Advanced Modeling and Animation
Final Assignment:
Create an Interactive Space in Virtual Reality
Start from 23.9.2025
26.11.2025 - 31.12.2025 Week 10-Week 14
LI XIN LI / 0379305
Advanced Modeling and Animation / Bachelor of Interactive Spatial Design
Final Assignment: Create an Interactive Space in Virtual Reality
Introduction
This final assignment focuses on creating an immersive virtual reality experience set in a futuristic theme park. The project includes designing a complete VR environment with 3D models, animations, interactive triggers, lighting, and sound to enhance user immersion. The experience is optimized for VR performance and exported as an Android APK for Meta Quest 3, accompanied by a gameplay recording that showcases the full environment and interactions.
Design process
《Interstellar Jellyfish Floating Amusement Park》Design Inspiration
1. Fantasy Translation of Biological Form
Extract the core carrier form from bioluminescent deep-sea jellyfish—take the jellyfish’s umbrella-shaped body as the base of the floating amusement platform; the semi-transparent “umbrella cover” edge uses pink-white spikes to echo the arrangement of jellyfish tentacles; the flowing light tentacles hanging at the bottom not only restore the soft posture of jellyfish but also endow it with the dreamy texture of interstellar technology through neon light effects.
2. Cross-Dimensional Scene Integration
Break the convention of “grounded amusement parks” by floating the carrier in an interstellar background, combining the quiet fantasy of deep-sea creatures with the vast emptiness of the universe. Let rotating flying chairs and small amusement devices “grow” on the “extraterrestrial creature’s body,” creating a surreal experience of “playing on the back of an interstellar jellyfish.”
3. Emotional Adaptation of Materials and Colors
Use pink-purple as the main tone with superimposed fluorescent light effects, which not only retains the soft girly vibe but also forms a “softness vs. rigidity” contrast through the metal-textured amusement facility structures; the transparent material and reflective base make the platform as translucent as a jellyfish, and the light effect ring at the bottom further enhances the weightless atmosphere of “floating in the interstellar space.”
To further enrich the layered structure and spatial experience of the overall scene, I’ve added some small supporting facilities to the original design, making the scene more complete in terms of functionality and detailed presentation.
Subsequently, I designed the stage to further complete the overall spatial composition and visual focus.
After completing the basic modeling, I exported the models based on the previously learned import workflow and imported them into Unreal Engine 5 to proceed with subsequent scene construction and testing.
After successfully importing the models into Unreal Engine 5, I first reviewed the overall scene structure to ensure accurate scale, positioning, and hierarchy. I then assigned appropriate materials and textures to the models, adjusting selected material parameters to enhance the overall visual quality. Following this, an initial lighting setup was carried out by configuring light types, intensity, and distribution to create an atmosphere aligned with the design concept.
Preliminary demonstration video
After completing the basic scene setup, I further conducted testing and adjustments in VR mode.
During the testing process, I found that some materials could not be properly displayed or appeared visually inconsistent in the VR environment.
As a result, the affected materials were replaced and optimized to ensure better readability and stability from a VR perspective.
Finally, basic walkthrough and viewpoint tests were carried out to evaluate the scene’s functionality, immersion, and overall performance.
In the scene, I further implemented controller-based interactions. One button was assigned to turn the lights on, while another button was used to turn the lights off.
In addition, the two triggers were mapped to activate and deactivate specific devices.
Users can also enter predefined collision detection areas to trigger the operation of certain devices.
Through these interaction designs, users not only experience more immersive and continuous audio-visual feedback but also perceive a clear cause-and-effect relationship between their actions and the scene’s responses.
Finally, I tried exporting it in APK format.
After completing these tasks, I went to the school to show my teacher the results. The teacher said it was really nice and that I could come to record a VR video during the last class.
VR video:
Personal Reflection
Through the completion of this project, I gained a more systematic and in-depth understanding of the entire workflow, from modeling to Unreal Engine 5 and finally to VR interaction implementation. Compared to previous projects that focused mainly on modeling or visual presentation, this project made me realize that spatial design requires a balance between technical execution, interaction logic, and user experience.
During the production process, I gradually became aware of the significant differences between VR presentation and standard screen-based viewing. Some materials that appeared effective in a normal view did not perform well in VR, which led me to replace and optimize them. This experience helped me understand that testing and iteration are not supplementary steps but essential components of the design process.
Moreover, while implementing controller interactions and collision-based triggers, I began to pay closer attention to the relationship between user actions and scene responses. Through the integration of lighting, devices, and sound feedback, I realized that interaction design is not merely about functionality but about guiding users to actively engage with the space. This shift encouraged me to move from simply “presenting a space” to “creating an experience.”
Overall, this project not only improved my technical skills in Unreal Engine 5 and VR interaction but also contributed to the development of my spatial design thinking. Given the opportunity to further refine the project, I would like to explore more advanced interaction layers and experiential details to achieve a stronger integration between conceptual intent and user experience.
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