Chenyi Wang

Twistmas Island is a digital 3D scene built in Unreal Engine with 3D scanned handmade crocheted Christmas-themed objects. These handmade elements are filled with special wishes, inviting viewers to explore the island and collect these sincere messages.

🎅 Twistmas Island Highlights:
⛄️ Snowman: Find me for a sprinkle of luck in 2025!
🍪 Gingerbread Man: Track me down for a boost of creativity and passion.
🎈 Hot Air Balloon: Soar with me to discover courage and energy.
🍦 Ice Cream: Chill with me to uncover the warmth of love.
🎁 Gift Box: Unwrap me for wealth and exciting growth.
🚂 Train Station: Hop aboard to ride toward unstoppable success!

✨ How to Play:
Control the joystick to explore the island and uncover the best wishes for you!
🎮 Press "A" to jump and leap into adventure.
🌍 Hold "B" to view the entire magical island!

IDM@20 Showcase

Demo Video

Work Process

The 3D scanning is mainly conducted by using Artec Spyder 3D scanner, which has built-in align functions and works well for most crochets with relatively smooth surfaces. For some objects with fuzzy fabric, iPhone app Polycam's algorithm does a better job in recogizing and reconstructing the mesh.

The original design of the scene was a town on a platform; however, we realized that this will resulted in a flat, unengaging appearance lacking visual hierarchy. Thus, we decided to create an island with varying levels to showcase each element, adding depth and making the experience more dynamic for visitors to explore.

Since the 3D model we created for the island was irregular and complex, some additional tweaking of its collisions was required when importing it into Unreal Engine to remove extra collision gaps to allow the character to contact the surface of the model instead of visually floating in the air.

Tools: 3D scanners, Unreal Engine 5

In collaboration with: Enlin Li, Yuanqing Li