Project Overview

This project was created during a two-week collaboration between Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam, Katoenhuis Rotterdam, and OASIS. Working in small teams, students developed six unique immersive installations based on a concept provided by AVROTROS.

Our team was responsible for creating the final showpiece of the experience. The goal was to build an environment that felt immersive, emotional, and visually connected to the overall theme of the project.

My Role

My primary responsibility was creating the cloud visuals and designing the surrounding digital environment used throughout the installation. This was done using Unreal Engine and Houdini.

Alongside the visual work, I handled the technical side of the projection setup, ensuring the visuals were correctly displayed on the projection surface.

I also took on a technical supervision role within the team, helping evaluate ideas based on technical feasibility and assisting teammates with technical challenges during production. This included troubleshooting workflows, helping solve technical issues, and ensuring the installation could function reliably within the short production timeframe.

Houdini Cloud Generation Setup

This screenshot shows the initial cloud system setup in Houdini, where procedural points are used to generate the base structure of the clouds. These points act as the foundation for the cloud volume, defining the overall shape and distribution of the system.

Houdini Cloud Volume (Shaded View)

A shaded view of the final cloud formation inside Houdini. Here the procedural structure is evaluated as a full volume, giving a clearer sense of mass, form, and how the cloud system behaves as a cohesive shape.

Unreal Engine Cloud Integration

This image shows the cloud system implemented in Unreal Engine. During development I ran into some limitations regarding VDB resolution and real-time performance. To improve visual quality, I adjusted density settings and noise detail, which helped enhance perceived resolution. However, Unreal’s real-time VDB constraints still imposed limitations on final fidelity.

Unreal Engine Scene & Camera Animation

A full view of the final scene inside Unreal Engine, including the timeline used for camera animation. This setup was used to choreograph the cinematic movement through the environment, ensuring the final installation had a guided, filmic composition.

Initially, I explored using nDisplay to drive the installation in real time, but due to system limitations we ultimately opted to render the final piece as a video output instead to ensure stability and consistent playback during presentation.