Y1 gd engine_terminology

Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
1
Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of Video Game Design and Video Game Terms. Using a provided template,
you must research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the
website you have obtained the definition.
You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice.
Name: RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched
definition and URL link)
DESCRIBE
THE
RELEVANC
E OF THE
RESEARCH
ED TERM
TO YOUR
OWN
PRODUCTI
ON
PRACTICE?
IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an image and/or video link of said
term being used in a game)
VIDEO
GAME
S /
VIDEO
GAME
TESTIN
G
Demo “It i s my opinion that a demo in games is a demonstration of how the game
i s played. It will normally tell you about how to go about playing in the game
in detail and will normally take you through several boards of the game”
https ://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090423022627AA9nGkS
Creating a
Demo of our
concept
games helps
us
understand
bugs , gives
opportunity
for feedback
and shows
us what we
can improve
http://blazekick.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/My-Great-Capture-Screen-Shot-2014-07-03-04-37-
32.png
The Playstation and Xbox marketplaces recommend playing
Demo’s for either a c ertain amount of time of to a c ertain
point within the game, before having to purchase it digitally
or a physical CD

IG2 Task 1
2
Beta Beta testing comes after alpha testing and can be considered a form of
external user acceptance testing. Versions of the software, known as beta
vers ions, are released to a limited audience outside of the programming
team. The software is released to groups of people so that further testing
can ensure the product has few faults or bugs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_testing
Beta in our
cas e can be
used to
di s tribute
our game to
the public or
peers to test
for faults
and/or bugs
http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/
uploads/edgeonline/2012/09/Steam-Greenlight-thumb.jpg
Steam Greenlight is home to many games that are in Beta and also
games within Alpha, the public votes to greenlight games that are in
production, upon being greenlit, steam will talk to the retailer and
ask them to publish an early retail version
Alpha Alpha testing is s imulated or actual operational testing by potential
users/customers or an independent test team at the developers' site. Alpha
tes ting i s often employed for off-the-shelf software as a form of internal
acceptance testing, before the software goes to beta testing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_testing
Alpha being
a very bas ic
vers ion of
the game
we ’ve
created, we
can i ron out
any early
deta ils that
might make
the game
better
http://www.praetoriaguard.com/index.php?/page/articles.html/_/ga
ming/pcgaming/

IG2 Task 1
3
“Rus t” i s a game that is in Alpha, i t has the main components of the
game integrated, but even at the current stage i s being renovated
ove r a nd over ti l’ they ca n “Go for gold”
Pre-
Alpha
There are a bunch of s tages in the gaming industry. Pre -production, pre-alpha,
alpha, beta, gold. I think I might have forgot one or two. Been a while
s ince I worked in the game industry.
Pre-alpha is basically implementing all the systems and features in the
game. Once all those systems are in the game then they move on to Alpha.
http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/440511.page
With all the
basic ideas and
wha t’s going to
be contained
within the
ga me and i t’s
conce pts it’s
pos sible to
move onto
alpha with all
the in-game
ideas
implemented.
http://www.mmobomb.com/review/unturned
Unturned is a game which is in pre-alpha, it has most of the
fe a tures and implements, but it’s still being built towards a s table
alpha game
Gold The term "release to manufacturing", also known as "going gold", is a term
used when a software product is ready to be delivered or provided to the
cus tomer. This build may be digitally signed, allowing the end user to verify
the integrity and authenticity of the software purchase. A copy of the RTM
bui ld known as the "gold master" or GM i s sent for mass duplication. RTM
precedes general availability (GA), when the product i s released to the
public.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle
After we ’ve
gone
through
s tages such
as pre-alpha,
alpha and
beta , with all
the bugs
i roned out
and all
concepts
have been
perfectly
di s played it’s
pos sible to
release i t for
Link to Destiny trailer will be embedded below post under “Gold
Vi de o”
Des tiny i s a Game that got released on the 9th of Se ptember 2014, i t’s
a new game that got released and so it had to go through the stage
of “goi ng gold” being re leased to the public ve ry re ce ntly, thus
passing this stage

