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Animation & VFX · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Low-Poly Modelling

“Doing more with less.” This course focuses on optimization and the “Retro” aesthetic. Essential for mobile games, VR, and indie titles, low-poly modeling teaches students to define strong silhouettes using minimal geometry. The curriculum covers “Baking” (projecting high-poly details onto low-poly meshes) and the art of hand-painted textures to create vibrant visuals without taxing the hardware.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Master the art of "Silhouette" with strict polygon budgets
  2. Execute "Texture Baking" (Normal/AO maps) to fake detail
  3. Create "Hand-Painted" textures for a stylized/cartoon look
  4. Optimize UV layouts to maximize texture resolution (Texel Density)
  5. Understand the technical constraints of Mobile and VR platforms
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Low-Poly Aesthetic: History & Utility
  2. 02Budgeting Polygons: Efficiency Strategy
  3. 03Silhouette Theory: Reading the Shape
  4. 04Modeling for Mobile: Hard Edges vs. Soft Edges
  5. 05Modeling Weapons/Props with Low Poly Count
  6. 06UV Unwrapping: Stacking & Mirroring
  7. 07Smoothing Groups & Normals
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Texture Baking: High to Low Projection
  10. 10Hand-Painted Texturing Techniques
  11. 11Stylized Materials: Cell Shading
  12. 12Optimization: Removing Unseen Faces
  13. 13LODs (Level of Detail) Generation
  14. 14Rigging Basics for Low Poly
  15. 15Importing to Unity/Mobile
  16. 16Final Project: The Mobile Game Asset Pack

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Mobile Game Asset Pack

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. 3D Modeling for Games by Matthew O'Meara
  2. Polygon Modeling: Basic and Advanced Techniques by Mario Russo
  3. Generative Design (Contextual)
  4. The Art of Blizzard Entertainment (Stylized Reference)
  5. Unity Mobile Optimization Guide (Official Documentation)
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