2017 (subject to change).

Week

Date

 Topics PDF Notes/Assignment
1
01/03
  1. Course introduction, is this the right course for you?
  2. View projects from previous years.
 [PDF]

 2016-2017 Academic Calendar

Homework [HW1], posted in column left. The survey monkey link changed on Monday around noon, and the piazza link is now provided.

Read:
   History: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_games
2  
01/10
  1. Movie part 1 & part 2
  2. Game Programming Backgrounds and Histroy
 [PDF] Required Reading/History: Wikipedia ( URL ), also look at side bar (review genres & consoles) .
3
01/17
  1. HTML5/Canvas introduction:
    1. HTML
    2. Canvas
    3. Java Script
    4. Animation
    5. Simple Physics
  2. Th: Hackathon 1: Warmup
 [PDF]

A preview of first Project [P1] is available, see column on left. You will need to demonstrate your game in class using a laptop.

tutorial1
tutorial1.zip

If you are not present to demonstrate your program then there is at least a 1 letter grade point deduction. Project Submissions need to include a link to a youtube demo video of your project (you may use a private youtube link). In the video you need to hightlight each grade criteria, and any embellishment that you have made.
4  
01/24
  1. HTML5 & Java Script
  2. Simple game animation, interaction
  3. Th: Hackathon 2: Physics (e.g., climbing, sliding)
 [PDF]

HW1: Grades: 2017-HW1.htm

People page updated (see link above).
Check out HTML5 colors ( here ) W3 naming ( here )
Recommended Book: "Core HTML5 Canvas", by David Greary, Paper copy $32.00.

 
5
01/31
  1. HTML5 & Java Script
  2. Collision detection, sprite, sprite sheets, sprite mechanics
  3. Th: Hackathon 3: physics, collision detection, sprite mechanics
  

Hackathon 1: Icons Grades (here)
Hackathon 2: Physics Grades (here)
HW 1: Updated Grades - Final Grades (here) No more contests allowed

Collision detection (modular) (here)

Pixel art:
      http://www.piskelapp.com/
      https://inkscape.org/en/
      https://www.gimp.org/
      http://charas-project.net/charas2/index.php
      photoshop

tutorial2.zip (updated to include ball object implementation)
animate-sprite.zip
6
02/07
  1. HTML 5 & Java Script
  2. Parallax
  3. More on Collision
  4. Level Design, Structured game programming, Platformer discussion
  5. We: Project 1 Check
  6. Th: Showcase Day.
  7. Th: Talk about ImpactJS
 

tutorial4-parallax.zip

tutorial5-physics-forces-float.zip

Required Game Engine: ImpactJS ($99).
Required Book: "Introducing HTML5 Game Development", Jesse Freeman (electronic copies are available, $8.00-$9.99 for the electronic version). This book is on the ImpactJS engine.
Photoshop (pencil tool pixel setup - here )
Gimp ( here , here ), GrafX ( here ), various ( here ).
7 [P2]
02/14
  1. Physics, ImpactJS
  2. Camera View, Levels, Weltmeister (here)
  3. We: Photoshop Tricks
  4. Th: Hackathon 4 Physics: Physics: forces, ellastic and inellastic collision, in HTML5 intro to ImpactJS.
  5. Parallax in ImpactJS ( here)
 [PDF]

Have ImpactJS installed on laptop on Tu (02/14), after signing license.
Watch Pong tutorial, edit it, for practice.

Read Chapters 1, 2 and 4. ([optional] skim Ch 3)
Chapter 1-2 (setup of ImpacJS, and sprites).

By We: Read : Chapter 3 (Skim).
By We: Read: Chapter 4 Finish Reading, and practicing by Thursday. Th/Fr: (Book is easy to read) finish 4, then Chapter 5,6,7 (HW read)

Presentation/Demo Grade (5%) of grade (how to get a 100 on this grade):
* First presentation pretty much gives you 75 pts (if you share some 'insight)
* Second presentation gives you another 15 pts (needs to have some substance)
* Third presention (10 pts )
To convince us you provided insight for each demo fill this survey monkey out:
Surveymonkey - demo

8
02/21
  1. ImpactJS Weltmeiser.
  2. We: Working with the bio-pack, trigger etc.
  3. Level Design
  4. Hackathon 5: ImpactJS: Weltmeister
  

Grades P1 ( here ).

Read/Do: Chapter 8,9

Working with triggers -
            ** Weltmeister and building triggers:
                      (tutorial, full page video, 6:09)

----
HW: Spore: Birth of a game : ( here ) 17 min
HW: Gaming can make a better world : ( here ) 20 min
----

Art tools: piskel , pro motion, inkscape, mapeditor
9
02/28
  1. Tu: YouTube
  2. We: Photoshop Tile
  3. Th: Exam 1 (laptops required), Html5/Canvas, Collision Techniques, Elastic, and Inellastic Collisions, Physics, Object Orientation, ImpactJs Techniques. Triggers
  

Th Mar 02, 2017 - Midterm Half Done!