IG2 Task 1
4
public
release
Debug Debug mode is a development tool which typically allows you to break the
rules of the game in any number of ways and to give technical information
that i s of benefit to the programmers working on the games. Examples of
debug are Object Debug, Night Mode and Placement Debug.
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_debug_mode_in_gaming
Often
debugging
can be found
in video
game
makers such
as unity or
game maker
in order to
give info on
items giving
off bugs that
can be
unbeneficial
to the
Debugging is a process in coding which ca n give info on what isn’t
working correctly within the engine causing bugs that could be fatal
Automati
on
Automation or automatic control, is the use of various control systems for
operating equipment such as machinery, processes in factories, boilers and
heat treating ovens, switching in telephone networks, s teering and
s tabilization of ships, aircraft and other applications with minimal or
reduced human intervention. Some processes have been completely
automated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automation
Automation
in an engine
l ike unity
could mean
repeating a
s cript over
and over,
such as
change in
daytime
Lapping over scripts can create a consistent feature to continue
looping, in this process we can see the repeat of a cycl e of starting
the editor to place a scene and player

IG2 Task 1
5
White-
Box
Testing
White-box testing (also known as clear box testing, glass box testing,
transparent box testing, and s tructural testing) is a method of testing
software that tests internal structures or workings of an application, as
opposed to i ts functionality (i .e. black-box testing). In white-box testing an
internal perspective of the system, as well as programming skills, are used
to des ign test cases. The tester chooses inputs to exercise paths through the
code and determine the appropriate outputs. This is analogous to testing
nodes in a circuit, e.g. in-circuit testing (ICT).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-box_testing
White box
tes ting will
be require in
order fix
l ines of code
that are
fragi le In the
coding
Bug Gl i tches/bugs are software errors that can cause drastic problems within
the code, and typically go unnoticed or unsolved during the production of
said software. These errors can be game caused or otherwise exploited until
a developer/development team repairs them. Complex software is rarely
bug-free or otherwise free from errors upon first release.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitch
Finding and
fixing bugs
means that
in the future
of the games
productions
mal l issues
tha t a re n’t
correct
won’t be a n
i s sue
Vi de o ca n be found under “Bug vi deo” Embedded below
Thi s video shows coding bugs from popular games, such as sims or
As sassins creed, which could be errors caused by AI not responding
correctly or mechanics not working to par

IG2 Task 1
6
GAME
ENGIN
ES
GAME
ENGIN
ES
Vertex
Shader
Vertex shaders are run once for each vertex given to the graphics processor.
The purpose is to transform each vertex's 3D position in vi rtual space to the
2D coordinate at which i t appears on the screen (as well as a depth value for
the Z-buffer). Vertex shaders can manipulate properties such as position,
color and texture coordinate, but cannot create new vertices. The output of
the vertex shader goes to the next s tage in the pipeline, which is either a
geometry shader i f present, or the rasterizer. Verte x shaders can enable
powerful control over the details of position, movement, l ighting, and color
in any s cene involving 3D models.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader#Vertex_shaders
Things such
as casting
shadows on
objects and
make them
look realistic
in relations
to l ighting,
other
objects or
l ight sources
Showing clear vertex shading, adding more detail and response of
l ighting to the small indents of the shape
Pixel
Shader
Pixel shaders, also known as fragment shaders, compute color and other
attributes of each fragment. The simplest kinds of pixel shaders output one
s creen pixel as a color value; more complex shaders with multiple
inputs/outputs are also possible. Pixel shaders range from always outputting
the same color, to applying a lighting value, to doing bump mapping,
shadows, specular highlights, translucency and other phenomena.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader#Vertex_shaders
Pixel shades
can be used
to draw
larger
effects onto
terrains and
things like
backgrounds
With pixel shading it Is possible to create a realistic looking image
with much less attention to detail than i t may seem.

