JUN HUANG
Type: in-class Demonstration
Role: Guest Demonstration Instructor
Secret of Witch is a CG still frame created as an in-class demonstration for the graduate course DDA 614 – 3D Computer Modeling.The project was used to teach students practical workflows in UV mapping, texture development, and multi-pass compositing, using a fully constructed 3D scene as an instructional example.
Artistic Concept
The scene blends stylized fantasy elements with traditional Chinese material culture.
Props—including carved wooden furniture, storage chests, bronze mirrors, ceramics, Nuo ritual masks, and bronze candle stands—were incorporated to create a mystical interior infused with cultural motifs and textural richness.
Technical Approach
All assets were modeled in Maya and ZBrush, with UVs authored for demonstrational clarity.
Textures were created in Substance Painter, utilizing PBR workflows for wood, metal, and ceramic surfaces.
The final image was rendered through a multi-pass lighting setup, then composited in Nuke to illustrate layer-based adjustments, grading, and visual integration techniques.
UV layout and Texture
This project was designed as a UV- and texture-driven demonstration, with a focus on building materials that read clearly under cinematic lighting. I started by prioritizing UV decisions that support both readability and efficiency: consistent texel density across hero assets, seam placement along natural breaks (hard edges, underside silhouettes, and occluded folds), and UV orientation that preserves grain direction on wood and pattern continuity on carved surfaces. For assets with fine ornamental detail, I reserved cleaner UV islands and avoided aggressive distortion so that micro-surface information remains stable when viewed up close.
Texturing was developed in a physically based workflow, but with an intentional emphasis on “material separation”—each prop needed a distinct response to light even when sharing similar value ranges. BaseColor was kept relatively restrained, while most of the storytelling was pushed through Roughness and Normal variation: worn edges, handled areas, and accumulated grime were layered using masks derived from curvature/AO and then refined by hand to avoid procedural repetition. Wherever possible, surface complexity was achieved through subtle, believable breakup rather than high-contrast noise, ensuring the textures hold up in both the final render and technical breakdown views.
