This week, I began developing both the technical and conceptual direction of my project, focusing on how to represent intimacy and memory through an object without showing a human presence.
On the technical side, I experimented with colliders and soft-body physics to simulate the compression of a hug. Initially, I applied soft-body properties to a complete teddy bear model, but this caused the entire mesh to deform uniformly, producing unrealistic results. This led me to an important discovery: effective soft-body simulation requires careful mesh topology and separation. After breaking the model into distinct parts, I was able to achieve more localised and believable deformation, which will inform how I build the asset moving forward. However, I also found that the body being hugged was very difficult to control, as it moved excessively and behaved unpredictably during the interaction.
In parallel, I tested how a hug could be visually suggested using a simplified arm-like form created with a bent capsule. This abstraction allowed me to focus on movement and contact rather than character animation. The resulting deformation effectively conveyed care and familiarity, shifting my focus to how the object responds rather than who is interacting with it.
Here’s a recording of the test after separating the teddy bear into different parts:
However, the test also revealed a key limitation. The interaction felt external and temporary, capturing the action of a hug but not the lasting impact I want to convey. This prompted a shift in my approach: instead of representing the gesture itself, I need to explore how repeated interactions leave visible traces over time.
Overall, this stage clarified both technical constraints and conceptual direction. Moving forward, I will refine the model to better control deformation and experiment with ways to embed or reactivate these changes to suggest memory.