IG2 Task 1
7
Post
Processin
g
The term post-processing (or postproc for short) is used in the video/film
bus iness for quality-improvement image processing (specifically digital
image processing) methods used in video playback devices, (such as stand-alone
DVD-Video players), and video players software and transcoding
software. It is also commonly used in real-time 3D rendering (such as in
video games) to add additional effects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_post-processing
By pos t
processing
i t’s possible
to improve
the image
and quality
of the game
being
improved
with
additional
effects
Vi de o ca n be found under “Post Proce ssing Video” Embedded below
Pos t processing can be the difference in making the game look like
Borderlands with cell shading or CoD with humid lighting on the
character
Renderin
g
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a 2D or 3D model (or
models in what collectively could be called a s cene file), by means of
computer programs. Also, the results of such a model can be called a
rendering. A s cene file contains objects in a s trictly defined language or data
s tructure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and
shading information as a description of the vi rtual s cene.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendering_(computer_graphics)
If we were
to create a
3d model we
would need
to render it
to show the
geometry
and shading
information
Rendering this image shows that smoothing out the polygons to be
joined, flattened and curved in order to mould into a more realistic
image for inside a game.

IG2 Task 1
8
Normal
Map
In 3D computer graphics, normal mapping, or "Dot3 bump mapping", i s a
technique used for faking the lighting of bumps and dents – an
implementation of bump mapping. It is used to add details without using
more polygons. A common use of this technique is to greatly enhance the
appearance and details of a low polygon model by generating a normal map
from a high polygon model or height map.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
By us ing
normal
ma pping it’s
pos sible to
add co-ordinates
us ing the
shape and
hue of each
area
Wi th the difference of hue within the image, i t’s possible to map co -
ordinates onto the image in relation to the colours in the game
Entity An enti ty i s something that exists in itself, actually or hypothetically. It need
not be of material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are
usually regarded as entities. In general, there is also no presumption that an
enti ty i s animate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity
Enti ties are
what i s
requi red to
make an AI
“a l ive ” and
can also be
what the
player takes
control of
In UDK there are default enemies which can be given movement or
given conditions upon which i t will act

IG2 Task 1
9
UV Map UV mapping is the 3D modeling process of making a 2D image
representation of a 3D model's surface.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV_mapping
The skins we
need to
texture onto
players, is
UV mapping
Thi s character i s produced by these textures being wrapped around
the character model.
Procedur
al
Texture
A procedural texture is a computer-generated image created using an
algorithm intended to create a realistic representation of natural elements
such as wood, marble, granite, metal, s tone, and others.
Usually, the natural look of the rendered result is achieved by the usage of
fracta l noise and turbulence functions. These functions are used as a
nume rical re presentation of the “ra ndomness” found i n nature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_texture
Procedural
textures are
commonly
used in
games like
minecraft in
order to ti le
terrains
together to
imi tate a
landscape.
Thes e are textures that could be repainted over terrain and be
recycled
Physics Computer animation physics or game physics involves the introduction of
the laws of physics into a simulation or game engine, particularly in 3D
computer graphics, for the purpose of making the effects appear more real
to the observer. Typically, simulation physics is only a close approximation
to real physics, and computation is performed using discrete values.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics
Phys ics are
needed in
games as
they can
define
whether a
character
could fly, has
low gravity
Vi de o under “Physics Video” embedded below
Porta l 2 di splays tonnes of physics that would mimic that of real life
phys ics with the twist of portals, being able to transfer velocity on a
di fferent Axis and direction.

