Milestone 1: 3D Models
In this first milestone, you'll learn to design and animate 3D models. You'll immerse yourself in tutorials for a 3D modeling program and then build the following models:
- two different karts with integrated players
- at least three powerup items
- at least five scenery items (fauna, obstacles, NPCs)
Each model must be textured (search UV mapping). The kart-players models must each sport at least three skeletal animations. Aim for a theme that presents a coherent style for your game (for example: desert, junkyard, Mars).
Use a 3D modeling program of your choice. If you have no prior experience with 3D modeling, consider Blender. It's free and there's a large community of folks making videos about it.
The learning you do in this milestone is largely self-directed. Your instructor is not an experienced 3D modeler. You are also not expected to achieve some standard of beauty. Our primary goal is not for you to become a professional modeler but merely become acquainted with the process of shaping triangles into things.
Submission
To submit your milestone, record a 3–5 minute screencast of you walking through all of your models and commenting on them. Demonstrate the UV unwrapping and the animations. Comment on features that you found especially challenging or interesting.
Upload your video to a streaming video service like YouTube. Please accommodate your instructor, who has many videos to watch, by not uploading to Discord, Google Drive, or other non-streaming video services. Share just a link to your video in the #milestone-gallery channel on Discord. The video may remain unlisted, but ensure that anyone with the link can watch it.
Your model files do not need to be submitted. Later on you will export them as glTF files and add them as assets to your renderer.