”. 
Step 2: Make an image. Take your models and put them into a scene, means we need a Camera, Light and materials (just diffuse color, no textures, no FX). Think about composition, mood, style, a Narrative etc. Play with your camera and light setup like a Photographer. Make an image by rendering your scene, and send me…
For getting an impression of your progress please bring your laptop with the current stage of your work to the course. When done you send me your final outcome per mail (3 images, screenshots, file not needed if i have seen it already).

Skills required after the fourth session:

-Navigating in Blender knowing the Basic Interfaces
-Setting up a Scene (Lights and Camera)
-Making basic Materials (Material Qualities without Texturing)
-Understanding the basic Concepts of Low Poly Modeling (Quads, Topology, Loops, Snapping) 
-Scene Organisation (Right Scale, Copy/Instance, Parent/Child, Modifier, Collections
-Rendering a still image in EVEE and CYCLES (differences?)

02 Project “Binary City”

Archaeologists recently found an abandoned settlement in a so far unknown location.
It seems as if two human societies/tribes occupied the same physical space.
Researchers assume the settlement was inscribed in a space of a virtual cube with the dimensions of 150/150/150 meters. The tectonics of their settlements strongly vary from each other, each society/tribe has a unique style of design and construction of their settlement. So two different systems of habitation coexist in the same space without touching and intersecting each other.

What we need:
An urbanistic/architectural idea of the city.
Extend the given text to make the idea more specific.
References are welcome, cooperate with AI also.
Describe your idea visually with sketches on one A3 sheet. -present it to the group
Decide for a method for construction of the 3d. (Kitbash, Scatter, Greeble, Generative methods…)
Worked out visualisation at least 2 images 3500pix.
I Need to see your progress at least 2 times before handing in…

Links

Download Blender
List of Resources and Tutorials
https://polyhaven.com
https://ambientcg.com/