IG2 Task 1
10
etc.
Collision Col l ision detection typically refers to the computational problem of
detecting the intersection of two or more objects. While the topic is most
often associated with its use in video games and other physical simulations,
i t al so has applications in robotics. In addition to determining whether two
objects have collided, collision detection systems may also calculate time of
impact (TOI), and report a contact manifold (the set of intersecting points).
Col l ision response deals with simulating what happens when a collision is
detected (see physics engine, ragdoll physics). Solving collision detection
problems requires extensive use of concepts from linear algebra and
computational geometry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collision_detection
Col l ision in
games can
define what
impact from
another
object with
col l ision
phys ics will
do to i t, i t
al so defines
how the
player i s
connected
to the
terrain, i .e
they can
walk
through
wal ls or
enti ties.
Thi s image shows the effects of not having Collision detection on an
object, thus making it pass straight through, in which a bullet would
normally make collision with the Wall within the image
Lighting High-dynamic-range rendering (HDRR or HDR rendering), also known as
high-dynamic-range l ighting, i s the rendering of computer graphics scenes
by us ing lighting calculations done in a larger dynamic range. This allows
pres ervation of details that may be lost due to limiting contrast ratios. Video
games and computer-generated movies and special effects benefit from this
as i t creates more realistic scenes than with the more simplistic lighting
models used.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_rendering
Lighting in
our games,
more
specifically
HDRR or
HDR
rendering
can add
more
realism in to
the game as
i t can be
found in
special
effects that
emi t l ighting
HDR rendering causes the light to seem more realistic, in i ts relations
to how the l ight bounces from water, how much it l ights a certain
object and how the light reflects from certain types of objects.

IG2 Task 1
11
AA –
Anti-
Aliasing
Anti -aliasing may refer to any of a number of techniques to combat the
problems of aliasing in a sampled signal such as a digital image or digital
audio recording.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-aliasing
Anti -Aliasing
finds finds
common
imperfection
s in images
or audio
recording
within the
game.
The image shows anti-aliasing smooths out the shape with gradients
rather than pixelated images.
LoD –
Level of
Detail
In computer graphics, accounting for level of detail involves decreasing the
complexity of a 3D object representation as it moves away from the viewer
or according to other metrics such as object importance, viewpoint-relative
speed or position. Level of detail techniques increases the efficiency of
rendering by decreasing the workload on graphics pipeline stages, usually
vertex transformations. The reduced visual quality of the model is often
unnoticed because of the small effect on object appearance when distant or
moving fast.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_detail
By paying
attention to
the LoD in a
ga me , it’s
pos sible to
increase or
decrease
how
complex the
representati
on of a 3D
image is.
Thi s image shows that with the lesser amount of polygons used
within the model, using far more triangles to construct the shape
more accurately but decrease the efficiency of the Rendering
Animatio
n
Animation is the process of creating motion and shape change illusion by
means of the rapid display of a sequence of static images that minimally
di ffer from each other. The illusion—as in motion pictures in general—is
thought to rely on the phi phenomenon. Animators are artists who
specialize in the creation of animation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation
Animation in
gaming is
used to l ink
movements
in game
engines like
gamemaker
by making a
perfect loop
of a sprite
walking etc.
Thi s image shows the process of drawing a model within different
pos itions and looping them together to make a walking gif file

IG2 Task 1
12
Sprite In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms
below) is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a
larger s cene. Initially including just graphical objects handled separately
from the memory bitmap of a video display, this now includes various
manners of graphical overlays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_(computer_graphics)
Game maker
uses simple
Sprites
which can be
used in
many
di fferent
processes in
the game
being
created,
such as
being drawn
into a
character,
weapon or
piece of
terrain
Thes e are sprites from the Pokémon franchise from Nintendo, it
s hows how they’re used a nd normally comes with more frames for
animation.
Scene Scenes contain the objects of your game. They can be used to create a main
menu, individual levels, and anything else. Think of each unique Scene file as
a unique level. In each Scene, you will place your envi ronments, obstacles,
and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces.
http://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/CreatingScenes.html
Scenes are
the base of
uni ty
projects,
making it
pos sible for
us to place
objects,
create a
terrain and
can be
merged with
other s cenes
Thi s image shows a basic s cene set up in Unity, required for terrains,
object, rules and physics

