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:
Zachary
Warren
RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide
short internet researched definition
and URL link)
DESCRIBE THE
RELEVANCE OF THE
RESEARCHED TERM
TO YOUR OWN
PRODUCTION
PRACTICE?
IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an image and/or video link of said term being
used in a game)
VIDEO
GAMES /
VIDEO
GAME
TESTING
Demo A version of something such as computer
software produced to demonstrate its
capabilities or for use as a trial
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definiti
on/english/demo
A demo version of a
game I am creating
would be released
before/along-side the
full release to promote
the game by giving
people a taste of the
game without having to
spend money on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vtrGF0ZTRc
The demo provides a small amount of gameplay and teases the full game, and it may
be used because the game has not been released, or the demo has aims to increase
buyers of the full game. This shows gameplay from Silent Hills playable teaser.

IG2 Task 1
2
Beta A beta test refers to the distribution of pre-release
game software to a select group of
people so that they can test the game in
their own homes.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/271
36/beta-test-gaming
The game I am creating
may go through a beta
stage where people
may be asked to test
and provide feedback in
order to make the final
product more
successful.
This image shows gameplay from the beta of Destiny.
http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Destiny_Public_Beta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFIbos639Nc
This video shows gameplay footage from the Destiny beta.

IG2 Task 1
3
Alpha A very early version of a software product
that may not contain all of the features that
are planned for the final version.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/alpha
_version.html
An alpha version of my
game will be playable
when the game
represents what the full
game should eventually
be, however it will not
have all of the features
the full game should
have, and should not be
taken as a
representation of the
final product at all.
This is an in-game screenshot of Minecraft in its Alpha stage.
http://www.planetminecraft.com/blog/enough-with-the-trees-notch/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgxTqbiZE88
This video shows some of the gameplay that can be expected from the Minecraft
alpha, as you can see, it is very primitive compared to Minecraft as it is now.

IG2 Task 1
4
Pre-Alpha Pre-Alpha means that the game still has a
scheduled list of code and assets to be
written and created. The game is buggy, it
lacks features, it’s prone to crashing and
performance issues.
https://carmageddon.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/
articles/200416352-What-does-Pre-
Alpha-mean-
The pre-alpha of my
game will be on of the
first stages my game
will encounter, the
textures, assets and
scripts will not be final,
as the game will be
nowhere near its final
stages.
This video shows 7 Days to Die in its pre-alpha stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJh-AEFrS7A
http://www.dsogaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/7-Days-To-Die.jpg
This image shows 7 Days to Die in its pre-alpha stage, with lower quality looks then
the full release.
Gold Gold master is the final game's build that is
used as a master for production of the
game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_d
evelopment
The gold master of my
game will be copied and
distributed to those
who download it.
-
Debug Debugging is a methodical process of
finding and reducing the number of bugs,
or defects, in a computer program or a
piece of electronic hardware, thus making it
behave as expected
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debugging
Debugging can be done
on my game after tests
and the beta testing
stage.
his is the debugging console in Unity, it shows a custom
message to tell me there are no enemies being rendered
on-screen.
Automation In software testing, test automation is the
use of special software (separate from the
software being tested) to control the
execution of tests and the comparison of
Towards the
end of
production, I

IG2 Task 1
5
actual outcomes with predicted outcomes.
Test automation can automate some
repetitive but necessary tasks in a
formalized testing process already in place,
or add additional testing that would be
difficult to perform manually.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_automati
on
will use
external
software to test
my game.
White-Box
Testing
A software testing technique whereby
explicit knowledge of the internal workings
of the item being tested are used to select
the test data. Unlike black box testing,
white box testing uses specific knowledge
of programming code to examine outputs.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Whi
te_Box_Testing.html
My game will be
tested in the
Unity engine
through the
debugging
function, to
provide me with
information
which I can
then address
and fix if
wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bJcvBLJViQ
This video describes what White-Box testing is and how it works.
Bug A software bug is an error, flaw, mistake,
failure, or fault in a computer program that
prevents it from behaving as intended (e.g.,
producing an incorrect or unexpected
result). Most bugs arise from mistakes and
errors made by people in either a program's
source code or its design, and a few are
caused by compilers producing incorrect
code.
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_
difference_between_bug_and_glitch
Bugs will be
tested for and
worked on when
they arrise.
A bug in a FIFA game.
http://dois-e-meio.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/top-25-maiores-bugs-dos-video-games.
html

