Explore and represent architectural and spatial design from both cinematic and human perspectives via contemporary visualisation software, Unreal Engine.

About this course

Real-time visualisation is an emerging tool in architectural practice. Through the use of software like Unreal Engine, architects can produce project flythroughs, rendering, interactive apps and VR experiences to support design and its communication. Real-time visualisation affords minimal setup, reducing the time and cost associated with the use of dedicated 3D visualisers. Importantly, it enables architectural experimentation throughout the design process, from concept development through to construction.

Within this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of Unreal Engine, using the software to leverage existing digital models to produce visualisations alongside design changes.

You’ll also create your own 3D model and use it to study the effects of lighting and materials, cinematic cameras and movement through space, and interaction as they relate to architectural real time visualisation.

Course outline

Course content is split across three key areas of study:

1. Form - You will learn to translate your digital model into a series of assets in preparation for visualisation. To do so, you’ll build optimisation skills and learn how to break your architectural design down into discrete components.

2. Character - Next, you’ll use Unreal Engine’s lighting engine and material editor to create an environment or ‘scene’ from your assets. You will also work through the post-processing steps to give character to your scene as a whole.

3. Curation - The last part of the course will focus on exhibiting the model you’ve produced using screenshots and videos. You will gain a fundamental understanding of framing views, photographic composition, cinemagraphic camera work and video editing. You will also see the potential for creating interactive elements and animation, giving you the skills to create live and responsive models.

Course learning objectives

By producing your own RTV model, you’ll learn how to:

View and navigate design through simulated human locomotion 
Explore the effects of light and shadow on an architectural design throughout the year 
Produce and assign materials to provide visual properties to geometry 
Illustrate scale through use of 1:1 proxies of real-world objects 
Frame views and space through cinematic techniques 
Edit motion video to tell an effective story 
Enable users to engage with the design process via interactive elements. 
Participants will be eligible to participate in the course ‘Advanced Virtual Reality for Architectural Design’.

Key benefits of this microcredential

Successfully completing the course will equip participants with knowledge and expertise in innovative and emerging digital tools. Participants will gain relevant skills in the application of these tools within the design field allowing for their use in various parts of industry-based projects.

This microcredential aligns with the 3-credit point subject, Real-time Visualisation for Architectural Design (80117) in the Master of Technology. This microcredential may qualify for recognition of prior learning at this and other institutions.

Who is this course for?

This course is for professionals and academics who want to better understand, develop and communicate their design through contemporary software, expanding their capacity for visual media production. These skills are relevant to fields that provide spatial design services such as architecture, landscape, and interior design.

Further course information

Teaching and learning strategies

Face to Face learning through the use of digital tools

Assessment criteria

Assessment will be Pass/Fail

Minimum requirements

To pass the course, participants must have full attendance and complete all submission requirements as per the assessment criteria stated in the subject outline.

Catering

Morning and afternoon tea provided.

Fees and Discount

Full price: $2,500 (GST free)

Special price: $1,500 (GST free)

To help you build future-focused skills during COVID-19, this course is currently offered at a reduced rate of $1,500 (Full price $2,500).

Please note that discounts cannot be combined. A limit of one discount applies per person per course session.

Additional information

NSW Health advice

UTS is undertaking a number of social distancing initiatives, informed by NSW Health advice, to help reduce social interactions in support of the government’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. As it stands, the date of the microcredential is yet to be impacted by these initiatives and so the course will move forward unaffected. In the instance that the course cannot move forward as planned and will require to be postponed, participants can choose to remain enrolled and attend during the course’s revised date or request a full refund. Should there be any updates to the above, we will contact all participants with the revised information. If you have any questions in the interim, please do not hesitate to email Dr Mohammed Makki: mohammed.makki@uts.edu.au.

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