IG2 Task 1
13
Library Preset Libraries contain user created data and persist between sessions.
They are integrated into the Color Picker, Gradient Editor and Curve Editors.
A pres et is e.g a color, gradient or an animation curve that is saved by the
user.
A pres et library i s a collection of presets saved into one file.
Preset libraries contain personal data or project data. They can be saved
either in the user preferences folder or in a ‘Editor’ folder i n the Assets
folder. Project preset l ibraries can then be added to revision control for easy
sharing between users on a project and added to Asset Store packages.
http://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/PresetLibraries.html
Libraries can
be used to
categorize
separate
things such
as object,
l ights,
coding
integrated
into
characters
etc.
A pres et library can have anything from sprites, to physics, cameras,
textures, many kinds of customizable features in the game
UI The us er interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine
interaction, i s the space where interactions between humans and machines
occur. The goal of this interaction i s effective operation and control of the
machine on the user's end, and feedback from the machine, which aids the
operator in making operational decisions. Examples of this broad concept of
user interfaces include the interactive aspects of computer operating
sys tems, hand tools, heavy machinery operator controls, and process
control s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface
The us er
interface can
be used in
di fferent
places
within game
or game
des ign
process,
such as the
di splay from
uni ty to
create the
game or in-game
menus
Can also be referred to as Heads up display, the information the
player might need which can vary based on the game, health, hunger,
ammo, inventory, game options, currency, i t can go on
The image shows elements making up the user interface

IG2 Task 1
14
Frames key frame in animation and filmmaking is a drawing that defines the starting
and ending points of any smooth transition. The drawings are called
"frames" because their position in time is measured in frames on a s trip of
fi lm. A sequence of keyframes defines which movement the viewer will see,
whereas the position of the keyframes on the film, video or animation
defines the timing of the movement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_frame
Frames in
gaming can
be the
interval In
which
events occur
such as the
s l ight
movement
of a
character,
s tandard
games run
around
60 fps which
gives plenty
of frames to
add
animation,
effects or
events.
The image shows different frames of animation In a character doing a
melee attack, with small info and movement being put in
Concept When the mind makes a generalization such as the concept of tree, i t
extracts similarities from numerous examples; the s implification enables
higher-level thinking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept
Concept in
gaming can
be an idea
that has
been
generate ad
could
potentially
be
integrated
into the
game
Although there are many different types of concepts within gaming,
thi s shows concept art for a character from two angles, so what was
originally .

IG2 Task 1
15
Event So, what are events? Basically, these are discreet moments in the game loop
where things are made to happen based on what you have programmed for
them. You see GameMaker: Studio works with cycles of these events - from
the moment a room i s started to the moment it i s finished there is a game
loop running where every step (a step is a moment in game time, governed
by the room speed setting) a s eries of events are run, and you can choose to
place code or DnD actions in your instances that respond to these events.
“http://docs.yoyogames.com/source/dadiospice/000_using%20gamemaker
/events/index.html
Events occur
when
the y’re
activated
with their
l ine of code,
for example,
running an
event for the
death s creen
would occur
when a
bul let
col l ides with
the players
sprite
Thi s image shows the window for adding events to objects, in this
ins tance, a ball.
Pathfindi
ng
Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by a computer application, of the
shortest route between two points. It is a more practical variant on solving
mazes. This field of research is based heavily on Dijkstra's algorithm for
finding the shortest path on a weighted graph.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding
Pathfinding
in programs
l ike unit can
mean a set
path in
which for an
NPC to
fol low to
vary thei r
movement,
more
intricate
pathfinding
can show for
better
realism in
NPCs
Pathfinding In unity and Gamemaker causes the character to go in a
specific path or an estimated path similar to i t.

Y1 gd engine_terminology

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

En vedette

En vedette (20)

Similaire à Y1 gd engine_terminology

Similaire à Y1 gd engine_terminology (16)

Plus de rosstapher

Plus de rosstapher (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Y1 gd engine_terminology