Back to the basics Level Design and Mario ( here ) 6 min
from the designer of Super Mario (5 min)
Level Design first person shooter ( here ) 15 min
Super Meat Boy ( 6 1/2 min)
Difficulty/Depth/Complexity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVL4st0blGU (6 1/2)

Day in the life of a game designer : ( here ) 4 min

Eames Power of 10: ( here ) Seeing things. 9 min

Are games better than life? ( here ) 21 min
10
03/07
 

Spring Break

Hackathon 3: Heart - Sprite movements (here)
Hackathon 5: Trigger - Heart Shower & Chocolate Bath (here) .

Hackathon 4: TA - will submit.
11
03/14
  1. Tu: HW 3 is due
  2. Indie Game Movie (35 minutes){ 2 sessions Tu/We}
  3. Th: Project 2 Due

 


Exam 1: Impact JS ( here )

Project 2: ImpactJS SM

HW2 : (here). Several did not submit
H4 Physics ( here ) Several did not submit

 

Grade book (here) does not contain P2 and HW3.

** Please make a youtube video highlighting that you filled each of the grade criterion. Email link to both the instructor and TA. The sooner the better, but at the latest Tuesday before class.

Add this line to your index.htm file of your project ( here )
12
03/21
  1. Tu: Box2D, Showcases
  2. Settings & Environments
  3. Mechanics
  4. Difficulty
  5. Execution
   Withdrawal Deadline: Monday, Mar 20, 2017
Box2D and Game Design Focus
Game Objectives:
---> Feeling Accomplished ( here )
---> Growing Stronger ( here )
---> Teaching without Teaching ( here )
---> Gamification ( here )
---> Pacing ( here )
13

 
03/28
  1. AI in Gaming: Path planning and Behavior Models of Path Planning.
  2. AI Path Planning
  3. A*, D* PyGame (pointers only).
  4. Dijkstra's path planning & FSM Behavior Models.
 [PDF]
[PDF]
[PDF]		 Depth First, Best First, Dijskstra, A* and D* Path planning.

Amit Patel's Path planning tutorial
Patrick Lester's A* tutorial for beginners
Biological Agent Based FSM

14
04/04
  1. AI: Finish up AI in Games.
  2. Blender Tutorial (possibly)
  3. Th: Hackathon Path Planning H7
 [PDF]

 Unity Project 3D GAMING

Softcopy of the Unity book (see here).
15
P4
04/11
  1. Unity Introduction (Justin)
  2. Th: Demo Path Planning Project
  3. Th: Work in class book tutorials & Presentations. Note
    P4 Are checkpoints of chapters in book
  

Download Unity ( here ) 30-40 minutes
Get.Started: http://www.virtualgamelab.com/unity-resources.html

http://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules
(editor --> interface overview)

 

Presentation Status : See post on piazza Surveymonkey - demo , 75 + 15 + 10 grading.

16
[HW5]

{FE}
04/18
  1. Mo: HW5/ FE are both posted.
  2. Tu: Alternate Check for P3.
  3. Tu: Check point1. Ch2, 3 (due date).
  4. We: Check point Ch5, 6
  5. Hackathon (practice for test). H8
  

Grades:
     Project 2 Impact JS ( here )
     HW3 ( here )
     HW4 ( here )
     Attendance ( here )

Working on:
     H6 Garden/KNA,
     H7 Path Planning/MH,
     Ranking/MH

Practice Exam Games Practice:
* Driving game 10-15 minutes ( here )
* Racing Game
* Pong game in Unity
* 3D Platform Jumper.
* Snake Game 20 minutes ( here )
* Sport (e.g., Javelin, Shot put).
* Simulate Player Skills such as: Shooting a
target, jumping, climbing, flying,
simulate lifting, rolling heavy ojects, bouncing,
jumping, climbing.

17
04/25
  1. Tu: Exam 2 (see above on how to practice, create a unity game 30-60 minutes, demonstrate you can quickly prototype a game - within the class period.
  2. We: Check point 7, 8
  3. We: HW 5: Due
  4. Th: Reading Day
   * Ch 7 Instatiations,
* Ch 8 Particle Systems (Goldstone, the author has a video on this on youtube).
* Ch 10 Animation Basics (optional, final exam resource)
         

Grades:
     Project 4: Unity Book - Check points( here )
     Project 4: No Name (is it yours?) ( here )  
     H6: Impact JS Garden ( here ) one paper with no name

Todo:     
       HW5

Recent Grades:
     H7/MH Path Planning (here)
     H8/MH Unity Garden (here)
     Exam 2/MH ( here ) 
     P3 /KNA ( here )
     P2 /KNA ( here ) Contest Period Completed. Final Grades.P2

Current Grade Book: ( here ) - updated 5/3/2017 -- 12:52 PM


18
05/02
  1. Thu: 05/04 Our final - present your final project.
    12:00 - 3:00 pm
 

Final Grade book ( here )
19
05/09
  1. Mo: 5/08 Grades Due 5 PM