#the negative with this camera is unreal

[swamiswampy]

Nothing but flowers.

Kodak Portra 400 with Fuji GX680

[jangofettjamz]

Confessions

Jenna Ortega x Autistic!Male!Reader

Summary: Unexpected events bring you and Jenna a lot closer

Warnings: Abelism

Words: 4430

A/N: You are Emma myers' twin in this fic.

Y/N pov

It's been too long since I've seen Emma. I'm so proud of my twin sister, she's come so far with her career and now she's in a Tim Burton production, like WHAT?!

Emma's so talented and she deserves every amount of success and fortune the world has to give, she's earned that much.

She's currently filming in Romania for her new show "Wednesday", a spinoff show based on the famous addams family, and specifically the daughter of the family: "Wednesday Addams"; played by Jenna Ortega.

I was invited to come and visit her and the cast and crew on set, flight and accommodation paid for and all. Though I was hesitant, being this far away from home wasn't entirely appealing at first, but I couldn't squander the opportunity to see my sister.

However, that's not the only reason I wanted to go. As luck would have it, I've had a crush on Jenna Ortega for a long time and Emma knew this. She visited our home a few times when Emma and her were getting to know each other. Emma had to introduce me to her as she knows I'm not the best at conversation, especially when meeting new people.

We've talked a little everytime she visited, but I was always too shy to say anything other than a few meger words. I never really got to know her as a person.

She assures me she's the most kind and gentle person she's ever known, I would never doubt my sisters word but it still doesn't put me at ease. Social interaction has never been easy for me, no matter how nice or kind the person I'm talking to is.

My sister has been my number one supporter, and I hers. She's never outed my condition to anyone and assured me she'd never tell Jenna if I didn't want her to know, she's always got my back no matter what and I'm beyond thankful for that.

-

My driver that was assigned to me dropped me off at the sets parking area, not far from the cast's trailers.

"We've arrived sir, Mr Burton will be waiting by the trailers for you." Sir? Gosh that makes me feel so imperial, like an important executive or something, I dunno.

"I er-thank you" I say nervously, my socially awkward nature getting the better of me. I got out of the black SUV and walked to the trailer.

I felt like an outsider here, like I didn't belong so kept my hands in my sleeves and my head down.

There's camera crews here, some extras to fill the background, I even see some of them in cast, but decided not to interact with them. They didn't know me and would probably think I'm some random weirdo who shouldn't be here.

I know that sounds a bit dramatic, but people have been cruel to me in the past just for trying to talk to them. That's always been my main deterrent from social interaction; the fear of what people will think of me.

These negative thoughts were starting to send me spiralling so I blocked them out for now, making my way to the trailers. I can't wait to see Emma.

I'm at the trailer area and see a man with unkempt hair and tinted glasses leaning against a trailer door, is that... TIM BURTON?! I knew I was gonna meet him but it's kinda unreal when you meet an icon such as him in person.

A smile formed on his face and he made his way towards me, my eyes avert his figure as my nerves began to set in. "Hello Y/N, it's good to finally meet you, your sister holds you in such high esteem." He says offering me a hand to shake.

Emma's been talking about me? To Tim Burton? Good things I hope. "I-I It's nice to meet you to Mr Burton, it's an honor to be here." I say nervously, shaking his hand and meeting his gaze with a nervous smile.

He chuckles "Please just Tim, no need for formalities. You're among friends here, Y/N."

I didn't understand, what did he mean I was among friends? He's just met me and he's nicer than most people have been to me throughout my entire life.

Though puzzling this maybe, I couldn't help but smile at being accepted for once among a group. It felt liberating.

"C'mon let's go meet the cast, I know two that have been dying to meet you." Two? I know Emma is one, but two? Who could possibly want to see me.

I followed to a trailer not far from where we met. I see a coat hanging from the railing of the trailer's steps, that's Emma's coat.

Tim gives me a warm smile and says "She's waiting for you kiddo, she'll be very happy to see you again." I nod and smiled back. I reach for the door know and open the door to the trailer, I see a girl with blonde hair and coloured highlights, is that...

"Emma?" She turns to face me. A smile forms on her face, an smile I would recognise anywhere.

"Y/N/N!!!!" She rushes towards me and tackles me to the ground in a hug, making yelp in the process. Usually this sort of surprising affection would make me nervous, but it was my sister so I all it. Besides I missed her dearly.

I reciprocated the hug, though it was difficult seeing as I was on the ground. "Hi sis', you missed me that much?" I ask playfully while standing back to my feet.

"Like you wouldn't believe, I miss all of you. How have you been?" She asks me, she knows about my struggles and I'm glad she still cares.

"Umm... things have been okay. Socialising is still really difficult, I almost didn't come here because of the distance. You know how much I hate being away from home" she gives a smile of sympathy and rubs my shoulder to comfort.

"But you still did it and I'm so proud of you for taking that step. You're still with family here in Romania, Jenna is excited to see you too, she's so lovely Y/N, you should get to know her" talk to Jenna Ortega? My stomach turns from nervousness.

The door to the trailer suddenly opens, a small Latin girl appears sporting black pigtails and black blazer. Jenna Ortega.

It's not surprising that she's here, she's playing the main character of the show after all. However, it's still messing with my mind that I'm standing in front of MY crush. I didn't know if I was just lucky, or if the universe just wanted me to humiliate myself in front of my crush.

I was quickly pulled out of my thoughts when she turned to me after she stopped talking to Emma. My twin did me a solid and introduced her to me so I didn't have to talk, she knows I don't have great speaking abilities when I meet new people.

She started her introduction "Jenna, you remember Y/N right? My other half." She says which makes Jenna laugh.

"Hi Y/N, it's so nice to see you again. Emma talks about you all the time" Of course she does. I shyly wave at her, averting eye contact away from her, my nerves completely taking over.

She stepped closer to me "Hey, are you okay?" She says sweetly, Emma's right she is really nice. I nod my head to reassure that I'm okay, even though I'm most definitely not and Emma knew this.

The trailer door opened again revealing a tall, dirty blonde guy with long hair. I had never seen him before, he didn't look very nice.

"Hey Jenna, Emma" he says happily, then his eyes fall to me. "Who's this?" He says, his voiced indicating his clear annoyance by my presence.

"Hey percy, this is my twin brother, Y/N" I shyly wave at him, he scoffs and moves swiftly to talk to Jenna. What a dick.

Emma's phone rings "Ah shit, guys I have a scene to do. Please look after him and get to know each other, love you Y/N" she says kissing me on the cheek. Great, now I'm left with two people I don't know, one being my crush, the other, a massive dickhead. Great.

I sit down on the couch behind me, Jenna taking a seat next to me much to percy's dismay. I start playing with my hands, something I do when I'm very nervous. Jenna picked up on this so she decided to ask me a question to ease the tension.

"So Y/N, do you have any interests or hobbies?" She's says to me with a smile, that same sweet tone still consistent.

I started "I-I like movies, I'm a massive horror fan. I build legos, play video games as a hobbie, and do programming as a side job. I find the arithmetic nature of programming to be quite fascinating, keeps my brain constantly at work." I say quietly.

She started to speak again "Programming? Wow you must be quite intelligent to do that" I shrug, my lack of confidence really shining through.

Percy scoffs "Jeez do you just sit there looking depressed all the time." I gave him a pleading look, I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

"N-no I didn't mean t-to--" I cut myself off, not wanting to embarrass myself anymore than I just did. I don't even know what I did wrong, just goes to show my complete lack of social awareness.

But something unexpected happened "Percy, why are you being such an asshole. He's just shy and that's fine. He didn't do anything wrong." She actually came to my aid and defended me.

"I heard he was autistic, Jenna. I overheard Emma talking to him on the phone one time. He's a freak." The moment I heard the word freak my eyes started to tear up, sniffles followed afterwards.

I started to hastily rock myself as a grounding technique, a shaky breath came from my mouth trying to contain the tears within.

Jenna was standing there with a her phone out recording the whole thing, I thought she was doing this to laugh at with percy later, however what happened next changed that theory.

Jenna slapped the smirk off his face, he was on the ground and fear replaced his shit-eating grin. I could see the fear flashing in his eyes as Jenna loomed over him, a fiery anger in her brown orbs.

