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
GAMES
/
VIDEO
GAME
TESTIN
G
Demo Within the computer subculture known as the demo scene, a
non-interactive multimedia presentation is called a demo (or
demonstration). Demo groups create demos to demonstrate
thei r abilities in programming, music, drawing, and 3D
modelling. The key di fference between a classical animation
and a demo is that the display of a demo is computed in real
time, making computing power considerations the biggest
chal lenge. Demos are mostly composed of 3D animations
mixed with 2D effects and full s creen effects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demo_(computer_programmin
g)
A demo
would be
used to
show off the
s tage of a
level in a
game and
al so to show
key features
which will be
available in
the full
game.

IG2 Task 1
2
Beta Beta is feature and asset complete version of the game,
when only bugs are being fixed. This version contains no bugs
that prevent the game from being shippable No changes are
made to the game features, assets, or code. Beta occurs two
to three months before code release.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_development
Beta s are
s imilar to
demos only
the re i sn’t a
time l imit on
the
playability.
Beta s will
have some
bugs whilst
being played
and fixed
whi le i t is
running.
Alpha Alpha is the s tage when key gameplay functionality i s
implemented, and assets are partially finished. A game in
alpha is feature complete, that is, game is playable and
contains all the major features. These features may be
further revised based on testing and feedback. Additional
small, new features may be added, similarly planned, but
unimplemented features may be dropped. Programmers
focus mainly on finishing the codebase, rather than
implementing additions. Alpha occurs eight to ten months
before code release.
The Alpha
s tage is
before the
Beta s tage.
Thi s stage i s
hos t to a lot
of bugs
which are
fixing while
being
played.
Pre-Alpha Pre-alpha refers to all activities performed during the
software project before testing. These activities can include
requi rements analysis, software design, software
development, and unit testing. In typical open source
development, there are several types of pre-alpha versions.
Mi lestone versions include specific s ets of functions and are
released as soon as the functionality i s complete.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle#Pr
e-alpha
The Pre-
Alpha is
before the
Alpha and is
coming up
to a s tage
where it i s
playable, but
s ti ll has
many bug.
Pre-Alphas
are used the
show minor

IG2 Task 1
3
features at
conferences.
Gold Gold master is the final game's build that is used as a master
for production of the game.
The Gold
s tage is
when
developers
use the term
‘Gone Gold’,
thi s means
that the final
bui ld i s
compl ete
and i s ready
for putting
onto discs
and boxing
up the
games.
Debug Debug is a command in DOS, OS/2 and Microsoft Windows
(only in 32bit) which runs the program debug.exe (or
DEBUG.COM in older versions of DOS). Debug can act as an
as sembler, disassembler, or hex dump program allowing
users to interactively examine memory contents (in assembly
language, hexadecimal or ASCII), make changes, and
selectively execute COM, EXE and other file types. It also has
several subcommands which are used to access specific disk
sectors, I/O ports and memory addresses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debug_(command)
Debug is a
command
that can be
used to clear
bugs from a
current
game.

IG2 Task 1
4
Automati
on
In software testing, test automation i s the use of special
software (separate from the software being tested) to
control the execution of tests and the comparison of actual
outcomes with predicted outcomes. Test automation can
automate some repetitive but necessary tasks in a formalized
tes ting process already in place, or add additional testing that
would be difficult to perform manually.
Automation
i s when to
game plays
i ts elf and
checks
whether i t
runs
smoothly or
not.
White-
Box
Testing
White-box testing (also known as clear box testing, glass box
tes ting, 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 design test cases. The tester chooses inputs to
exerci se paths through the code and determine the
appropriate outputs. This is analogous to testing nodes in a
ci rcui t, e.g. in-circuit testing (ICT).
White-box testing can be applied at the unit, integration and
sys tem levels of the software testing process. Although
tradi tional testers tended to think of white-box testing as
being done at the unit level, it is used for integration and
sys tem testing more frequently today. It can test paths
within a unit, paths between units during integration, and
between subsystems during a system–level test. Though this
method of test design can uncover many errors or problems,
i t has the potential to miss unimplemented parts of the
specification or missing requirements.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-box_testing
White box
tes ting i s
used to test
whether or
not a engine
i s working
properly.

IG2 Task 1
5
Bug A gl i tch is a short-lived fault in a system. It i s often used to
des cribe a transient fault that corrects itself, and i s therefore
di fficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in
the computing and electronics industries, and in circuit
bending, as well as among players of video games, although
i t i s applied to all types of systems including human
organizations and nature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitch
Bugs are
always
present in
games and
developers
wi l l usually
release
patches to
get rid of
gl i tches
found.
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 pos ition in vi rtual space to the 2D coordinate at which i t
appears on the s creen (as well as a depth value for the Z-buffer).
Vertex shaders can manipulate properties such as
pos ition, 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. Vertex 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
Vertex
shaders
would be
used to
makes items
within
games to
make them
look
smoother.

