VEHICLE AND PROPS DESIGN [ FINAL PROJECT ]
13.07.26 - 03.08.26 / Week 13 - Week 16
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Vehicle and Props Design / Taylor's University
Final Project
OUTLINE
Instruction
Feedback
- WEEK 14
- WEEK 14
Reflection
INSTRUCTION
Module Information Booklet (MIB) of Vehicle and Props Design
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Final Project
The final project involved further developing the work produced in the previous projects in 3D. While working on the 3D model, I also needed to create curtains for the carriage interior, but they were extremely difficult to model and repeatedly took on an awkward shape. I had also planned to use the same soft-form modelling method to create the sofa cushions and pillows. However, since I could not achieve the intended result, I first blocked out the shape of the sofa using basic geometric forms.
Fig. 1.1 Process 1 (Week 14 / 22.7.2026)
Fig. 1.2 Process 2 (Week 14 / 23.7.2026)
After several attempts, I managed to complete the cushions and seat sections. I studied tutorials on YouTube and gradually modified the demonstrated methods to suit my own design. After completing the padded seat for the driver’s area, I created the carabiner component for the safety belt.
Since I had succeeded in creating the driver’s seat, I then completed the sofa inside the carriage. While working on the pillows, I remembered that I had made some of the book props for Environment Design rather roughly. The open book, in particular, needed to be revised because I had modelled its cover too closely against the pages. After revising the sofa, I created the props for the carriage interior.
Fig. 1.3 Process 3 (Week 15 / 27.7.2026)
Fig. 1.4 Process 4 (Week 15 / 27-29.7.2026)
After completing the pillows, I thought I might be able to create the curtains as well, so I attempted them again. However, I did not know how to create the rounded upper section of the curtains. Therefore, I first created straight curtains and adjusted their shape in Sculpt Mode.
Fig. 1.5 Process 5 (Week 15 / 27-29.7.2026)
While revising the sofa components, I also created a luggage storage compartment and modelled the elements needed for the exterior of the carriage in Blender. However, as with the Environment Design project, I began to question whether the scale of the character and the carriage matched properly. I had experienced the same issue in Environment Design because I had not carefully checked the furniture dimensions while adjusting them to the character’s scale. Therefore, I suspected that there might also be scaling errors inside the carriage.
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| Fig. 1.6 Character scale (Week 15 / 30.7.2026) |
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| Fig. 1.7 Process 6 (Week 15 / 30.7.2026) |
After adding the gear designs to the carriage exterior and checking the overall scale, I realised that the carriage might be too tall if an adult man’s feet could not reach the ground comfortably. I therefore adjusted the heights of the sofa and table inside the carriage by comparing them with an image of a seated human figure.
After that, as shown in Fig. 1.8, I created the elements needed for the carriage exterior. These included the door and the decorative patterns for the carriage walls. Since the front, rear, underside, and side views of the carriage also needed to be included in the presentation sheet, I completed a simplified version of the lower section of the carriage.
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| Fig. 1.8 Process 7 (Week 15 / 2.8.2026) |
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| Fig. 1.9 Process 8 (Week 15 / 2.8.2026) |
When applying the textures, I was able to reuse the materials that I had used for the Environment Design project, so this stage could be completed relatively quickly. I also experimented again with the lighting that I had previously attempted in Environment Design. Although the lighting did not look too bad from certain angles, there were still many problems with the rendering process, so I was unable to complete it successfully.
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| Fig. 1.10 Process 9 (Week 16 / 3.8.2026) |
I had almost forgotten that I also needed to create a poster and only realised this near the end of the project. I found an example of a previous student’s poster that the lecturer had uploaded and used it as a reference. I had already considered an idea for the poster earlier in the project, so I quickly returned to that concept and completed it. Since I had to finish the poster in a hurry, I feel that the lighting may have become slightly excessive.
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| Fig. 1.11 Process 10 (Week 16 / 3.8.2026) |
Final Project: Post Production and Profiling
FEEDBACK
WEEK 14
Specific Feedback: Continue practising the curtain simulation by following relevant tutorial videos, as this technique requires repeated attempts. If the result still cannot be achieved successfully in 3D, paint the curtain into the final artwork instead.
General Feedback: Avoid using too many textures and ensure that the interior remains functionally believable. Develop materials gradually and adjust properties such as hardness, size and scale carefully rather than layering excessive detail. Do not make the process unnecessarily difficult; if a complex texture or pattern cannot be produced effectively in 3D, it may be added through paint-over. These techniques cannot be mastered overnight, so choose a manageable workflow and use both 3D and 2D methods where appropriate.
REFLECTION
Experience
This final project showed me how difficult it can be to transform a two-dimensional vehicle and prop design into a functional and believable three-dimensional model. Soft elements such as the curtains, cushions, pillows, and sofa were especially challenging because they could not be created as easily as hard-surface objects. However, by studying tutorials and repeatedly testing different methods, I was eventually able to create most of the necessary elements. I also gained experience in correcting the character scale, developing the carriage interior and exterior, reusing materials, and preparing the final presentation poster.
Observations
I realised that the human scale should have been checked much earlier in the modelling process. If I had compared the carriage and furniture with the character from the beginning, I could have avoided revising many elements later. I also learned that not every complicated texture, curtain, or lighting effect needs to be completed entirely in 3D. When a 3D method becomes too time-consuming, combining the model with a two-dimensional paint-over can be a more practical solution. I also found it difficult to balance this project with my other assignments throughout the semester. The pressure and discomfort in my eyes seemed to slow my working pace and made it harder to concentrate. It may sound like an excuse, but if I want to continue working as a designer, I need to take eye care seriously and manage my health as part of my professional working process.
Findings
One of the most important lessons from this project was the need to manage my time more carefully across multiple assignments. I often focused on whichever project felt most urgent at the time, which left me with less time to develop difficult elements such as the curtains, lighting, rendering, and poster design. I wish I had planned my workload across the different subjects more effectively instead of managing each assignment separately. For future projects, I need to create a semester-wide schedule, divide each project into smaller milestones, and reserve additional time for technical problems and revisions. I also need to maintain a healthier working routine so that I can work steadily and produce more carefully refined results.
QUICK LINKS
Projects
- VEHICLE AND PROPS DESIGN EXERCISES
- VEHICLE AND PROPS DESIGN PROJECT 1
- VEHICLE AND PROPS DESIGN PROJECT 2
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