She raised her right hand and pointed at him while speaking "Don't you ever say that again you abelist dick. Even if he is autistic, I would never think that as a bad thing. Get out Percy, once I show this recording to Tim, you are done" she says calmly, yet angrily simultaneously.

He didn't need to be told twice as he stumbled out the door; fear still emanated from his person after the bitch slap he received.

Jenna POV

What an asshole, like seriously how the fuck could anyone be so shallow to immediately hate someone because they're different. Fuck that guy honestly, the moment we're done filming I'm cutting contact with him completely.

Y/N looked destroyed, I'd seen him a handful of times and this is the longest interaction we've had, but it was heartbreaking nonetheless. I wanted to comfort him since Emma was busy filming. I sat down next to him and started to talk.

"Y/N it's okay now, he's gone and if he knows what good for him, he won't come back." He nodded, seemingly no change was made to his demeanour. I decided a more physical approach was necessary.

"Y/N can I touch you?" He hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. I touched his shoulder, my thumb rubbing in circles. "Are you autistic, Y/N? It's okay you can tell me, I know you don't know me but I promise I would never judge you, never ever."

I hope he knows my words are genuine, perhaps even comforting. He gives me with one more glance before signing under his breath then nodding, confirming what percy had told me. He shouldn't have outed Y/N like that, it's his right to tell me when or if he even wanted to in the first place.

"You're so brave, you know that?" He looked at me confused. I continued speaking "You're braver than you know sweetheart, I'm so sorry that we had to meet again under these circumstances but I want you to know that I'm so proud of you. I can only imagine how hard it must've been to come here so far away from home, only to be ridiculed by some asshole who doesn't know his head from his own ass." He laughs, making me smile knowing I'm doing something right.

I make a solemn vow to him "I swear to you, that recording I took will be shown to Tim and the producers, he will be dealt with accordingly. I promise you." Percy will not go unpunished for this.

"We've only met a couple times, but you're bravest and sweetest person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I can tell that everything you're sister told me about you is true." I wipe his tears from his face with my thumb, his eyes still glassy and red from the crying.

"Why are you so nice to me? You don't even know me." He says barely above a whisper.

"Because unlike Percy, I accept you for who you are and I'll help you whenever you need me. I'm with you now Y/N and I'm not going anywhere." His lips begin to quiver, indicating that he's about to cry again.

"Would you like a hug?" I ask, unsure if that amount of physical touch is something he would want. He nods and I open my arms for him "c'mere honey" he fell into my arms, head on my shoulder as his tears shower my Wednesday outfit, but I couldn't care less.

His arms wrapped tight around me, my arms securely around him. I began to rock him gently to comfort him, my hand carding through his hair. "Shhhh, you're safe now honey, it's just me and you, nobody else. I'm so sorry for what happened but I promise you that everything's gonna be okay, I'm not leaving you."

I feel something for this boy, and I know he feels something for me, Emma may or may not have told me about the crush he has on me. I didn't make him feel embarrassed, now's not the time.

"I-I shouldn't have come h-here, e-everyone hates me!" My heart broke hearing those words. Percy had destroyed his self-esteem with his heartless words, his confidence had vanished into the aether.

I held him tighter against me, wanted him to feel all the affection I can give to counter his negative thoughts. "Nobody hates you Y/N, I certainly don't and neither do your sisters and parents". Percy's words were awful and further projects his insecurities."

"He's right though, I'm am a freak. Emma's normal, my other sisters are normal, my parents too. I can't socialise properly, can't read social cues, I'm only good at messing things up! I'm useless!" He was shaking violently, a barrage of new tears came streaming down his cheeks, Percy was going to pay for what he's done.

I lift his face from my shoulder, holding his cheeks in both my hands. "You are not useless! You're anything but useless! You're incredible Y/N, just like your sister and I've got your back just like I've got hers. Percy is done after today, mark my words."

He smiles at my words, convinced by them even. "You wanna know something?" He looks at me with intrigue. "I've admired you since the day we met, you're so beautiful, sweet and kind. You're not useless at all, you're perfect, just the way you are."

"Everytime your sister talks about you I listen to her in awe of you, you're an amazing person sweetheart, don't ever let someone make you think otherwise." I say with sincerity.

He looked shocked. "You're just saying that." He says not believing me.

"Can I prove it?" I ask a little nervously. He nods and I ask him another question. "Can I kiss you?" A bold move by me but he needed to know just how serious I am.

His cheeks turn a bright pink, very much akin to a rose. He nods and I lean in the kiss his lips softly, a gentle kiss to show him my intention are indeed pure. "I like you alot Y/N, and I'd love to be a part of your life from now on, If you'll have me."

He smiled, genuine and real "I like you too, Jenna. I'd love to have you in my life." I take him back in my arms, in the position we were previously in, rocking him gently in my arms. His eyes began to droop a little, he looked exhausted from all the crying.

"You can fall asleep if you want, just relax darling, everything's gonna be okay now." We sat on the couch, his head on my chest, my arms locked around his figure. "There there, you're okay darling" I cooed softly.

His eyes shut, nothing was heard expect the soft breaths coming from his nose. I kissed his temple and let him sleep until Emma returned from filming, she need to know the truth.

- 2 hours later

I've been catching up on breaking bad while Y/N has been sleeping peacefully on my chest, really good show this is. My hand has been absentmindedly carding through his hair.

God he looks so adorable, I never want to let go of him. I'm honored that he trusts me enough to be apart of his life, to be his girlfriend, an honor I certainly don't take for granted.

The door to the trailer opens, Emma walking through the entrance. She was shocked to see the position me and Y/N laid in, though this was expected as she didn't know what had transpired a couple hours ago.

"We need to talk" I say, she looked at confused but nodded. I began to get up as gently as possible to not wake up Y/N, though it was more tricky than anticipated. He groaned sleepily, not completely aware of his surroundings.

I put him at ease, "it's okay honey, I'll be back don't worry" his body eased at the words and untensed around me, allowing me to lift his head off my chest without waking him. Emma and I walked out of the trailer and gently shut the door behind us, it was time she learned the truth.

"What happened in there?" She asked with concern.

"Watch this video" I show her the recording on my phone, the horror she felt was palpable, her own brother being reduced to tears; by her own co-star no less. "I'm so sorry, Emma" was all I could say.

She turned to me and embraces me in a hug which I returned immediately. "Thank you for helping him, he won't ever forget what you did for him" her voice wobbly, she was crying. "I should've been there to stop him! He's gonna pay for this!" She storms off, presumably to find percy.

I chase after her, jesus she's fast "Emma wait!" I called out but she didn't falter in her movements, she was on a mission to find the asshole who hurt her brother.

After about 5 minutes of searching we found Percy talking with Tim as if he did nothing 2 hours prior, we stormed towards him. Percy's noticed us walking towards him, fear replaced his expression, Tim however was more confused by our angered demeanour.

"YOU ASSHOLE! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT TO HIM, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU!" Emma exclaimed, tears falling fast down her face. "HE'S THE SWEETEST PERSON IN THE WORLD AND YOU DESTROYED HIM! WHAT FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU! She sobs out, I rubbed her back in comfort.

Tim looked even more confused now "What's going on, Percy what is she talking about?" He says raising an eyebrow, demanding to know what happened.

I answer for him, leaving no chance for Percy to alter the truth in any way. "Watch this video, Tim." He watched the video of what went, disgust was etched onto his face, all the while I was staring down the asshole who caused this mess. The look on his face is priceless, as though his career had flashed before his eyes.

Tim finished the video and turned to percy, inhaling before he spoke. "Percy once you're scenes are finished, you're done, fired. You have no future here." He says coldly, disappointment lacing his rough tone. "You will be paid for your work, but we will cease all contact after that."

Percy was distraught, he begged and pleaded for Tim to reconsider "Please Tim, I'm sorry I really am! It's was just a joke!" Emma was disgusted with him, so was I.

Emma was face to face with percy, she may have been shorter, but her anger made her far more imposing. "I'm not a violent person percy, but if you EVER say or even look at my brother in a way I find offensive ever again, you will be dealing with a far different side of me." He gulped and nodded, knowing better than to test her.

