As I mentioned in a previous posting, I\u2019m in the process of creating a meditation space for myself to relax in. Today, I wanted to discuss one of the scenes I\u2019m specifically working on, that I\u2019m calling Thunderstorm Forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we set the way back machine for 2014, I had just started investing heavily into the Unity platform, with particular focus on Unity 4 and the possibility of having Android applications. One of the tools I put together (even way back then) was a kind of timed meditation app, that would display a particular image or scene with relevant sound effects. There are a number of apps like this out there (calm specifically comes to mind) but because I put this together for me, it was more personalized by default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast forward a few years and me obtaining the necessary equipment to make virtual reality environments (as well as overall improvements to the tools at my disposal to make \u2018better\u2019 scenarios). I knew that as I was starting to experiment with and explore virtual reality locations to find the right place for a mini-golf game, that I would have to create an environment for me to just watch the sunset and relax in as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the immediate follow-up thought to that was, why not also have a place in the woods during an evening thunderstorm, like your old app for the Android?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I actually wound up digging out the exact same forest asset that I had in my library, incorporated a much-better thunderstorm toolset, and then set out to create an indoor space that would allow me to \u2018sit peacefully\u2019 inside the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I created a two-part \u2018interior\u2019 environment. One was a simple room with a three-candle display on a small table. In this room (without other distractions), I could watch the candles flicker while the muted storm could be heard outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other was a large, circular glass area with a large, curved chair (make of wicker) and a handful of decorative items that could be picked up or moved about as necessary. From this area, you could see the rain falling outside, see the flashes of light and\/or lightning in the sky, and of course, hear the full effects of the storm (wind, rain, thunder, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While admittedly, most of the other scenes that I\u2019ve created up to this point have been more or less \u2018eye-candy\u2019 and things to look at in an effort to distract rather than clear my mind, Thunderstorm Forest was created to be just a simple environment to relax within:\u00a0 a thunderstorm in the middle of nowhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And while I realize the image at the top of this article is a little dark, I enjoy creating scenes at night and have dimmed most of the environmental lights to better appreciate the storm. The screenshot above is from when there was a nearby lightning strike, to give an idea on how the interior house looks. You can’t enjoy a good thunderstorm if the lightning isn’t mysterious and the only thing providing illumination, eh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not surprisingly, the handful of people I asked to test out my various locations earlier this week said that this one felt the most \u2018at home\u2019 with my intended purpose to be able to relax in a virtual landscape.\u00a0 I\u2019m hoping to carry this into my next location that I\u2019m planning to refine and build:\u00a0 Lava World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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