CS 495 & CS 298
3D Game Development,
Winter 2004,
Instructor: Jeffrey Horn
-
What's REALLY New:
- There will be a quiz (QUIZ 1, see
below) this THURSDAY, March 25, at the beginning of class.
-
Not so New (Older Announcements):
- Tentative Grading Guideline (here)
- Assignment 2 is REALLY due Friday, Feb. 20.
- Assignment 2
- Links: CGT, Sammy Suricate, version 5 of the manual,
etc. See "LINKS" below.
- We now have WebCT web
page. Not much there yet, though.
- Here is the original
course flyer.
LINKS
- US ARMY creates
SECOND EARTH
(using THERE technology)
- Gamasutra (game development
community)
- Here is a nice, simple overview of game development:
http://www.makegames.com/
- Computer Game Technology Conference (CGT)
is coming up! We will be going!
- Virtual NMU
-
3D Game Studio (3DGS)
from Conitec
- Here is a
direct link to the 3D GameStudio Manual (4MB Windows help file format). Get
this, it is excellent! Just launch it like a regular file (double
click).
- Here is a
link to the older version of the manual (PDF, for version 5.51 of 3DGS).
This version is better for our tutorial.
- MODELS for 3DGS:
- Here is a link to the Acknex web site. Click on "models".
- DEMO games (made with 3DGS):
- Sammy
Suricate
- Here is a
city neighborhood (thanks, Mitch).
CONTENTS
LECTURE NOTES
INDIVIDUAL WORK (HOMEWORKS & PROGRAMS)
- Assignment 1: 3D Game Studio Intro
- Assigned: Tuesday, January 20, 2004
- Due: Tuesday, January 27, 2004
- Install 3DGS (see below), and test it as
follows
- Start up the WED (world editor) from the Start menu. Open up
office.wmp. Compile (the whole level, at least this first time)
and run it.
- Now find the office.wdl script file in C:Program Files/Gstudio/work/,
and open it with TextPad.
- Change something interesting, and noticeable to the player. Save
the file, and then go back to the WED, recompile (you can choose "entities
only"), and run it.
- Show it to me!
- Assignment 2:
- Assigned: Tuesday January 27, 2004
- Due: Friday, February 20, 2004
- GOAL: To make sure everyone in the class learns the fundamental
technologies and skills of 3D game authoring (at least with 3DGS).
This includes model building, level editing, scripting, and to some
extent, design.
- Two ways to do this assignment:
- Develop a complete game: Don't laugh! Some people
have done this already! Good for them!
- Build me a treasure room: Build a standalone room,
house, castle, whatever, that a player can enter, meet at least two new
characters and interact with them in some way, and then obtain a
"treasure" (e.g., pick up a new weapon). Later, I will make
everyone put their treasure rooms into one big level (town, let's say)
that we can all then visit!
- Turn in via WebCT
TEAM WORK
PROGRAMMING
-
Language: Cscript (proprietary language,
like C, from Conitec)
-
Platform: NMU IBM ThinkPad
-
Software:
-
3D Game Studio (3DGS)
from Conitec:
- Installation: get one of the install CDs from me. Read
instructions here.
- To learn more about 3DGS (instructor edition):
- Go through the tutorial (now installed on your machine, see Start menu)
- Browse the manuals (Start manual or use the hyperlinked file
"3dgs_manual5.chml" from the CD)
- Check out the web site.
TESTS AND QUIZES
- QUIZ 1: Thursday, March 25, 2004, in NSF 1207 (start of class, which
means 4pm sharp!), short (maybe 10 minutes)
- Online (bring a laptop), multiple choice, open book, open notes
- Topics:
- Morrowind Mod videos (on the ElderScrolls Contruction Set)
- Available on CD in the lab (cubbyholes) or go
here, click on "MOVIES", and watch ALL of the video tours and
video tutorials
- Chapter 1 from the Rollings and Adams text