She continued "For your sake, I will not leak those videos, but so help me god I will not hesitate to ruin your life if you step out of line again." And with that she walks off to see her brother.

I walk up to Percy and warn him one final time "Be thankful you're only losing a Job opportunity Percy. Make no mistake, if you make any attempt to contact me, Emma, or dear Y/N, I will leak those videos to everyone and destroy your life within seconds. Do you understand me?" He nodded and I walk away with the knowledge that Percy Hynes White is a coward.

I return to the trailer to find Emma and Y/N talking about what went down with him and Percy "No matter what Y/N, I'll always protect you from people like him, and so will Jenna" he looks over to me and I offer a gentle, reassuring smile and sit down next to him. I kiss his cheek and pulled his head onto my chest and pressed play on the TV.

"So what did I miss with you two?" Emma asks playfully and we both laughed uncontrollably, forgetting the last few hours for a while with laughter and love.

- 9 months later

Wednesday was a massive hit with critics and viewers, my career has skyrocketed to heights I never thought imaginable. Though, I never let that inflate my ego and become someone who I depised, you know who I'm referring to.

Percy was promptly fired after he finished all of his scenes, nor was he allowed to attend any of the press events to promote the show. He hasn't tried to contact me or any of my friends, the first smart decision he's made.

Y/N and I are still going strong, though I wouldn't have doubted that for a second. Like I said to him all those months ago, he's perfect just the way he is.

Socialising is still a struggle for him, so is communicating with me sometimes. However, I vowed to help him and understand his condition, to guide him in a world that misunderstood him.

He's laying on my chest, me stroking his hair. He's asleep after coming with me to a press junket to promote the show. Even if he's behind the cameras, his support is so appreciated.

Emma has been so supportive of our relationship, which is great because I would've hated things to be awkward between, and potentially ruin Y/N's relationship with her.

Fans of mine have began to notice Y/N after his appearance at the premiere, the Internet practically exploded when they saw us hand in hand. Y/N isn't fond of the attention but loves the nice comments people have left, any boost to his self esteem he cherishes.

Suddenly the phone rang, it was Tim Burton, probably discussing plans for season 2. I picked up the phone, being careful not to wake Y/N.

"Hello Jenna, is Y/N with you?" He says. What could he want with Y/N?

"Yeah I'll get him" I gently shake him to wake him up. He groaned as I shook "Babe wake up someone's on the phone for you" he rose from my chest and groggily took the phone from my hand.

"Hello, Y/N speaking" he says lowly.

He talks with tim, his groggy expression is replaced with shock, a stark contrast from earlier.

"Yes ill talk with her about it" talk with me about what? What is Tim planning?

"Thank you I'll see you soon" he hung up and turned to me, a smile etched onto his face like he just won the lottery.

"What?" I say laughing

He opened his mouth, only to stutter when trying to form words. He eventually got his words out "He wants me to replace Percy as Xavier" I scream out of excitement and he quickly covered his ears.

"You're gonna do great, I'll be right there with you" his smile is replaced with worry.

"What if they don't like me as Xavier? What if my acting is bad? I have no acting experience, Jenna. What am I gonna do?" He starts to ramble a bit so I kissed him, calming his nerves within an instant.

He drew back for air and reassured him "You're gonna be great babe, way better than Percy, I guarantee that." I pulled him back to a kiss.

The kiss turned more passionate, only pulling back for pockets of air. "You're so beautiful baby, my beautiful boy" he blushes intensly at my praise. "I love you Y/N, so so much" I say breathlessly. He picks me up while kissing me, leading me to the bedroom. I would love to describe how the rest of our day was spent...

But some things are best kept secret... if you know what I mean. ; )

[pinkslipxox]

hi babe!! i was wondering if you could write a fic where miko and reader are in a fake relationship for publicity but they both end up falling for each other in the end?

Hola mi amor! Yes ofc! Hope you like it 💕

——————————————————————————

You needed the money. Miko needed the publicity. The gist? You had to pose as her girlfriend for a year. The contract details were simple— You would appear at Young Miko's concerts, attend red carpet events together, and post adorable couple photos on social media. At first, you were hesitant but considering the amount of money you were going to receive, it was an opportunity you knew you couldn’t pass up.

Your lifestyle changed overnight. For better or worse, you couldn’t decide. The world that you stepped into filled with lights, cameras and fame almost felt unreal. Your daily schedule consisted of public appearances, red carpet events, and scripted social media posts. Criticism— both positive and negative— about you two circulated everywhere, yours and Miko’s every move watched by fans and haters alike. However, behind closed doors, a different story began to unfold.

As weeks turned into months, the lines of your faux relationship began to blur. You and Miko created a bond, one that was forged through late-night studio sessions, unscripted meaningful talks, and whispered confessions about your fears, your hopes, and your dreams about the future. You even found yourself looking forward to “public outings” with Miko for the sole purpose to be by her side.

You had fallen in love with her.

Something you’d never thought would happen.

And deep down, you hoped that Miko had fallen in love with you, too. The chemistry was hard to deny. It would be a sin to do so.

One evening at an awards event, you couldn’t take it anymore. You were waiting for Miko backstage while she was giving her acceptance award speech, your nerves imposes to ignore. When Miko got off stage, you embraced her, holding her a little longer than she anticipated before you intertwined your fingers with hers and led her to a secluded part of the venue, away from the cheers and applause from the audience.

“Miko… we need to talk,” you began, your voice steady yet hesitant. “I didn’t except to… care for you like this. This—“ You gestured between yourself and her, “feels real. And I can’t be the only one that feels that way.”

“I do, Y/N,” Miko confessed without hesitation as she took a step closer, her eyes locked with yours, glowing genuine care and tenderness. “Yo no quería admitirlo pero… siento algo más profundo para ti, Y/N. I want this to be real, with you.”

“Then let’s make it real,” you murmured with determination as your arms wrapped tightly around each other. “No more games.”

“No more games,” Miko vowed as she gently gripped your chin and closed the small gap between you two.

The kiss was soft, gentle, sealing your fate as a couple. No more fake smiles or scripted captions. Just the two of you, in your own perfect, unique reality.

[booburt]

Hi, I've been wondering for the photography AU what general time period it's set in, what type of camera(s) does Koby use (it looks like a canon to me but seems to make polaroids, at least that's the surface level observation I can make from my extremely limited knowledge on cameras), what type of photography he personally enjoys and the type he usually does for work (if he does it as his profession too). What does Koby aim to capture with his images, the casual mundane life of an average person, an unreal, etheral sight in a place the average person can't go, Luffy's luffiness, etc? Also what's the general budget Koby has towards camera equipment (doesn't need to be that exact, just a general "he's broke" or "He spends all his money on lenses" would suffice)? My questions are kinda vague here because I'm going to research more about photography later. Thanks in advance :D Oh yeah and also does Koby travel, if not what's the general landscape of his nearby area. You don't need to answer this since I'll probably make it up but it'd be good to know.

okok i wrote this all in the few free periods i got earlier take what you will ^_^

also a doodle i did ages aaaaago with a bit of slightly illegible info in my awful handwriting (sorry)

actual answer vvv

- its a modern au!! so set like. now!

- koby uses sony cameras primarily but yes he does have a few canons (nikon confuses him)

- he has a seperate polaroid camera!!! he usually prints digitally from sd though

- for type of photography, he started with a passion for ocean and landscape photography, mostly beaches and any scene with water in focus. he also has an interest in portraiture but his love for portraiture only comes to play when he meets luffy. cheese cheese cheeeesyyyy because luffy smiles and hes IMMEDIATELY enamoured. anyway, he starts to study and practice portraiture in depth because of the pretty boy he met in maths class and eventually works up the courage to ask him to model for him. they get super close and eventually start dating; luffy likes how dedicated koby is to his work and how cute he is when he blushes.

-SORDY got carried away with the sappy lovey stuff. koby sells his landscape/wildlife photography at local stores as a side hustle thing haha. but he doesnt really do it professionally, he much prefers to keep it as a hobby / simple income.