IG2 Task 1
6
GAME
ENGIN
ES
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 screen 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. They can alter the depth of the fragment
(for Z-buffering), or output more than one color i f multiple
render targets are active. In 3D graphics, a pixel shader alone
cannot produce very complex effects, because i t operates
only on a single fragment, without knowledge of a scene's
geometry. However, pixel shaders do have knowledge of the
s creen coordinate being drawn, and can sample the s creen
and nearby pixels i f the contents of the entire screen are
passed as a texture to the shader. This technique can enable
a wide variety of two-dimensional postprocessing effects,
such as blur, or edge detection/enhancement for cartoon/cel
shaders. Pixel shaders may also be applied in intermediate
s tages to any two-dimensional images—sprites or textures—
in the pipeline, whereas vertex shaders always require a 3D
model. For instance, a pixel shader i s the only kind of shader
that can act as a postprocessor or filter for a video s tream
after i t has been rasterized.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader#Vertex_shaders
Pixel shading
i s used to do
many ta sks
l ike
outputting
colours ,
bump
mapping and
lighting
value.
Post
Processin
g
The term post-processing (or postproc for short) is used in
the video/film business 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
Pos t
processessin
g i s used as
after effects.
It makes the
game look
better by
adding lens
flares and
other
effects.

IG2 Task 1
7
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
conta ins objects in a s trictly defined language or data
s tructure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture,
l ighting, and shading information as a description of the
vi rtual s cene. The data contained in the scene file is then
passed to a rendering program to be processed and output
to a digital image or raster graphics image file. The term
"rendering" may be by analogy with an "artist's rendering" of
a s cene. Though the technical details of rendering methods
vary, the general challenges to overcome in producing a 2D
image from a 3D representation s tored in a scene file are
outl ined as the graphics pipeline along a rendering device,
such as a GPU. A GPU i s a purpose-built device able to assist
a CPU in performing complex rendering calculations. If a
s cene is to look relatively realistic and predictable under
vi rtual lighting, the rendering software should solve the
rendering equation. The rendering equation doesn't account
for al l lighting phenomena, but is a general lighting model for
computer-generated imagery. 'Rendering' is also used to
des cribe the process of calculating effects in a video editing
program to produce final video output.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendering_(computer_graphics
)
Rendering is
when you
have a
finished
model and
then you
render it for
the final
model.
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
i s 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
Normal
mapping is
used to
create
l ighting for
bumps and
dents. This is
when the
model is
being
created in
modelling
software.

IG2 Task 1
8
Entity An enti ty only consists of an id and a container of
components. The idea is to have no game methods
embedded in the entity. The container doesn't have to be
located physically together with the entity, but should be
easy to find and access.
It i s a common practice to use a unique id for each entity.
Thi s is not a requirement, but have several advantages:
The entity can be referred using the id instead of a pointer.
Thi s is more robust, as i t would allow for the entity to be
des troyed without leaving dangling pointers.
It helps for saving state externally. When the s tate i s loaded
again, there i s no need for pointers to be reconstructed.
Data can be shuffled around in memory as needed.
Enti ty ids can be used when communicating over a network
to uniquely identify the entity.
Some of these advantages can also be achieved from using
smart pointers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity_component_system#Ga
me_example
Enti ty are AI
within the
game and
are given
mul tiple
ta sks to do
l ike move to
a pos ition or
to fi re.
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
UV mapping
i s when a 2D
image is
made to
show how a
3D model
surface.

IG2 Task 1
9
Procedur
al Texture
A procedural texture is a computer-generated image created
us ing an algorithm intended to create a realistic
representation of natural elements such as wood, marble,
grani te, metal, s tone, and others.
Usually, the natural look of the rendered result is achieved by
the usage of fractal noise and turbulence functions. These
functions are used as a numerical representation of the
“ra ndomness” found in nature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_texture
Thes e are
computer
made
textures to
represent
real life
textures.
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.
There are several elements that form components of
s imulation physics including the physics engine, program
code that i s used to simulate Newtonian physics within the
envi ronment, and collision detection, used to solve the
problem of determining when any two or more physical
objects in the environment cross each other's path.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics
Phys ics in an
engine can
vary from
how a player
reacts within
the
envi ronment
to the
des truction
of a building.

IG2 Task 1
10
Collision Col l ision detection typically refers to the computational
problem of detecting the intersection of two or more objects.
Whi le the topic is most often associated with its use in video
games and other physical simulations, it also 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 s et
of intersecting points).[1] Collision response deals with
s imulating what happens when a collision is detected (see
phys ics 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 is
used so that
models do
not s ta rted
to cl ip into
each other.
Lighting Computer graphics lighting refers to the simulation of light in
computer graphics. This simulation can either be extremely
accurate, as is the case in an application like Radiance which
attempts to track the energy flow of light interacting with
materials using radiosity computational techniques.
Alternatively, the simulation can simply be inspired by l ight
phys ics, as i s the case with non-photorealistic rendering. In
both cases, a shading model i s used to describe how surfaces
respond to light. Between these two extremes, there are
many di fferent rendering approaches which can be employed
to achieve almost any desired vi sual result.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_graphics_lighting
Light i s used
so that the
envi ronment
made in a
game looks
more
realistic.

