Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
LJMU Partner Taught
Learning Methods
Lecture
Practical
Module Offerings
5752YCOM-JAN-PAR
Aims
1. To explain the digital game content creation workflow.
2. To develop theoretical knowledge of the concepts and techniques required for 2D graphics, 3D modelling and 3D animation.
3. To provide students an opportunity to practice the principles of 3D modelling and 3D animation using appropriate tools, techniques and methods.
4. To explain the concepts and techniques for producing pre-rendered cinematics.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Identify and interpret artistic requirements of 3D models.
2.
Apply appropriate modelling operations and textures to 3D models for incorporation into a game engine using the appropriate techniques and software tools.
3.
Plan and communicate motion graphic sequences for a short cinematic.
4.
Apply principles of 3D animation to the production of 3D animation sequences for a short cinematic and use an appropriate approach to render 3D animation sequences to file.
Module Content
Outline Syllabus:Digital Game Content Creation Pipeline: Game Production Timeline,
Roles in the Game Production Team, Documenting Art Requirements
(Concept Art, Storyboarding, Moodboard, Colours), Exporting, Optimising and
Loading.
2D Graphics: Bitmap, Colour Format, Alpha channel, Resizing and Cropping,
Dynamic Range, File Formats (Lossy and Lossless), Sprite Design, Tiles Design.
3D Modelling: Vertices, Edges, Polygons, Primitives, Approaches to Low-poly.
Texture: Mapping strategies, UV Mapping, Types of Maps (Light Map, Shadow Map,
Occlusion Map, Specular/Glossiness Map, Bump Map, Normal Map, Displacement
Map), Procedural Textures, Implications of Texture Size.
3D Animation: Evolution of Computer Animation, Principles of 3D Computer Animation,
(Rigging, Skinning), Keyframe animation, Cleaning Motion,
Blendshapes, Locomotion, Facial Animation.
3D Virtual Scene Composition: Asset planning, Reusing assets, Level of Details (LoDs),
Procedural Level Generation.
Rendering and Lighting: Rendering Pipeline, Lighting and Shadows, Specular and
Diffused Light, and Global Illumination, Rendering still and animation. Assets Conditioning for Game Engines.
Additional Information:In this module, students learn about the digital content creation for games, the associated techniques and tools for creation of 2D graphics, 3D models and 3D animation, and rendering using 3D software packages. In the first piece of coursework, students will solely be producing 3D models and conditioning it for game engine.
In the second coursework, students take a different role within the creative department and will be given ready-made 3D models which will require them to plan out the animation as a team, then animate the 3D models to become a simple animation. They will also have to light and render the environment individually for compilation of a short cinematic.