An interactive 3D scene of a train platform and an animated metro train, rendered in real-time in the Unity game engine. The visual theme was heavily inspired by the 1995 movie “Whisper of the Heart”, replicating the classic Japanese hand-drawn animation style. Selective, high contrast cel shading, edge outlines, and strong bloom were used as primary techniques. An animated train would arrive and depart upon user input or movement detection via an Xbox Kinect sensor. Part of an in-person interactive art exhibition in Gimpo, South Korea, in 2023. Made with Unity (main engine), Blender 3D (modelling), C# (scripting), and Xbox Kinect (person detection).

Render Process

Platform, Props, Background Buildings, Main Light Source

Textures, Cel Shading, Outlines, Bloom

Overview

Exhibition Installation

The project was installed as part of an introduction sequence for an in-person interactive art exhibition in Gimpo, South Korea. The virtual metro train would “arrive” when visitors were detected entering, via an Xbox Kinect sensor.

Licensing

Props (overhead electrical lines, fences, street lights, background buildings) and the wheel/underbody section of the train were brought over from veryveig’s “Blender Anime Starter Pack” assets on Gumroad. Background ambient audio was downloaded from freesound, credits to Emanuele Correani under CC BY 4.0.