Co-requisite - CESCOM10083-4 Introduction to Software Development or equivalent

2D graphical package for image creation and manipulation
3D modelling tool such as 3DS Max
Game development engine such as Unity Engine
Development environment and Open GL libraries for C++ programming

OpenGL Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL, Dave Shreiner, Graham Sellers, John Kessenich, Bill Licea-Kane, 2013, Addison Wesley, ISBN: 978-0321773036
The C++ Programming Language, 4th edition, Bjarne Stroustrup, 2013, Addison Wesley, ISBN: 978-0321563842
Game Development Essentials, Jeannie Novak, 2011, Delmar Cengage Learning, ISBN: 978-1111642884

Game Hardware: History of gaming hardware. Characteristics of current and emerging platforms and peripherals.
The Games Industry: Game industry economic relationships, game production life-cycle, game production roles and teams
Game Design: Game genres and principles of game play, design documents
2D graphics: Introduction to image manipulation using a suitable 2D graphics package, colour models and graphical file formats, loading and rendering of 2D sprites
3D graphics: Introduction to 3D modelling using a suitable software package, camera/model paradigm, model representation using vertices and facets, 3D pipeline and transformations, texturing, lighting. Use of a suitable API such as OpenGL.
Elements of the game loop: input, movement using AI and physics, collision detection, graphics and sound rendering.
3D Graphics programming ¿ asset loading and storage, input, basic physics and AI, animation, collision detection, output
C++ programming for game development: functions and prototypes, pointers, dynamic memory allocation, arrays and structures, classes and objects, file I/O, linked lists and trees.
Necessary health and safety aspects of working with the specialist computing hardware equipment and personal risk assessment.

Production of a 2D game showing the understanding of various game programming techniques. (Learning Outcome 2) 35% weighting

Use of OpenGL and programming to produce a 3D graphical environment. (Learning Outcome 3) 35% weighting

2 hour exam (Learning Outcome 1) 30% weighting

52 hours of lectures and 52 hours of practical sessions. In the practical session you will work through exercises to get hands-on experience of the principles taught in the lecture.

1. DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF, AND EXPLAIN GAME AND GRAPHICAL CONCEPTS AND THEORY, AND THE INDUSTRY CONTEXT IN WHICH GAME ARE DEVELOPED.
Knowledge & Understanding

2. EXPLOIT A VARIETY OF DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENTS, AND SELECT AND APPLY GAME AND GRAPHICAL PRINCIPLES, TO CREATE IMAGES, MODELS AND GAME SYSTEMS.
Analysis
Application

3. IMPLEMENT ALGORITHMS, DATA STRUCTURES AND FILE HANDLING USING A HIGH LEVEL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE AND API TO SUPPORT GAMES AND GRAPHICS DEVELOPMENT.
Application
Knowledge & Understanding

This module will introduce you to C++ programming, the Visual Studio environment and graphical programming techniques. Learn C++ programming by building computer games.