- koby aims to capture the beauty of colour! he loves vibrancy when shooting with a softbox or some other source of light he will usually use something to change the hue rather than plain old bw on a simple white bg

- following on he HATES shooting black and white photos unless theyre negatives because idk i think he would think it looks cool. what a guy

- with luffy photography he just likes catching luffys smile or just luffy in general; whipped dud!!! he thinks he is gorgeous

- ahahhhh budget budgettt. lenses are fucking EXPENSIVE!!! he uses a 50mm that helmeppo got him for his birthday one year (rich kid stuff. he knew koby likes photography and searched Best Lense For People Pictures and bought the first one he saw) the 50 is canon as consequence so koby uses canon for loofy pics. he has an 18-55mm he uses as well.

- he is broke yes. koby does have a minimum wage weekend job to pay for living expenses but all in all that boys pockets are empty. luffy is the breadwinner (miss rabbit with the one zillion jobs) he works about 4 different jobs and is happy to pay for anything koby wants despite kobys adamant NOs. like i said he gets helmeppo to pay for a bunch of stuff and helmeppo pays on his dads card LOL.

- koby does travel! mainly by train or boat, not often does he go to an entirely different country but he has previously a few times. when he does go abroad he takes luffy with him!!!! (he looks pretty in the snow. he likes taking pictures of him in snow)

IM SO GLAD SOMEONE LIKES MY AU ENOUGH TO ASK ME THIS MANY QUESTIONS LMAO i had fun answering all of this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[adhbabey]

I think it should be stated that crazy conspiracy theories, while dangerous in their own right, and is probably littered with dog whistles, that many of the people spouting out these conspiracy theories are likely experiencing delusions or hallucinations, and that cannot be stated enough.

So I highly recommend people notice the signs of whether or not someone is experiencing a delusion or break in reality, instead of immediately trying to go off on someone in this mindset.

Here are some common red flags that I notice, that sounds suspiciously like a delusion:

Fearing the government or think the government is secretly out to get them. While our governments can do horrible things to us, all in the name of national security, I see this as a red flag because its often random people in question. It's usually not someone who has done anything to warrant such fear. Just some guy in his basement or a random person online. You don't know these people, but I doubt a secret spy would be this paranoid or neurotic about something like this. It's a big red flag if they mention that the government is secretly out to get them.

That this world is a simulation or somehow fake. If this doesn't trigger you and you experience DPDR, you are a strong one. Unreality is a common trigger for many delusions. The idea that we're in a simulation or it's just like the matrix is just false information, and something spoke about for fun, like science fiction. But if someone is seriously telling you that we're all in a simulation, I'd see that as a red flag of a delusion. It's triggering, even for me.

The idea that pigeons aren't real and are drones of some kind, or that the government is planning to microchip us through vaccines or something. The idea that you're being spied on through secret cameras or that it's like you're in the truman show, or you're going to be experimented on because vaccines give you microchips.. These are all signs of paranoid delusions, and one of them is called Capgras syndrome. It is the delusion that your loved ones are all somehow replaced by imposters and it's pretty damn severe. I would take the idea that everyone is somehow spying on you, a pretty good sign that it's a delusion.

And there's so much more, but I recommend people just researching into other symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, and be aware of what that looks like. It's important to be educated on this stuff.

And please, don't go out of your way to reality check them or to argue with them, that can often exacerbate or worsen the symptoms, sending them spiraling down into an even deeper delusional headspace. I know the idea that I'm somehow lying or delusional tends to send me into a paranoid headspace, so don't do it. Don't argue with these people, just stay away from them.

And yes, it's common that a lot these things are jokes or memes or just a part of popular science fiction culture, but be aware regardless. You don't know if someone's actually being serious or not. And whatever you do, don't call a stranger you don't know, "delusional", these are just red flags and signs, not automatic reasons that someone is experiencing a break in reality. You don't know them, so just be cautious.

And yeah, a lot of conspiracy theories are anti-semitic, or racist, or ableist, or whatever. But that doesn't cancel out the fact that many of the people in question are also likely mentally ill. It doesn't erase the fact that normal every day people are also mentally ill. Negative or problematic behavior doesn't erase the fact that someone can experience delusions. I'm not excusing that behavior, but I am saying to be more cautious and critical of the fact that half of this stuff sounds like a mental illness.

TLDR; It is important to be aware that several common conspiracy theory buzzwords are red flags of paranoid delusions, and this post lists out some of those red flags in details. Don't reality check anyone, or you could make it worse, just be cautious and disengage.

[thatrickmcginnis]

BUTTHOLE SURFERS, TORONTO, 1987

One of the highlights of 2019 was the publication of What Does Regret Mean? - a thick coffee table book about the career of the Butthole Surfers, published by Melodic Virtue. It wasn't just that such a thing existed, but also that it contained two double-page spreads from my 1987 portrait shoot with the band when they came through Toronto to play RPM, a big dance club on the waterfront here (long since demolished). If you were around when the Buttholes were releasing their first records, the thought that they might have had the longevity or mainstream appeal necessary for such a souvenir record of their work would have been inconceivable. But here it is, in multiple hardcover and softcover editions.

Like almost everything I shot back then, the Butthole Surfers shoot was a fluke. I went down hoping to get a group photo, and discovered that the band were even more difficult to corral than their reputation had suggested. I got a handful of sloppy group shots and then pivoted to asking them to line up for individual portraits. I had to move fast, and shifted my only light - a flash bounced into an umbrella on a portable light stand - a few feet away from the back wall of the club and invited lead singer Gibby Haynes to be the first sitter. He stepped smartly into the frame and I did a fast light reading. Looking at my camera I realized I had just enough film to take precisely two photos of each band member.

Years later the Buttholes' drummer, Jeffrey "King" Coffey, saw my photos when I posted them on my old blog, and complimented me on being organized enough to not just keep them but find them again and post them online. He also recalled that the band were more likely than not tripping balls when I took these shots. Coffey and Haynes, along with guitarist Paul Leary, drummer Teresa Taylor (aka Teresa Nervosa), bassist Jeff Pinkus and the band's tour dancer Kathleen Lynch (aka Ta-Da the Shit Lady) all presented themselves for my camera and I took a pair of shots each, then packed up my gear to take home before heading back to shoot the show that night.

Shooting austere photos of such an over-the-top band might have looked like a contrary creative choice, but it wasn't. I was merely working at the limits of my competence at the time, which is what inspired me to revisit this shoot using some of the digital technology available to me today. If I could have shot the band in colour I probably would have. (I was frankly too poor and inexperienced to have been so bold nearly forty years ago.) So I've re-scanned these old negatives today and run them through Photoshop's suite of AI photo enhancement and colourizing filters to give them at least a hint of AI unreality that suits this shoot and this band more than most other work I did way back then. Sadly, drummer Teresa Taylor passed away this year after a battle with lung disease.

[imiging]

Hello and good day imiging team! I'd like to point out that the work of petitmonsieur1 that you reblogged recently is not photography, but an AI-generated image. Thus it can not be categorized as original photography on account of it not involving a photographer, a camera and a subject.

I know you caption your reblogs with "daily original photographs and creations", so I guess it still counts as some form of a creation. Although the rest of your reblogs are actual photography, not what petitmonsieur1 is doing.

You'll notice that their creations are entirely digitally created by taking a closer look. Skin, metal, and cloth appear way too smooth, the background is sepia like from a painting, icons and writings are indecipherable. They've even uploaded videos showing how they mess with the creation process, either by adding skeleton makeup to a person (who is posing exactly the same in both frames) or moving a person's head, covered in a knit wool ski mask, up and down from their scarf like a piston. To me those are clear indicators that their creations are not authentic as the photos, paintings and art you showcase here.

With this I hope you at the very least consider removing petitmonsieur1 from the pool of your following. One can argue whether AI-art is art, but since the focus of your page is on photography, that really doesn't have a place here.

Thank you for receiving my input. Kindest regards!

As we are obviously unable to answer directly to this anonymous expert in AI, our response is outlined below.

Dear anonymous,

You will, undoubtedly, be disappointed to learn of our disavowal of your "expertise" in this particular instance as we wish to inform you that AI was not involved in the creation of this image. As we had reservations about your claim and explanations of same, we deemed it patently obvious that our first step should be to direct ourselves to the creative source. Therefore, we messaged Petitmonsieur in order to determine exactly his process and his medium. His response was clear : "I mainly use photos, old paintings, wallpapers...and I crush the pixels as much as possible to obtain a painting effect. If I used AI, the rendering would be of better definition. In fact, I'm tinkering with Photoshop, and I find that the AI ​​stereotypes the images too much."

