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AVC 200 • Spring 2026

Week 8

Cameras, Terrain, and Water Shaders & Particle Systems & Advanced Effects
March 09 – 11, 2026
← Week 7 Week 9 →

Week Overview

Monday covers this lecture covers Cinemachine camera systems for cutscenes, Unity terrain creation with Substance Painter textures, and building animated water shaders using shader graph with noise patterns and custom material controls. Wednesday focuses on this lecture covers particle system fundamentals, event sequencing, post-processing effects, and student project presentations showcasing various environmental scenes with particle effects, lighting, and shader work.

Cinemachine Terrain Shader Graph Water Effects Substance Painter VFX Particle Systems Event Sequencer Post Processing Student Projects Lighting
Monday
March 09, 2026

Cameras, Terrain, and Water Shaders

This lecture covers Cinemachine camera systems for cutscenes, Unity terrain creation with Substance Painter textures, and building animated water shaders using shader graph with noise patterns and custom material controls.

Watch Full Lecture →
1
Camera Systems
0:00 Introduction and Setup
7:13 Camera Field of View Concepts
11:05 Cinemachine Camera System Introduction
16:00 Creating Cinemachine Cameras
18:09 Cutscene Camera Setup
2
Environment Creation
22:22 Fog and Distance Rendering
26:15 Terrain System Introduction
36:15 Lit vs Unlit Shaders
44:05 Substance Painter Terrain Textures
57:44 Creating Stone Path Materials
3
Shader Development
1:05:46 Water Shader Introduction
1:09:10 Shader Graph Basics
1:16:24 Animating Water with Noise
1:27:30 Creating Material Interface Controls
1:37:22 Advanced Water Waves
1:45:45 Glowing Energy Orb Shader
4
Course Planning
2:03:07 Final Project Discussion

Key Concepts

  • Cinemachine brain controls main camera and switches between virtual cameras automatically
  • Field of view is inversely related to focal length - higher numbers show more content
  • Terrain system allows sculpting landscapes and painting multiple texture layers
  • Shader graphs compile to GPU code and require saving to update visual changes
  • Time nodes enable animation by connecting game clock to shader parameters
  • Custom material properties create artist-friendly interfaces for shader control
  • Noise patterns can drive surface normals, emission, and transparency for dynamic effects
  • Transparent rendering has limitations when multiple transparent objects overlap
Wednesday
March 11, 2026

Particle Systems & Advanced Effects

This lecture covers particle system fundamentals, event sequencing, post-processing effects, and student project presentations showcasing various environmental scenes with particle effects, lighting, and shader work.

Watch Full Lecture →
1
Student Project Showcase
11 projects
0:00 Introduction and Student Presentations
0:39 Student Project: Space Station Environment
33:15 Student Project: Concert Simulator
49:27 Student Project: Particle Trails
57:31 Student Project: Underwater Scene
1:08:24 Student Project: Residential Interior
1:15:44 Student Project: Sci-Fi Laboratory
1:21:22 Student Project: Desert Environment
1:27:49 Student Project: Room Explosion
1:29:42 Student Project: Forest Fireflies
1:38:16 Student Project: Animated Skybox
2
Particle System Techniques
8:55 Particle System Fundamentals
11:12 Event Sequencer for Timing
1:46:21 Sprite Sheet Animation Setup
3
Visual Effects Systems
15:14 Lighting and Post-Processing Effects
1:53:32 Decal System in Unity
2:01:25 Waterfall Shader Creation
4
Character Animation
22:04 Student Project: Jellyfish Animation
37:04 Adobe Mixamo Character Import
5
Advanced Shader Work
2:01:25 Waterfall Shader Creation
2:14:54 Course Wrap-up and Planning
6
Course Planning
2:14:54 Course Wrap-up and Planning

Key Concepts

  • Particle emission rates control density and visual impact
  • Event sequencer enables precise timing of multiple effects
  • Post-processing effects like bloom and lens flares enhance lighting
  • Sprite sheet animations require proper grid setup and timing
  • Simulation space determines whether particles follow or trail objects
  • Decal projectors allow runtime placement of textures on surfaces
  • Shader graphs can create animated effects like flowing water
  • Combining particle systems with shaders creates complex effects