Computer Games Technology

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Computer Games Technology Academe

• Dr Alan Watt
• University of Sheffield

2
Computer games technology Academe

• Slow realisation of the commercial import and
  depth of current technology
• Academic snobbishness / new universities
• Haphazard use of computer science topics by the
  industry technology use is title-driven.
  Example Game Developers Conference proceedings.

3
Development of computer games technology as a
profession

• Who will do this?
• Does it need to be done?
• At the moment, there are no journals.
• Game Developer - manifestly a magazine.
• Game Developers Conference - extremely variable
  quality

4
Development of computer games technology as a
research discipline

• Currently most of the energy comes from academe.
  Example work on real-time procedural shading
  which extends Q3 shader technology to full
  Renderman functionality.

5
Games teaching in the UK

• University of Abertay Dundee
• BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology, PGDip/MSc
  Software Engineering (Games Virtual
  Environments)
• University of Essex
• MSc in Computer Games Engineering
• John Moores University, Liverpool School of
  Computing and Mathematical Sciences
• MSc Games Technology
• University of Teesside, School of Computing and
  Mathematics
• BA Computer Games Design

6
Games teaching in the UK

• Middlesex University, School of Computing
• MSc Interactive Multimedia (includes optional
  module in programming games for the Sony
  Playstation)
• University of Sheffield, Dept. Computer Science
• MEng Software Engineering (includes optional
  module on Computer Games Technology)
• University of Teesside, School of Computing and
  Mathematics
• MSc Virtual Reality (includes module on Games
  Programming)
• Bournemouth University
• PgDip / MA Computer Animation (Games) (includes
  modules in Games Principles Practice)

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Comments

• Perhaps we should be doing more.
• Back to who is responsible?

8
Computer Science degrees at Sheffield

• We make no claim to be solving this problem, but
  this is what we do

9
List of projects with Infogrames

• 1998/99 14 Projects 1999/2000 14 2000/2001
  12
• Sample topics
• Collision detection DEMO
• Terrain generation DEMO
• Facial animation (muscles) DEMO
• Game physics
• Real-time nonphotorealistic rendering (with
  Particle Systems)
• Rule-based generation of dungeons
• Sound rendering
• Speech-based computer games
• Subdivision surfaces

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Collision detection

• Dan Hawson, Collision detection for human
  figures.
• Now working for Infogrames.
• Run demo
• 18 segment character
• 5 motion capture sequences
• 18 hierarchy combinations involving OBBs, AABBs
  and cylinders

11
Collision detection

• When caught in the rain without a mac
• Walk as fast as the wind at your back

12
Terrain generation

• Chris Hopkin, 3D terrain in computer games
• Now working for Kazoo3D, Sheffield.

13

• texture(water grass_hill)
• base(100 150)

14

• hill(60 60 p15 n7 p125 p0.0 p0.2)
• hill(45 65 p10 n3 p95 p0.0 p0.2)

15

• hill(40 60 p9 p0 p65 p0.0 p0.1)
• hill(45 55 p5 p0 p40 p0.0 p0.1)

16

• hill(50 40 p4 p5 p10 p0.0 p0.1)
• hill(60 40 p5 p20 p0 p0.0 p0.1)
• hill(50 40 p2 p55 p0 p0.0 p0.1)

17

• hill(80 60 p1.0 p10 p17 p0 p0.25)
• hill(60 40 p1.0 p50 p17 p0 p0.25)

18

• texture(water grass_hill)
• base(100 150)
• hill(60 60 p15 n7 p125 p0.0 p0.2)
• hill(45 65 p10 n3 p95 p0.0 p0.2)
• hill(40 60 p9 p0 p65 p0.0 p0.1)
• hill(45 55 p5 p0 p40 p0.0 p0.1)
• hill(50 40 p4 p5 p10 p0.0 p0.1)
• hill(60 40 p5 p20 p0 p0.0 p0.1)
• hill(50 40 p2 p55 p0 p0.0 p0.1)
• hill(80 60 p1.0 p10 p17 p0.0 p0.25)
• hill(60 40 p1.0 p50 p17 p0.0 p0.25)
• hill(55 60 p5.5 p65 p95 p0.0 p0.1)
• hill(75 20 p0.75 p25 p132 p2.65 p0.2)

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Facial Animation

• James Edge, Facial animation visual speech.
• Now PhD at Sheffield in speech and facial
  animation.

23
Year 4 module Computer games technology

• Introduction to modelling and representation The
  economics of polygon meshes Landscape
  specialisations
• Subdivision surfaces
• Managing complex scenes
• Lighting in games Shadows Multi-pass rendering
• Low level motion control Control by dynamics
  simulation
• Collision detection
• High level control by AI
• Image-based rendering
• Multi-player games
• Guest lecturers Dr Ian Badcoe, Dr Derek Marriott

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Games-related research at Sheffield

• Biomechanics and kinematics in adapting motion
  capture data for use in computer games, Michael
  Meredith, 2000-2003, Infogrames-sponsored.
• Speech and facial animation muscle-based
  control, James Edge, 2000-2003,
  Infogrames-sponsored.
• Real-time talking heads for games, Shetal Mathur,
  2000-2003, Infogrames-sponsored.
• Mesh simplification and remeshing with particular
  emphasis on progressive transmission of 3D
  content, Mark Eastlick, 2000-2003,
  Kazoo3D-sponsored.

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Watt and Policarpo, 3D Computer GamesVolume I
Real-Time Rendering and Software Technology