Upon viewing this particular photo we were, of course, unaware of the creative process (other than what the tags indicated) but we found it to be interesting and quite striking at first sight which resulted in it being chosen.

Furthermore, one might ask, what exactly defines a true photograph these days especially in the world of digitization? With the advent of digital cameras and advances in photography software (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.) how many of these photographs, including those that started life as a film negative, use some form or other of "digitization" in the making of the final product?

AI is just another step (granted a large one) in that direction and not really so much different than using a "dehaze" or "clarity" filter in Lightroom, Healing Brush Tool in Photoshop or DeNoise AI, to name but a few of the tools used by a growing number of photographers. Even film can be "manipulated" in the darkroom or made into a digital negative and then reworked on a pc. These are all tools used to enhance the artistic aspects/creation of a great number of photographs which are regularly posted and reblogged on the Tumblr platform. (Our apologies to those of you that shoot raw and only post unedited photographs -- we love them too!)

At Imiging, our shared opinion on AI is that it has the potential for making the unreal appear real and believe it has numerous other risks and drawbacks. We have to say that it truly alarms us if only for no other reason than the obvious geo-political implications when AI is used by unscrupulous individuals or governments for nefarious purposes.

Sincerely,

The Editors of imiging

[mrb33]

Mayfair ART MOOCH

Continuum

Minoru Nomata at White Cube gallery

From The Press release: His art is characterised by a lack of human presence, his works depict imaginary architectural structures and enigmatic landscapes that transcend time and place. Conjuring an unfamiliar world that is nonetheless tethered to reality, his visionary paintings evoke a disquieting sense of alienation. “Lack, deficiency, insecurity, isolation and the unknown – those so-called negative feelings can also be a creative trigger for me to create something”, the artist has said.

I, ROBOT

Sorayama at Almine Rech gallery

From The Press release: Sorayama’s ongoing Sexy Robots series ponders the alluring, intimidating imaginary of a cyborg human, merging woman and droid, fleshy anatomy and flashy armor, in a cheeky and unsettling continuum from the Hollywood pin-up to the fantastical future. Sorayama channels aesthetic visions from Bert Stern to Mel Ramos, Brancusi to Rolls Royce, Egypt to the Oscars.

Chronicles

Ahmed Mater - Christie's from 17 July to 22 August.

Tbilisi Independent

Frieze - Cork Street.

Highlighting five young, female-run galleries from the Georgian capital: 

Niniko Morbedadze - We love animals (series) 2024

Assemblage pieces by Temple Pharmacy

Layers of Time

Giorgio Morandi and Alexis Ralaivao at Nahmad Projects

Morandi Natura Morta 1946 - Ralaivao - Nature morte aux trois citrons 2024

From The Press release:

Morandi’s oeuvre, characterised by its restrained palette and masterful use of light and shadow, invites viewers into a world of quiet contemplation. Through his timeless still lifes, Morandi transforms mundane objects into symbols of deeper human experience, prompting reflection on the nature of existence itself. In contrast, Ralaivao’s paintings burst with energy and sensuality, capturing fleeting moments of intimacy and anticipation. His bold use of colour and dynamic compositions draw viewers into a world where every brushstroke pulses with life, inviting them to explore the boundaries between reality and imagination. 

Although the artists may seem like an unlikely pairing at first glance, their works share a profound reverence for the subtleties of everyday objects and a commitment to exploring the essence of perception itself. Both artists engage viewers by highlighting the compositional aspect of their artwork alongside material surfaces. While Morandi’s compositions resemble studio photography, evoking a sense of familial assembly akin to a wedding portrait, Ralaivao’s works reflect the influence of contemporary mobile phone photography, where the camera becomes an active participant in capturing moments and sparking immediate reflection and dialogue.

Together, Morandi and Ralaivao weave a narrative that transcends the constraints of a single frame, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the timeless beauty of still life compositions. Born nearly a century apart, this exhibition reveals the shared differences between two artists, across generations, finding themselves in the same city, and united by a common bond: their unwavering dedication to the art of painting.

“Both Ralaivao and Morandi are reductive artists, their language is quiet, the tone of their paintings cool, and it feels quite fitting that this exhibition should be a closely selected one. It offers a tantalising starter, and leaves me wanting more.” – Paul Coldwell 

Morandi - Natura Morta 1950 - Ralaivao Citrons et saladier jaune 2024

Alexis Ralaivao - Art Nouveau Shadow 2024

“I believe that nothing can be more abstract, more unreal, than what we actually see. We know that all we can see of the objective world, as human beings, never really exists as we see and understand it. Matter exists, of course, but has no intrinsic meaning of its own, such as the meaning we attach to it.” – Giorgio Morandi

Mayor gallery

Waldemar Cordeiro

From The Press Release: The first solo exhibition in Europe of visionary Brazilian artist, Waldemar Cordeiro (b. 1925 Rome, Italy – d. 1973 São Paulo, Brazil). Fifteen works, many of which have never been shown outside Brazil, form the basis of this exhibition in which different phases of Cordeiro’s intensive production from the late 1940s to his early death in 1973 are brought into new curatorial focus.   Regarded as the greatest of Brazil’s exponents of concrete art in the 1950s, Cordeiro was an original and visionary practitioner and theorist, who brought both these domains together in an astonishingly productive oeuvre.

Installation shot

Transposição Cromática Estudo da Cor, 1958

Untitled 1960

Liberdade 1964

EXORCISM: INSIDE OUT

Penny Slinger at Richard Saltoun Gallery

[meryton-etc]

okay I'm so curious to know more about grantchester now.... what's up with the religious character????? please infodump i need to know

man..................................

like there's no describing grantchester because its tone problems are so profound that they have become structural. it goes from happy village soap-opera (gingham, sandwiches) to awful crimes (mutilation of bodies, child abuse, ptsd from war crimes, ptsd from being a japanese pow on the railway camps) from scene to scene. hot vicar solves crimes! silly curate gets into a muddle about brecht! hot vicar succumbs to alcoholism! silly curate attempts suicide because he cannot live with the shame of his homosexuality! dog needs a walk! silly curate adores poetry! hot vicar (replaced) rides a motorbike! old cop cheats on his wife because he can't take the flashbacks of the prison camp! grumpy housekeeper

but i can't stop watching it because al weaver, who plays the gay curate, has this electric mix of vulnerability and dignity in his performance. it's unreal! sweet suffering homosexual! comparisons to swann arlaud (delicate men)! imagine what he could do if the show was good! anyway he plays this very religious guy who's in love with a horrible man (they have negative chemistry which is hilarious - don't show me any more oliver dimsdale he's awful) and in season 6 (i believe set in 1954) he's caught kissing him on camera. OK????? so he's given the option to lie to the police and make it all go away but he decides not to??????? alright????????????? and then he is defrocked and sacked from the church of england and SENT TO PRISON. this is so ahistorical that it becomes very homophobic to me. like the character is just continually degraded because of his sexuality that it becomes a constant punishment device. even tho that's really not how it would have happened -- has nobody on the writing team read a mary oliver book - a clergyman would never have been sent to prison. fined, yes - prison never!! court never! fuck's sake!! and then in prison they put him in solitary confinement???

non-exhaustive list of things leonard finch has been through in grantchester:

child abuse (from homophobic father who also turned out to be gay)

mother died of - illness?

implied that he tried to jump off a roof i think

cheated on

pressured into straight marriage (doesn't go thru with it)

held up at a post office

suicide attempt, left alone for 24 hours after this is discovered (to vibe ig)

father disowns him

punched by work superior

business targeted by serial killer

held hostage at knifepoint

solitary confinement

friend murdered in prison

but don't worry, he's fine! im off to watch s08e01 now

[nareshkumartech]

Optimizing Game Performance: Balancing Graphics and Speed

When it comes to creating a compelling game, stunning visuals are only half the story. Even the most beautifully designed game can fail if it lags, stutters, or drains device resources. That’s why optimizing game performance is crucial—especially when balancing cutting-edge graphics with the need for smooth, responsive gameplay.

In this blog, we’ll explore key strategies that every game development team can use to maintain that delicate balance between aesthetics and performance.