IG2 Task 1
6
GAME
ENGINES
GAME
ENGINES
Vertex
Shader
A Vertex Shader is a GPU component and is
also programmed using a specific assembly-like
language, like pixel shaders, but are
oriented to the scene geometry and can do
things like adding cartoony silhouette edges
to objects, etc.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/83254
5/what-are-vertex-and-pixel-shaders
I may apply a vertex
shader to my game,
especially if my game
was to take a less
realistic approach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii8zXq6osNc
This video demonstrates a model with a cartoon-like silhouette, applied with a ‘toon
shader.’
Pixel Shader A Pixel Shader is a GPU (Graphic Processing
Unit) component that can be programmed
to operate on a per pixel basis and take
care of stuff like lighting and bump
mapping.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/83254
5/what-are-vertex-and-pixel-shaders
Pixel shaders are used
in my game to allow for
the normal mapping
and bump mapped
terrain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSFGC_ewAAE
This video shows off a few variations of shaders doing jobs such as allowing for bump
mapped terrain.
Pos t
Processing
Post processing allows different effects to
be performed on the scene after it has
been rendered, but before outputting it to
the viewport.
Post processing effects
such as motion blur and
bloom may be added
into my game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQc9l9yvL-k
The video shows many post processing effects hat can be done in Unity 3D.

IG2 Task 1
7
http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/PostProc
essEffectsHome.html
Rendering The processing of an outline image using
colour and shading to make it appear solid
and three-dimensional
on/english/rendering
My game will be
relatively short,
and focus on
interior spaces,
meaning there
should not be
massive open
areas that need
to be rendered,
this allows to
ensure that
what of the
interior is
rendered,
should be the
highest quality
possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQT-FucDVvg
This video shows off some the capability of certain rendering techniques.

IG2 Task 1
8
Normal Map One of the most valuable maps for a 3D
artist is the normal map. Rather than having
a color range of black to white, like a bump
map uses, normal maps consist of red,
green, and blue. These RGB values
translates to x, y, and z coordinates,
allowing a 2D image to represent depth.
This way, a 3D application is able to
fake lighting details based on the color
associated with the 3D coordinate.
http://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/arti
cles/gamedev-glossary-what-is-a-normal-map--
gamedev-3893
Assets with textures and
the terrain in my game
are all normal mapped,
this adds a lot more
depth and realism to my
game.
http://prezi.com/uxxe9ttcfssm/bump-mapping-and-normal-mapping/

IG2 Task 1
9
Entity An entity does not need a name or unique
identifier – it is merely the sum of its
components. Components can be added to
it and removed from it at runtime, changing
what the entity does and what role it plays.
http://shaun.boyblack.co.za/blog/2012/08/
04/games-and-entity-systems/
In my game, entities
hold components such
as lights, and scripts
that perform tasks such
as allowing certain
functions being
assigned to certain
buttons, such as
quitting with the Esc
button.
This image shows how an 'empty' game entity can have
a myriad of components attached to them, such as scripts.

IG2 Task 1
10
UV Map UV mapping is a technique used to take 2
dimensional images and turn them into 3
dimensional images. This is done by
applying a texture map that uses an
additional set of coordinates above the
classic Cartesian coordinates of X, Y and Z.
These 2 new coordinates are titled U and V.
So, the title does not refer to UV light but to
2 different coordinates. This makes it
possible for the 3d object to be painted
with color and texture.
http://www.steves-digicams.
com/knowledge-center/how-tos/
video-software/understanding-uv-mapping.
html
Assets within my game
will have all been UV
mapped to allow for
their textures.
The 3D model of the tree stump (1st model) has been UV mapped (2nd model) and
then broken down to be the textured (image on the right)
http://fahranindustryex3.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/uv-mapped-tree-stump-for-gnome-
film/
Procedural
Texture
A procedural texture describes the texture
mathematically. Although not widely used,
this method is resolution independent and
can create more precise textures, especially
if there is great and varying depth to the
objects being textured. Procedural textures
may be 2D or 3D.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/procedural
-texture
Procedural
textures may be
used in my
game to allow
for high-end
looking visuals.
Procedural textures often look much
better, especially with normal mapping.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_texture
Physics Physics allows for environments and
gameplay situations that aren’t scripted
Physics allow for
moveable/throwable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwECrYLGrDs

