Nikki Dunsire
Sr. Lecturer & Director of Studies: Game Arts
3D Technical Director & Environmental Lead
Immersive Projects & Courses
Courses Taught
Creating in Unity (for immersive): In this course, students get an introduction to the tools used for designing and building for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences and more broadly, the Metaverse. They will work with the game engine Unity to design their first interactive VR scene and AR building software to create mobile augmented visuals. Students explore off-the-shelf resources to get them started quickly and gain an understanding of the overall production pipeline for generating content for immersive spaces. This course sets the foundation for future building classes, where students examine the steps needed to create custom objects and environments for their original ideas.
Building Environments for Immersive Media: In this course, students get an introduction to the production pipeline for creating custom content for immersive and interactive media. They gain hands-on experience utilizing cross-platform workflows and production software, to bring their original ideas to life. This course focuses on 3D modeling, texturing, and lighting for real-time rendering environments. This is a hands-on course with an emphasis on understanding industry standard technology used to build content for immersive and interactive experiences. By the end of this term, they should be able to: work with and understand 3D production software and their role in the construction of immersive and interactive content, create basic models (High to Low Poly workflow) with proper topology and understanding of optimization and performance pitfalls, design virtual Computer-Generated assets and be able to publish them to AR compatible mobile devices as well as computer driven applications for interactive experiences, have a foundational understanding of the production pipeline used in creating content for interactive applications, understand how modeled and textured assets are integrated into real-time rendering engines, understand and be able to implement functionality through basic scripts.
Production with Unreal Engine (for immersive): In this course students will work with comparable production applications like Unreal Engine, to develop VR scenes used for storytelling and visualization. The technical focuses of the course include setting up VR functionality, basic interactions and triggers, high dynamic lighting and working with material graphs to generate visually compelling environments. Additionally, this course will examine alternative ways to generate models using scanning techniques and incorporating PBR materials using Megascans.
Creating for Immersive Platforms (Online IMC Program): An introduction to the tools used for designing and building virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. Working with the game engine Unity to design interactive VR scenes, AR builder Zapworks to create mobile augmented visuals, and 3D content creation software to learn the foundational skills for building real-time ready assets. Exploring off-the-shelf resources to get students started quickly and gain an understanding of the overall production pipeline for generating content for immersive spaces.
Intro to 3D Asset Creation for VR and MR: This course was designed to familiarize students with the skills needed to successfully navigate software and hardware used in virtual and mixed reality content creation. Coursework for each discipline (UX, CG, Programming) was generated around capstone projects designed in collaboration with local industry partners. Students worked in cross-disciplinary teams to create VR/MR content for real world applications.
Hololens - Augmented Reality Development: In October 2015, the Oregon Story Board and Clackamas Community College team was one of 5 grant recipients chosen for Microsoft’s HoloLens Academic Research Grant. With this $100K grant and two HoloLens “mixed reality” devices from Microsoft, along with resources from partners at Intel, OSB created a custom classroom for teaching mixed reality content creation. OSB hosted HoloLens development and design classes for CCC students January through September of 2016. Using software such as Unity and Maya and Microsoft’s HoloLens, students created a holographic interactive auto transmission that they then deployed into CCC’s Automotive Services Training classroom. Governor Kate Brown visited OSB and viewed the completed transmission though the HoloLens at the Inclusive Startup Fund media event at Oregon Story Board. Was on the CCC and Oregon Storyboard team who was awarded a grant through Microsoft to develop trade-based education applications utilizing Microsoft’s Hololens and the Unity game engine. The DMC199 class was a controlled adventure into the unknown, with a goal to apply the combined talent of the Hololens grant team with some of the best minds in Portland, towards a new visual communication medium utilizing augmented reality with the Microsoft Hololens. One of three lead instructors within this studio environment to help facilitate the success and completion of a real-world research project through the class. The final deliverable will be a template for trade-based education that can be used by learning institutions worldwide. All course material and lesson plans built from scratch with foundational information provided by Microsoft’s SDK and Hololens Academy.
Talks
· Dunsire, N. (2024), Immersive Technology in Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
· Dunsire, N. (2023), Hololens Academic Research Grant, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
· Dunsire, N. , Heider D. , Ramirez, E. , Bye, K. (2023), Ethics and the Metaverse. 32nd APPE International Conference. Portland, Oregon.
· Dunsire, N. (2021), XR in Marketing. RAINmaker Accelerator Program. Portland, Oregon/Eugene, Oregon.
· Dunsire, N. (2018), Immersive Media Applications. East Metro Community Media. Portland, Oregon.
· Dunsire, N. (2017), The Oculus Rift and VR Development. Betacon. Portland, Oregon.
· Dunsire, N. (2017), Building for the Technology of the Future. Betacon. Portland, Oregon.