Why Optimization Matters

Today’s players expect high frame rates, fast load times, and seamless gameplay—whether they’re on a high-end PC or a mid-range smartphone. Poor optimization can lead to frame drops, overheating devices, crashes, or even negative reviews.

For developers, optimization isn’t just a technical task; it’s part of delivering a polished, enjoyable experience.

1. Prioritize What the Player Sees

Not every object in a game world needs to be rendered in full detail. Smart developers use techniques like:

Level of Detail (LOD): Automatically reducing detail for objects that are far from the camera. Occlusion Culling: Skipping rendering of objects blocked from the player’s view. Texture Streaming: Loading high-res textures only as needed.

These tricks reduce GPU load without sacrificing perceived visual quality.

2. Optimize Assets Early

Big textures and complex 3D models might look amazing in design software, but they can choke game engines. Optimize assets before importing them into your engine:

Compress textures without losing visible quality.

Reduce polygon counts where possible.

Bake lighting and shadows instead of relying on dynamic lighting for everything.

By building efficient assets, you make downstream optimization easier.

3. Profile and Benchmark Constantly

Optimization should happen throughout development, not just at the end. Use your engine’s built-in profiling tools (like Unity Profiler or Unreal Insights) to identify bottlenecks early.

Look for:

Scripts eating up CPU cycles

Shaders consuming GPU resources

Memory leaks or inefficient garbage collection

With regular testing, small adjustments can prevent major slowdowns later.

4. Target Multiple Platforms Carefully

If your game is designed for both high-end PCs and mobile devices, you’ll need a scalable approach:

Allow players to select different graphic quality settings. Dynamically adjust resolution or effects based on device specs. Disable expensive effects (like real-time reflections) on lower tiers.

Cross-platform game development is powerful, but requires smart compromises to keep gameplay smooth everywhere.

5. Optimize Code, Not Just Art

Game performance isn’t just about graphics. Poorly optimized code—like inefficient loops, frequent garbage collection, or unbatched draw calls—can bog down a game.

Key practices:

Pool frequently used objects instead of instantiating/destroying them constantly.

Minimize expensive calculations inside game loops.

Use asynchronous loading for assets during gameplay.

Good code hygiene keeps both CPU and memory usage under control.

6. Know When to Sacrifice Visuals

In some cases, improving performance may require turning off certain visual effects entirely—or limiting them to key moments (like boss fights or cutscenes). Prioritize what adds real value to gameplay over what’s just eye candy.

For example:

Use baked lighting for static environments. Replace real-time shadows with static shadow maps. Reduce post-processing effects like bloom or motion blur.

Remember: great visuals shouldn’t come at the cost of a frustrating experience.

Finding the Sweet Spot

At the heart of is finding balance—between artistic ambition and technical reality. Players will notice if your game runs poorly long before they admire your intricate textures.

By approaching optimization as an integral part of development, not an afterthought, you’ll ensure your game looks great AND runs great—across devices, platforms, and play sessions.

[thedailydecrypt]

Ethereum Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Being Misunderstood

Ethereum is bleeding, again. The ETH/BTC ratio just hit a five-year low. Bitcoin broke past $100,000 while Ethereum is limping below $2,000. Analysts are calling it a “capitulation.” Critics are piling on, comparing it to dying tech or obsolete blockchains. But this time, the Ethereum FUD isn’t just wrong—it’s lazy.

Let me be clear: Ethereum is not having a good year. It’s underperforming Bitcoin. It’s been leapfrogged by flashier, faster competitors. And it lacks a messiah figure screaming “Buy Ethereum” into CNBC cameras. But buried in the recent data is something markets are missing: Ethereum is undervalued, structurally sound, and strategically evolving. What looks like failure is, in fact, the groundwork for a comeback.

The Narrative Is Broken—The Fundamentals Aren’t

Fidelity Digital Assets just dropped a report few are talking about, likely because it challenges the prevailing doom loop. Their on-chain analysis shows Ethereum’s MVRV Z-score—an indicator comparing market price to realized value—has dipped to levels historically marking major bottoms. It’s now negative, a rare and contrarian signal that ETH is being sold below its “true” economic value.

Another metric, the NUPL (Net Unrealized Profit/Loss), has hit zero. Translation: The average holder has no gains left—just pain. Historically, that’s when capitulation ends and accumulation begins.

You don't get capitulation metrics at market tops. You get them at turning points.

This is the exact moment smart money starts quietly building positions. Fidelity is hinting that this Q1 crash wasn’t a collapse—it was a clearing.

ETH Is Getting Clobbered By Optics, Not Usage

Let’s talk reality: Ethereum had a brutal quarter, down 45% from its January peak. But metrics under the hood tell a different story—one of growing user engagement.

The number of unique addresses interacting with Ethereum’s Layer 2 networks just hit 13.6 million—an all-time high. That’s not a death rattle. That’s network expansion. Projects like Unichain, Base, and Arbitrum aren’t “alternatives” to Ethereum. They’re extensions. They feed Ethereum’s value capture. They burn ETH. They settle on ETH. And now they’re booming.

Unichain alone saw over 5.8 million weekly active users—beating even Base. That’s not a fluke. It’s an architectural pivot. Ethereum isn’t trying to be the fastest base chain anymore. It’s trying to be the most settled, secure, and modular one.

Layer 2s are the plan—not a patch.

Ethereum Doesn’t Have a Michael Saylor—and That’s OK

Critics rightly point out that Ethereum lacks a public champion. Bitcoin has Michael Saylor pumping laser-eyed conviction and billion-dollar buy orders. ETH has Vitalik, who writes blog posts on quadratic funding.

That’s a feature, not a bug.

Ethereum is more institutionally decentralized than Bitcoin. There’s no single company, fund, or individual pushing it. It’s harder to meme. Harder to market. But also harder to manipulate.

In a bull market, that’s a disadvantage. In the long arc of adoption, that’s antifragility.

The ETH/BTC Ratio Is Misleading You

Ethereum’s BTC ratio is down, yes. But that’s not because ETH is failing. It’s because Bitcoin’s narrative has matured.

In today’s wartime macro, Bitcoin is playing the role of digital gold. It’s an insurance policy. A political asset. Governments are legalizing it. ETFs are pouring in. Even BlackRock is on board.

Ethereum, on the other hand, is still a platform bet. It doesn’t protect you from war. It enables economic activity in peace.

That’s why Bitcoin is outperforming—it’s riding fear. Ethereum will shine when capital seeks yield, productivity, and programmable money again. And that cycle always comes.

Remember: Bitcoin leads the market. Ethereum scales it.

The Real Risk Is Missing the Flippening That Isn’t Obvious

Ethereum isn’t going to flip Bitcoin on price anytime soon. But it doesn’t need to. The flippening already happened—on-chain.

Ethereum settles more transactions, powers more apps, burns more base fees, and hosts the majority of DeFi and NFT infrastructure. It’s the operating system of crypto.

What we’re witnessing isn’t the collapse of Ethereum—it’s its invisibilization. As Layer 2s take over UX and onboarding, Ethereum fades into the background. It becomes the final settlement layer.

Think TCP/IP. Nobody says, “I love TCP/IP.” But the entire internet runs on it.

Ethereum is becoming infrastructure. And infrastructure doesn’t trend on Twitter.

Ethereum Rebounds, Quietly but Decisively

ETH is bottoming now. We’re in the late stages of capitulation, and the Fidelity data supports it. Smart money will rotate back into ETH when Bitcoin’s rally slows, L2 activity stays sticky, and macro tailwinds ease up.

We’ve seen this movie before—in 2019, in 2020, in mid-2022. Each time Ethereum lagged Bitcoin… until it didn’t. When the reversal comes, it’s swift and brutal for shorts.

If you’re a builder, this is when you get in. If you’re a long-term allocator, this is when you start scaling in. If you’re a degen—congrats, altseason begins when ETH regains dominance.

Ethereum isn’t dead. It’s just being priced like a meme coin while it builds like an institution.

Don’t Confuse Price with Progress

In crypto, price leads headlines. But in tech, progress often happens when no one’s watching. Ethereum isn’t cool right now. That’s exactly what makes it interesting.

You don’t buy hope. You buy capitulation.