IG2 Task 1
11
http://www.olafurandri.com/nyti/papers20
08/Evolution%20of%20Physics%20in%20Vi
deo%20Games.pdf
objects such as boxes,
which could be
implemented into my
game.
This video demonstrates basic 2D 'water' physics in the unity engine.
Col lision Collisions occur when two
rigid-bodies or other assets
with colliders meet
eachother.
Colliders in my
game will be
used to prevent
AI from moving
through walls.
The green sphere shows the
collider for the highlighted enemy in the Unity game
engine.
Lighting Lighting in games provides illumination to
objects and the terrain, and can come from
multiple sources and vary in colours.
Lighting in my
game will
flicker/glow to
provide
ambience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LWZQXzUnUI
This video demonstrates the accuracy of in-game lighting and how it happens on the
Unity engine.
AA – Anti-
Al iasing
It takes samples from surrounding pixels
and aggregates the colour values IIRC.
The number reflects how many surrounding
pixels it samples, so in 2xAA you take
samples from 2 pixels, 4x means 4 pixels
etc.
The more pixels you take into account, the
closer you are going to get to the "right"
value to make everything look smooth.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.
php?t=1611325
If I use AA in my
game, I can
make the scene
appear much
smoother and
less rugged and
rough.
http://heeblog56.tistory.com/archive/20131107

IG2 Task 1
12
LoD – Level
of Detail
As you get further away from an object... it
takes up less of your vision (and less dots of
resolution on your monitor). Therefore, you
can drop its level of detail... saving memory
and computation power.
https://forums.epicgames.com/threads/71
7317-WHAT-is-LOD
If a LOD system
is implemented
into my game, I
can save
memory as the
camera does
not need to
render as much
detail.
http://www.tv-consultants.com/OOPz/l115a3.php
From left to right, the level of detail is shown as the object gets closer

IG2 Task 1
13
Animation Animation is the process of displaying still
images in a rapid sequence to create the
illusion of movement. These images can be
hand drawn, computer generated, or
pictures of 3D objects.
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-animation.
htm
In my 2D game,
I will use
animations
similar to that
of Pokémon's
animations.
http://th05.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/296/c/9/pokemon_origins_green_sprite
_sheet_by_mohammadataya-d6riodl.png
When played quickly, these images are displayed in sequence to make it look like the
character is walking.
Sprite On the Web and in multimedia productions,
a sprite is a graphic image, usually
animated, that a user can interact with and
move around
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/spr
ite
In my 2D game,
I will create
sprites that look
similar to the
sprites in the
Pokémon over-world.
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/04/27/the-mystery-of-css-sprites-techniques-
tools-and-tutorials/

IG2 Task 1
14
This is a collection of sprites from a pokemon game.
Scene A scene is where all entities,
assets and characters are
actually placed.
The scene in my
game is shown
in the
screenshot, and
there are
several scenes,
one for the
'Help' menu,
one for the
main scene,
where the game
is carried out
and one for the
main menu.
This is a screenshot of a Scene in unity.
Library Collection of folders containing assets,
textures and scripts.
The library will
hold all of my
game's assets,
textures and
scripts.

IG2 Task 1
15
This is a screenshot of Unity's in-editor library.
UI An interface is a set
of commands or menus through which a
user communicates with a program.
A command-driven interface is one in which
you enter commands. A menu-driven
http://www.webopedia.
com/TERM/M/menu_driven.h
tmlinterface is one in which
you select command choices from
various menus displayed on the screen.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/
user_interface.htmlinterface is one in
which you select command choices from
various menus displayed on the screen.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/user
_interface.html
A UI will be
used in my
games main
menu to allow
access to things
such as the
levels, settings
and so on.
http://cargocollective.com/elderjerezjr/Call-of-Duty-UI
This image shows the UI in Call of Duty World a War.

IG2 Task 1
16
F rames Each frame consists of a number of
horizontal scan lines. These represent the
number of scan lines per frame.
Frames per second (FPS) is a unit that
measures display device performance. It
consists of the number of complete scans
of the display screen that occur each
second. This is the number of times the
image on the screen is refreshed each
second, or the rate at which an imaging
device produces unique sequential images
called frames.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/729
7/frames-per-second-fps
I will aim for my
game to run
smoothly
around at least
30 FPS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNTQoGJye30 This
video shows how stable Halo 4's FPS are.

IG2 Task 1
17
Concept A plan or intention
on/english/concept
Concept art will
be created for
in-game
enemies,
scenery and
important
assets, before
they are
constructed.
http://mp1st.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/goliath_process_01.jpg
These images show the plan and design of an enemy in EVOLVE.
Event Events correspond to user input (key
presses, mouse actions) or rendering
events.
http://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/E
vent.html
My game will
include
automatically
opening doors
and other
events.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuSoi4QlF7M
This shows how events can occur when a character or
other assets enter a collider to trigger an event, such as
a door opening.
Pathfinding Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by a
computer application, of the shortest route
between two points.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding
Pathfinding will
be implemented
in my games
interior areas
through use of
waypoints
around the
map, at ends of
His video shows the capability of AI pathfnding, and how it can navigate an area
[PATHIFINDING-1]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFbamj63z8Y

IG2 Task 1
18
corridors and at
doorways.
[PATHFINDING-1]
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GFbamj63z8Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Y1 gd engine_terminology

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