AB: Scene Composition for XR

Description

Apply your foundational Unity skills by creating an industrial station similar in complexity to one of the sample stations provided in XFactory (e.g., Logistics, Manufacturing, Assembly, Welding, Exhibit) using the supplied assets. The emphasis should be on thoughtful scene composition, appropriate use of Unity features (prefabs, materials, lighting), and clear design rationale—not necessarily deep optimization, which comes later in Module D.

Goals

  • Use Unity Editor effectively to assemble a coherent scene.
  • Structure scenes with nested prefabs and meaningful hierarchy.
  • Apply materials and lighting to support readability and basic realism.
  • Prepare the scene for future interaction (basic physics setup).
  • Communicate design decisions clearly.

Requirements

Using the provided base sample scene as a reference, create a new industrial station (either: replicate a similar station with variation, or design a different but comparable industrial station) using only the supplied XFactory assets. Your scene must:

  • Be a cohesive industrial station (e.g., a variation of the manufacturing station, a custom logistics node, a modified assembly bay).
  • Use nested prefabs to organize repeated or modular elements (e.g., shelving units, tool racks, machine clusters).
  • Include at least five distinct interactive-ready objects (each with placeholder components): e.g., boxes with Rigidbodies/colliders, a machine with status panel, a tool that could be grabbed later, etc.
  • Configure materials so no magenta errors exist, and demonstrate reuse (e.g., shared materials for similar surfaces).
  • Set up basic lighting: include ambient light and at least two light sources; justify choices in design rationale.
  • Include a simple UI overlay (e.g., a status/instruction panel) implemented with Canvas, anchored appropriately in the scene.
  • Include one physics-prepared object (Rigidbody + Collider) that is clearly intended for future interaction (tagged/layered appropriately).

Provide a Design Rationale Document (≤ 1 page) explaining station purpose, prefab hierarchy decisions, material usage, lighting choices, UI intent, and how the scene would serve an XR use case (e.g., training, monitoring, assembly guidance).

Avoid building overly complex “mega-scenes.” Focus on one logical station area; if students wish to add detail, it should support a clear functional purpose (not purely decorative). Aim to spend ~6–8 hours on the major assignment; complexity should be balanced with clarity and justification.

Graduate Extension

Graduate students extend the core assignment with a focused literature-informed element:

  1. Targeted Literature Review:
    • Select 3–4 recent (past 5 years preferred) peer-reviewed papers from venues such as IEEE ISMAR, IEEE VR, ACM CHI, ACM UIST, ACM DIS, or similar reputable human-computer/immersive systems conferences that relate to XR use in engineering contexts (e.g., industrial training, spatial interface design for assembly, mixed-reality monitoring dashboards, human-in-the-loop system visualization).
    • Summarize each paper briefly (≤250 words each), emphasizing: the engineering problem addressed, XR affordances exploited, and any design insights relevant to your station.
  2. Research-Driven Enhancement Proposal:
    • Based on the literature, define one specific enhancement or design twist to your station (e.g., overlay guidance inspired by a paper’s interaction technique, adaptive status visualization for operator attention from a study on salience, or spatial anchoring choices motivated by user workload findings).
    • Write a concise Research Memo Document (≤ 2 pages) that connects the selected literature to the station created, describes the proposed enhancement (conceptual or small prototype idea), and reflects on expected benefits or trade-offs for an engineering XR application.
  3. Optional Prototype Sketch or Mini-Demo:
    • (Strongly encouraged) Implement a lightweight prototype or variant illustrating the enhancement (could be a toggled overlay, a modified UI behavior, or a mockup using existing assets).
    • If not implemented, include a detailed design sketch or mockup and a justification for why a full implementation would be beneficial in future work. Add these to you Research Memo Document.

Submission

Deliverables

  • UnityPackage file (.unitypackage) containing all of your assignment work. Export only your personal folder created inside Assets/ and named with your full name (e.g., Assets/FirstName_LastName/).
  • This folder must include:
    • Scene asset(s) with nested prefabs, lighting, materials, UI, and tagged interactive-ready objects.
    • Any custom prefabs, scripts, and materials you created.
  • Design Rationale Document (PDF).
  • (Graduate students only) Literature summaries, research memo, and optional prototype/sketch (with explanation).

Guidelines

  • Submissions must be made individually.
  • Submit your .unitypackage file, Design Rationale PDF, and all other required documents via Canvas.
  • To create your submission:
    1. In the Unity Project window, right-click your personal folder (Assets/FirstName_LastName).
    2. Select Export Package….
    3. Check Include Dependencies (so required prefabs/materials/scripts are included).
    4. Name your file AB_FirstName_LastName.unitypackage.
  • Double-check your UnityPackage by importing it into a fresh copy of the base project before submitting.
  • Include screenshots or a short embedded animated GIF/video (uploaded to Drive/OneDrive/YouTube and linked in your PDF) showing the scene and key features.
  • Filename conventions:
    • AB_FirstName_LastName.unitypackage.
    • DesignRationale_FirstName_LastName.pdf.
    • LitReview_FirstName_LastName.pdf (for graduate students).

Grading Rubric

Undergraduate Core (100 points)

Criterion Description Points
Scene Design & Cohesion Coherent industrial station; purposeful asset placement; avoids aimless clutter and balanced scope. 24
Prefab Hierarchy & Modularization Nested prefabs meaningfully group/reuse elements; structure shown in checkpoint. 18
Materials & Lighting No material errors; reuse; lighting supports intent; rationale provided. 18
UI Overlay Functional Canvas panel, appropriately placed, communicates relevant info. 12
Interaction Readiness Five interactive-ready objects identified, tagged, and explained with plausible future roles. 18
Design Rationale Document Clear explanations tying decisions to XR use case; reflection on strengths/limitations. 10

Graduate Extension Add-On (up to 20 points)

Criterion Description Points
Literature Review Quality Relevance and quality of selected papers from allowed venues; accurate summarization. 8
Enhancement Proposal & Framing Logical connection from literature to proposed design change; clarity of expected impact. 7
Prototype or Design Elaboration Implemented mini-prototype or high-fidelity sketch with justification and feasibility discussion. 5