This is it.

Support Independent Crypto Writing

We don’t run paid subscriptions. We don’t put this work behind a paywall. If you found this valuable, consider donating to support more bold, honest, insight-driven crypto writing.

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© 2025 InSequel Digital. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission. The content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, investment, financial, or other professional advice.

[finalmajorprojectyear2kv]

Unreal Engine - Hover Movement

Tutorial

I'm following this tutorial to help assist me in creating my Hover Vehicle movement system. I will then be independently adapting it to be usable for a bike, rather than a car.

Getting Velocities

To get to a target speed by applying force we need to know how much to apply to get to that target, which means we need to know our current speed.

We get both the linear velocity and the angular velocity, which is what will be used for rotating the vehicle.

Applying Force

For both types we find the difference in speed and apply force depending on this difference.

Input Actions

To use the new movement I need to create Input Actions so the player can actually interact with the vehicle.

I created one for forward/backward, looking up/down, looking left/right and steering ; I assigned these to the default WASD configuration and also added in controller support.

Camera Movement

I add relative rotation to the camera's spring arm based on the mouse's, or right joysticks, movement.

Forwards / Backwards Movement

I adjust the target speed, which is what the movement component tries to achieve, based on the value of the throttle. Forwards is positive and backwards is negative.

The set node is ran off both triggered and completed so that it is constantly updated while the player holds the input, and is updated when the player stops inputting preventing it from holding a non-zero value when there is no input.

Steering

I adjust the target speed, which is what the movement component tries to achieve, based on the value of the steering. Right is positive and Left is negative.

The set node is ran off both triggered and completed so that it is constantly updated while the player holds the input, and is updated when the player stops inputting preventing it from holding a non-zero value when there is no input.

Camera Rotation Issue

The camera will freak out when it reaches the top or bottom of the vehicle, and can lead to it being rotated on the X axis somehow. As the player has no way of modifying the X axis of the camera, I have just temporarily made it set itself to 0 every time after the player moves the camera.

Reverse Steering Issue

Currently the vehicle reverses in the opposite direction to a normal car (goes left when steering wheel is right and vice versa). I want the steering to mimic that of a an actual car so I need to change this.

The Sign will return -1 if the inputted value < 0 and will return 1 if the inputted value > 0 ; it will also return 0 if the inputted value == 0. This fixes the issue and makes the vehicle turn in reverse like a normal car would.

This presents a new issue though as the car can no longer turn without moving, which I do not want for my car. This happens because the Sign returns zero if the inputted value is zero, which means that it will always return zero if there is no throttle input.

To fix this we just check if there is absolutely no throttle input, and allow the vehicle to turn normally if that is the case. This once again allows the car to rotate while stationary.

[immersiveartproject]

Blog 5: Finalization & Reflection

Mithesh S Kotian

To deepen the realism, I focused on lighting, asset concentration, and camera dynamics:

Lighting: I used multiple point lights to produce a sense of depth and emphasize key architectural details.

Environmental and foliage density: In order to enrich the immersive nature of the cave environment, I positioned a varied range of trees, moss, and ground-level foliage in strategic places.

Camera Adjustments: I tuned camera movement to apply subtle smoothness and controlled shock to create a natural floating feel.

Panoramic Render: I imported image sequence inside Adobe After Effects to create fish eye kind of render, which can be later played inside the Dome.

Final Challenges and Lessons Learnt

Rendering Times: With the project deadline looming, rendering time took longer than anticipated. In order to speed this up, I temporarily disabled anti-aliasing; however, this negatively affected the crispness of the final product.

Team Organization: Coordinating different aspects of the team allowed me to develop leadership skills and improve communication efficacy.

Time Management: This project emphasized the importance of carrying out preliminary tests and rendering settings optimization in advance.

Improvements for Next Time

If more time was allowed, I would: Re-enable anti-aliasing to produce better output quality. Implement Niagara particle effects to enhance ambient conditions. Extend each section's duration to allow a more gradual and immersive feel.

This project was a large learning project, improving my Unreal Engine proficiency, technical problem-solving, and team working.

References:

Hutchison, A., 2019. Digital Cinematography & Directing. Oxford: Focal Press.

Unreal Engine Documentation, 2024. Niagara Particle System. Available at: https://www.unrealengine.com

[group4projectdevelopment]

Personal Group Contribution Update (5 Council Planets) - Ong Jian Wei

I jokingly voiced an idea during our brainstorming phase about having our heads float like planets, as if we were the celestial space council guardians of the realm, gazing upon the audience. The concept was that our faces would be projected onto a spherical planet shape, creating a distorted and humorous effect. To further emphasise that we are heavenly beings, our eyes will glow white. Surprisingly, all the members agreed, and we had a good laugh about the idea. This not only added to the fun but also reinforced the comedy element and theme we had agreed and established in our video. It also serves as a watermark, subtly showing the audience that the video is a product of our group.

These planets would float and interrupt in the final hyperjump sequence as a way to subtly tell the audience that the video is ending soon. It was decided to create the scene in Blender as it would be displayed on top of a 2D animation of the spacecraft hyper jumping. Hence, the background needed to be transparent. Blender has this feature to solve the situation, unlike Unreal Engine.

After completing each planet, I privately messaged each team member to ensure they were comfortable with the outcome. I wanted to be mindful of the potential for excessive distortion of anyone’s face, as it could be perceived negatively, especially since the scene would be viewed and most probably laughed at by many strangers. While I aimed to create humorous content, I prioritised respect for my groupmates and their comfort throughout the process.

Figure 1: Example planet (myself)

The model started with a UV sphere, onto which an image of a group member was applied as a material. Smaller UV spheres were placed at the iris and pupil to make it easier to control the eyes, which would eventually glow white. The material was given a bit of emission by using the same image to light up.

Figure 2: The 5 Council Planets.

After each head were created, they were parented to an empty and assigned to their respective circle part for orbiting animation around the camera. The speed for the orbiting was placed slow to allow audience to properly see the faces of these planets. A Track To constraint was applied to each planet to constantly face the camera to ensure that the planets are always looking at the audience.

Figure 3: Levitation Animation of the the planets.

The planet's location transform keyframed to slightly moved then the returned back to its original position. These changes were then applied a cycle modifier in the graph editor to repeat the animation through the timeline. Each planet head was given an unique value for its movement.

Figure 4: Glowing eyes. [Top] Figure 5: Flashing rainbow colours texture nodes for eyes and nostril of my planet's face. [Bottom]

All the eyes' material were changed to emission surface type. Similar to the repeating levitating technique explain earlier, the same principle was applied to create flashing white light emitting from the eyeballs.

As an additional layer of comedy, I decided to also make my planet's nostrils to light up too. Not only that but instead of flashing white, it would flash rainbow colours. This done with the help of an YouTube Tutorial (Deayan Studios, 2023). However, what the video taught was not what I wanted. Hence, I took parts and pieces from the tutorial video and experiment until the desired outcome where as my planet orbits, the colours flashes back and forth in a slightly fast pace.

Figure 6: Final Render

By turning off transparency in the film settings and rendering the scene in equirectangular format, my work was completed. The rendered images were compiled in Blender into an MP4 video, which was then passed to Gautham for inclusion in the main video.

I have learned new and efficient Blender knowledge during the creation of this funny scene.

Reference

Deayan Studios. (2023). Smooth Gradient Neon RGB (rainbow) Shader - Blender Tutorial. [YouTube]. Available at: https://youtu.be/bW5BEz01_C4?si=M12qNeQ_y8CBhYlc. [Accessed: 9 February 2025]

[3dgamemodels]

The Hidden Costs of Poorly Optimized Game Assets in Development Pipelines

In the competitive world of game development, ensuring that game assets are optimized is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of the process. Poorly optimized assets can lead to a cascade of issues affecting the final product and the entire development pipeline. This blog delves into the hidden costs of unoptimized game assets and highlights how effective management of 3D modeling games, game assets, and 3D game environments can save time, money, and resources.

Understanding the Importance of Optimization

Game assets, including 3D models, textures, animations, and shaders, are the building blocks of any video game. These components must be carefully designed and optimized to ensure smooth gameplay and efficient performance. Unoptimized assets can introduce bottlenecks that compromise the gaming experience, increase development costs, and extend timelines.