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.
Speci fic topics in anti-aliasing include:
Anti -aliasing filter, a filter used before a s ignal sampler, to
res trict the bandwidth of a s ignal
Spatial anti-aliasing, the technique of minimizing aliasing
when representing a high-resolution image at a lower
resolution
Supersample anti-aliasing, a method of smoothing images
rendered in computer-generated imagery
Mul ti sample anti-aliasing, a type of anti-aliasing, a technique
used in computer graphics to improve image quality
Temporal anti-aliasing, techniques to reduce or remove the
effects of temporal aliasing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-aliasing
Anti -aliasing
i s used to
make a
pixelated
surface look
smoother.
LoD –
Level of
Detail
In computer graphics, accounting for level of detail involves
decreasing the complexity of a 3D object representation as i t
moves away from the viewer or according to other metrics
such as object importance, viewpoint-relative speed or
pos ition. Level of detail techniques increases the efficiency of
rendering by decreasing the workload on graphics pipeline
s tages, usually vertex transformations. The reduced vi sual
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
The level of
Deta il in a
model
depends on
how many
polygons are
being used
for example
to the
polygons a
model has,
the more
deta iled it
wi l l be.

IG2 Task 1
12
Animatio
n
Animation is the process of creating a continuous motion and
shape change illusion by means of the rapid display of a
sequence of s tatic images that minimally differ from each
other. The illusion—as in motion pictures in general—is
thought to rely on the phi phenomenon. Animators are
arti sts who specialize in the creation of animation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation
Animation is
what i s used
to give an
enti ty l ife
l ike giving i t
a walk cycl e.
Sprite In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names;
see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional image or
animation that i s integrated into a larger scene. 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)
Sprites are
character
made up of
pixels.
Sprites are
popular in
games like
Legend of
Zelda and
Mario

IG2 Task 1
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Scene A cuts cene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or
in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game over which the
player has no or only limited control, breaking up the
gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main
character's development, introduce characters, and provide
background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues.
Cuts cenes often feature "on the fly" rendering, using the
gameplay graphics to create s cripted events. Cutscenes can
al so be animated, live action, or pre-rendered computer
graphics streamed from a video file. Pre-made videos used in
video games (either during cutscenes or during the gameplay
i ts elf) are referred to as "full motion videos" or "FMVs".
Other cuts cenes can simply just be text interludes with
speech bubbles over the characters' faces.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutscene
A s cene is
used in a
game for
cinematic
sequences.
Library The Lightweight Java Game Library (LWJGL) is an open source
Java software library for computer game developers.
LWJGL exposes high performance cross-platform libraries
commonly used in developing software games and
mul timedia titles. It exposes OpenGL (Open Graphics Library),
OpenAL (Open Audio Library), OpenCL (Open Computing
Language) and allows access to controllers such as
gamepads, steering wheels and joysticks in a platform-neutral
way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightweight_Java_Game_Librar
y
A l ibrary i s
where
games can
be s tored
and allows
access with
mul tiple
types of
control lers.

IG2 Task 1
14
UI The us er interface, in the industrial design field of human–
machine interaction, is 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 thi s broad concept of user interfaces include the
interactive aspects of computer operating systems, hand
tool s, heavy machinery operator controls, and process
control s. The design considerations applicable when creating
user interfaces are related to or involve such disciplines as
ergonomics and psychology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface
The UI i s an
interface
where the
user can
interact with
mul tiple
settings.
Frames Frame rate, also known as frame frequency and frames per
second (FPS), is the frequency (rate) at which an imaging
device produces unique consecutive images called frames.
The term applies equally well to film and video cameras,
computer graphics, and motion capture systems. Frame rate
i s most often expressed in frames per second (FPS) and is
al so expressed in progressive s can monitors as hertz (Hz).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate
Frames per
second
depends on
what i s
going on in
the game,
l ike, for
example, in
Minecraft if
too much
TNT i s blown
up, i t can
caus e a low
frame rate.
Concept Concept art is a form of illustration used to convey an idea
for use in (but not limited to) films, video games, animation,
or comic books before i t is put into the final product. Concept
art i s also referred to as visual development and/or concept
des ign. This term can also be applied to retail, set, fashion,
architectural and industrial design.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_art
Concept can
be shown is
mul tiple
ways with
art, wri tten
des criptions
or mind
maps.

IG2 Task 1
15
Event In computing, an event is an action or occurrence detected
by the program that may be handled by the program.
Typically events are handled synchronously with the program
flow, that is, the program has one or more dedicated places
where events are handled, frequently an event loop. Typical
sources of events include the user (who presses a key on the
keyboard, in other words, through a keystroke). Another
source is a hardware device such as a timer. Any program can
trigger i ts own custom s et of events as well, e.g. to
communicate the completion of a task. A computer program
that changes its behavior in response to events is said to be
event-driven, often with the goal of being interactive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Event_(computing)
Events are
l ike
cuts cenes in
which the
player does
nothing or it
can be a
quick time
event
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
i s based heavily on Dijkstra's algorithm for finding the
shortest path on a weighted graph.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding
Pathfinding
i s used for AI
to make sure
that they
don’t s tart
walking into
wal ls.

Engine Terminology

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