This week, we took our garden scene from Blender and imported it into Unity. I focused on enhancing the realism by retexturing the grass and paths, utilizing textures I imported from the Unity store. Additionally, I incorporated various farm animal models such as sheep, cows, and a pig, placing them within a pen. To add liveliness to the barnyard, I scattered roosters and geese around the area.
To bring dynamic movement to the scene, I implemented a script that allowed the pig to move forward and turn. I positioned the camera on top of the pig, enabling it to move along with the pig’s motion. Taking it a step further, I added the same script to the other animals, resulting in a chaotic pen with all the farm animals in constant motion.
looking at my interactive scene, I started trying to turn it into a game. The goal was to guide the pig out of the pen while avoiding collisions with the other animals. Admittedly, the game didn’t turn out to be exceptionally exciting, but I enjoyed the fact that I could utilize my imagination to craft a game from out of nothing.
To my surprise, Unity proved to be less complicated than I had anticipated, allowing me to look more into the creative process. The it was fun bringing my creation to life and being able to share it with my friends.
On Tuesday, we had a Luncheon Lecture with Dr. Stephen Gilbert. His presentation revolved around his educational journey and the various institutions he studied at. Afterward, we had the opportunity to choose the topic of discussion, and we were particularly interested in his story about how life can take unexpected turns, even when you think you have it all figured out.
Dr. Gilbert then proceeded to share his personal experience of living in Numidia for a year, which was a captivating and insightful narrative. Personally, I find it more engaging when lectures focus on personal stories rather than solely on research topics. It allows us to explore the diverse paths one can take during graduate school, which is better for us as undergraduates who are still uncertain about our future endeavors.
Overall, I appreciate the opportunity to gain insights into different aspects of academic life, beyond just the research focus. It broadens our perspectives and helps us navigate our own educational and career paths more effectively.
We also received our group assignments and topics for our deeper dive this week. I was placed in an all-guys group consisting of Andric and Ayman. Our deeper dive revolves around machine learning, focusing more on using Python and its various tools and functions. I deliberately opted for a technical project to achieve my goal of delving into challenges of the field. I have confidence that this decision will provide me with a rewarding and challenging learning experience.
We recently had a photoshoot for the REU program, capturing promotional pics of us wearing ISU t-shirts. It was a fun experience, walking around campus and enjoying the surroundings. As I continue to explore, I’m becoming more familiar with the different places on campus. The photos turned out great, they do a good job depicting the positive environment we’re creating during our time together in Ames.
Until next time, see you in the 515!