Hidden Costs of Poorly Optimized Game Assets

1. Performance Issues

Unoptimized game assets can drastically reduce performance, causing lag, frame drops, or even crashes. For example, a 3D game environment with excessive polygon counts or high-resolution textures can overwhelm the hardware, particularly on devices with limited resources. These issues can result in:

A negative user experience

Poor reviews and reduced sales

Increased pressure on developers to release patches or updates

2. Increased Development Time

When assets are not optimized, additional time is required to troubleshoot and fix performance issues. For instance, developers may need to reduce polygon counts in 3D models or compress textures late in the development process, delaying milestones and consuming valuable resources.

3. Higher Resource Costs

Unoptimized assets consume more memory and storage, increasing the cost of server space and bandwidth for distribution. Larger file sizes also lead to longer download times, which can frustrate players and deter potential users.

4. Challenges in Cross-Platform Compatibility

Game assets designed without optimization may perform well on high-end desktops but struggle on mobile or lower-spec devices. Adapting such assets to different platforms often requires significant rework, adding to the overall development costs.

5. Poor Team Efficiency

Unoptimized assets can slow down the entire pipeline, impacting collaboration between artists, developers, and QA teams. For example, high-polygon models may cause rendering delays, hampering the productivity of other team members relying on timely asset delivery.

Strategies to Avoid the Hidden Costs

Effective optimization of 3D modeling games, game assets, and 3D game environments requires a proactive approach. Here are some strategies to mitigate the hidden costs of poor optimization:

1. Regular Asset Audits

Conducting regular audits of game assets ensures that they meet performance benchmarks. Use automated tools to identify inefficiencies, such as excessive polygon counts or oversized textures, early in the development process.

2. Implementing Level of Detail (LOD)

LOD systems dynamically adjust the quality of 3D models based on their distance from the camera. This technique reduces the rendering workload, improving performance without compromising visual fidelity.

3. Texture Compression and Atlasing

Compressing textures and using atlasing techniques minimize memory usage and reduce draw calls. For instance, combining multiple textures into a single atlas streamlines the rendering process, enhancing performance.

4. Pre-Baked Lighting and Simplified Shaders

Pre-baking lighting into textures and using simplified shaders can significantly reduce the computational load on hardware, especially for 3D game environments. These techniques are particularly effective for mobile platforms.

5. Cross-Platform Optimization

Utilize game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, which offer built-in tools for platform-specific optimization. Tailoring assets for each platform ensures consistent performance across devices.

6. Training and Collaboration

Invest in training for team members to understand the importance of optimization and how to achieve it. Encourage collaboration between artists and developers to create assets that are visually impressive yet efficient.

Case Study: Optimizing a 3D Modeling Game

Consider a hypothetical example where a development team faces challenges with a 3D modeling game. The initial assets include high-polygon models and uncompressed textures, leading to performance issues during testing. By implementing LOD, compressing textures, and pre-baking lighting, the team reduces the asset sizes by 50% and improves frame rates by 30%. These optimizations not only enhance the user experience but also ensure timely project delivery and cost savings.

Long-Term Benefits of Asset Optimization

1. Enhanced User Experience

Optimized game assets ensure smoother gameplay, higher frame rates, and reduced loading times, resulting in a better overall experience for players.

2. Reduced Maintenance Costs

Efficient assets minimize the need for post-launch patches and updates, saving time and resources.

3. Scalability

Well-optimized assets are easier to adapt to new platforms or future updates, ensuring the game remains relevant and accessible to a broader audience.

4. Positive Brand Reputation

A polished, high-performance game enhances the studio’s reputation, attracting more players and potential partnerships.

Conclusion

The hidden costs of poorly optimized game assets can significantly impact a game’s success and the efficiency of the development pipeline. By prioritizing the optimization of 3D modeling games, game assets, and 3D game environments, developers can avoid performance issues, reduce costs, and deliver exceptional gaming experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned studio or an indie developer, investing in optimization is not just a technical requirement—it’s a strategic decision that paves the way for long-term success.

[wscarcadeproject]

Creating a Simple Arcade Game in Unreal Engine: Part 1

Today I created my own arcade game using arrays to created randomized gameplay.

Arrays are a group of variables ordered in a list, numbered 0, 1, 2, 3, etc. By sorting them and selecting specific values, it is possible to output data from them, and use this to change the look, feel, and even gameplay of your game.

1-2: Player Controls

3-7: Game Environment

8-9: Spawn System

10-12: Items

13-15: Game Instance

In a new Third Person project, open BP_ThirdPersonCharacter and delete everything except for the sections "Add Input Mapping" and "Movement Input". You should have removed the Look and Jump elements from the project.

2. Disconnect the "Forward/Backward" movement nodes. Save and close the blueprint.

3. Delete all elements inside the ThirdPersonMap, as well as the floor and the wall behind the player.

4. Add a Camera Actor and line it up where you want to view the level.

5. Open the Level Blueprint and set up the following blueprint:

6. To set the Player Start in the center of the field, set the Location to the shown coordinates:

7. Create a new Actor, name it Floor, and add a Cube in the viewport. Add it to the level, scale it to where the old floor was, and give it the Actor Tag "Floor".

8. Create a new Actor and name it Spawner. Spawner is going to be the Game Manager, who controls the spawning inside the game.

9. Inside the Event Graph for Spawner, create a new Custom Event and name it Spawn. Add as many Scene components as you want locations where items drop, and create the following code (don't mind the error if you compile, we will attend to it later):

10. Create a new Actor and name it Item_Parent. In the Viewport, add a Sphere Component and drag it up to make it the Scene Root.

11. Select the Sphere and, in the Details panel, change the following settings:

Simulating Physics > True

Collision Presets > Custom..., Type > Physics Body, and all Responses > Overlap.

12. Create the following Blueprint in the Event Graph:

This makes the falling objects vanish upon hitting the floor, so they don't cluster up.

13. Create a Game Instance and name it Arcade_Game_Instance.

14. In the Game Instance, make two Integer variables named Score and HighScore, respectively.

15. Back in Item_Parent, make the following modifications to the Event Graph blueprint:

16. In the Content Browser, right-click Item_Parent and select Create Child Blueprint Class. Do this repeatedly to make different items worth different amounts of points, naming them Item_Child_01, etc.

17. Open the Child Actors and give them all different materials so that you can tell the difference between them.

18. To alter their score value, click the cog icon in the My Blueprint menu and tick "Show Inherited Variables", which will allow you to see the Parent's variables. Select each variable and alter the Default Value at the bottom of the Details pane to set each object's score (including both positive and negative ones).

19. Back in BP_Spawner, add a new variable, and set it to Actor (Class Reference). Name it Items and make it an Array in the Details panel.

20. Adjust the event graph, making sure to add the dropped items to the Items variable:

21. Add the Spawner actor in the game and align it with the player, then begin adding the Scene components where you want the items to fall from.

*Scene components completely invisible by default, they are present

21. Create a new Widget Blueprint and name it ScoreUI.

22. Add a Canvas Panel and a Text Block.

23. Create a Binding for the Text. In the binding, make the following code:

24. Open the ThirdPersonCharacter blueprint and add the following code to Event BeginPlay:

25. In Edit > Project Settings > Project: Maps & Modes, change the game instance to your Arcade_Game_Instance.

26. Create a new level and name it WinLose.

27. Create a new Actor and name it GameOver. Copy the code from the Child item actors, but remove the score mechanics and set Open Level from the Branch instead of Destroy Actor.

28. Set the Open Level mode to the Win/Lose level, and add GameOver to the Item array.

29. Create a new Widget Blueprint and name it ScoreScreenUI. Open it, and add a Canvas Panel and two Text Blocks (one for the achieved score, one for the high score).

30. Add two Buttons, each with Text Blocks, to be the Retry and Quit buttons. Make sure "Is Variable" is set to true in the Details panel for both of them.

31. Create a new Binding and copy the code from ScoreUI. Apply it to both numbers (see above image), making sure to change the high score text to the appropriate box:

32. In the ThirdPersonCharacter, make a new Custom Event and name it HighScore. Create the following code:

33. Enter the WinLose level and open the Level Blueprint. Create the following code: