Assignment 2: Animate Models & Create Interactive Shaders

 

Assignment 2: Animate Models & Create Interactive Shaders 

Project Overview

This assignment required us to use Unreal Engine's Blueprint, Timeline, or Level Sequence to create animations for two theme park rides, and to design an interactive shader that could respond to user interaction or environmental changes.

I chose to animate the Ferris Wheel and the Carousel, aiming to make their movements as close as possible to the dynamic logic of the real world, while maintaining the smoothness and visual appeal of the animation.

🎠 Design and Animation Production Process

First, the components of the Ferris wheel and carousel were organized and grouped:

• Ferris Wheel: I separated the central rotating structure from each cabin so that the rotation of the wheels and the rotation of the cabins could be controlled separately later.

In the end, I kept them together and didn't separate them, because trying to separate them would have made things more difficult.

• Carousel: I grouped each horse with its rotating base, allowing them to both rotate with the base and move vertically up and down.

This hierarchical structure allowed me greater flexibility in using the Blueprint system to add animation logic to different parts.

Ferris Wheel Animation Production

In the Ferris wheel animation, I first created a continuously rotating Timeline animation, allowing the entire wheel to rotate slowly and smoothly.

To make it more realistic, I also added a "rotation" motion to each cabin, so that the seats remain horizontal as the Ferris wheel rotates, instead of stiffly flipping with the wheel.

I implemented this part using the Add Local Rotation node in Blueprints and used the Timeline to control the smooth changes in the rotation angle.

🖼️ Blueprint screenshot

Carousel Animation Production

🖼️ Blueprint screenshot

In the initial animation preview, I noticed that the carousel's vertical movement wasn't very pronounced, making it appear rather flat. Therefore, I readjusted the keyframes of the timeline, increasing the vertical movement to make the carousel's hopping rhythm more distinct, giving it a more dynamic and lifelike appearance, closer to the effect in a real amusement park.

Before

After

After completing the main animation, I made several fine-tuning adjustments to the rotation speed, motion curves, and smoothness to ensure the animation appeared visually natural, coherent, and fluid. At the same time, I maintained a stable frame rate to ensure the work wouldn't stutter during real-time playback.

After that, I also changed the flash frequency to make the light frequency faster.

Ferris wheel demonstration video

Carousel demonstration video

Self-Reflection

In this Advanced Modeling and Animation assignment, I used Unreal Engine's Blueprint and Timeline tools to create complete animations for two amusement park rides—a Ferris wheel and a carousel. This experience deepened my understanding of how animation logic is built within Unreal Engine and highlighted the importance of animation details for the overall visual experience.

Initially, I only made the Ferris wheel rotate as a whole, but it lacked realism. Therefore, I added a "rotation" function to each cabin, keeping them horizontal while the wheel rotated, making the effect closer to the movement of a Ferris wheel in the real world.

Similarly, in the carousel segment, during my first preview, I found that the carousel's vertical movement was too small, making the rhythm less lively. After adjusting the Timeline, I increased the vertical floating distance, making the carousel's movements more rhythmic and better suited to the joyful atmosphere of an amusement park.

Through these adjustments, I realized that the "realism" of animation comes not only from precise motion paths but also from the rhythm of movement and the grasp of details. Through repeated testing and rehearsals, I also learned how to balance visual presentation and performance optimization, ensuring the animation remains smooth and natural in real-time.

Overall, this assignment made me more familiar with Unreal Engine's animation system and helped me find a balance between "technology" and "feeling"—ensuring the animation's logic is sound while also conveying rhythm and vitality to the audience.

In the future, I hope to continue refining the interactive shader part, making the work more immersive in terms of lighting and player interaction, presenting a truly "futuristic theme park" virtual experience.