Harold Halibut presents an aesthetic that blends the craftsmanship of stop-motion with digital technology. The team scanned physical sets and models using photogrammetry to transfer them into Unity. The result is a tangible and detailed world that breaks away from the usual polish of modern video games.
DIY Photogrammetry and Physical Sculpture in Unity 🛠️
The artisanal process began with building physical models, from characters to complete sets. Using RealityCapture, each piece was scanned to generate high-fidelity 3D models. Then, those assets were integrated into Unity, where textures and lights were applied to preserve the look of clay and cardboard. The engine handles interpolated animation, but the soul of the game remains the imperfection of handmade work.
When Your Character Is Made of Clay and You Are Not 😅
Imagine spending hours sculpting a face in clay, scanning it, and then watching it move with Unity bugs. The team must have prayed that the engine wouldn't mistake a clay wrinkle for a mesh error. In the end, they managed to make a world of models feel more alive than many games with photorealistic graphics. But beware of dust: cleaning the models is the true endgame.