Creating the Art of the Game

Description

The key word here is art: the dynamic 3D art that defines the world of computer games. This book teaches you everything you need to know about the planning, modeling, texturing, lighting, effects creation, and interface design that go into creating today's most advanced and stunning video games. You'll be learning from a master-veteran 3D artist and instructor Matthew Omernick-as you progress through the carefully chosen, software-agnostic tutorials that make up this beautiful, full-color volume. The end result will be skills you can apply to whatever 3D tool you choose and whatever wildly imaginative game you can think up. Through a unique combination of explanation, tutorials, and real world documentation-including discussions of the creative process entailed in some of today's most popular games augmented by screen captures and descriptions--you'll quickly come to understand the workflow, tools, and techniques required to be a successful game artist. In addition to learning the ropes of game art, you'll also find in depth tutorials and techniques that apply to all aspects of 3D graphics. Whether you are using Photoshop, 3ds max, Maya, or any other computer graphics software, you'll find a wealth of information that you can continue to come back to time and time again.

Back Cover

The key word here is art: the dynamic 3D art that defines the world of computer games. This book teaches you everything you need to know about the planning, modeling, texturing, lighting, effects creation, and interface design that go into creating today's most advanced and stunning video games. You'll be learning from a master-veteran 3D artist and instructor Matthew Omernick-as you progress through the carefully chosen, software-agnostic tutorials that make up this beautiful, full-color volume. The end result will be skills you can apply to whatever 3D tool you choose and whatever wildly imaginative game you can think up. Through a unique combination of explanation, tutorials, and real world documentation-including discussions of the creative process entailed in some of today's most popular games augmented by screen captures and descriptions--you'll quickly come to understand the workflow, tools, and techniques required to be a successful game artist. In addition to learning the ropes of game art, you'll also find in depth tutorials and techniques that apply to all aspects of 3D graphics. Whether you are using Photoshop, 3ds max, Maya, or any other computer graphics software, you'll find a wealth of information that you can continue to come back to time and time again.

Contents


Foreword: Making Games.
Turning Lead into Gold, Plastic, Wood, etc. Embrace the Constraints.

Introduction.
Who Should Read This Book? A True Artist First. What to Expect from This Book. What This Book Covers. Making the Game. Themes.

1. Preparing to Create.
How and Where to Collect Reference. Concept Art. Setting the Quality Bar. Blocking Out Your Scene. Conclusion.

2. Modeling Theory.
Primitives. Polygons and Memory. Polygon Reduction. Modeling Techniques. Common Mistakes. Conclusion.

3. Introduction to Texturing.
Game Texturing Theory. How to Choose and Create Textures. File Formats. Color Depth. Resolution (Texture Size). Photoshop. Where Do I Use My Pixels? Digital Photography. Making a Texture Tilable. Actions. Conclusion.

4. Advanced Texturing.
The Power of Layers. Photoshop Tools. Alpha Channels. Conclusion.

5. Applying Textures.
Assigning Materials. What Are UVs? Multiple UV Sets. Tiling. Conclusion.

6. Advanced Modeling.
Organic Versus Inorganic Models. Organic Modeling Methods. Modeling with Triangles. Cleaning Up Your Geometry. Conclusion.

7. Lighting Principles.
Color. Mood. Traditional Lighting Setup. Working with 3D Lights. Effective Lighting Practices. Conclusion.

8. In-Game Lighting.
Vertex Lighting. Lightmaps. Per-Pixel Lighting. Normal Maps. Dynamic Lighting. Troubleshooting. Conclusion.

9. Effects.
Particle Effects. Billboards. Fog. Water. Clouds. Decals. Conclusion.

10. Tips and Tricks.
The Metal Box. Trees and Vegetation. Reflection. Placed Shadows. Conclusion.

11. User Interface Design and Creation.
The Shell. In-Game User Interface. Heads-Up Display. Composition. Plan, Plan, Plan. Conclusion.

12. Wrapping It Up.
Source Control. Collision Geometry. Skydomes. Light Volumes. Tagging Materials. Bug Fixing. Polishing. Major Milestones. Conclusion.

Index.

Author

Matthew Omernick currently works as a lead artist for LucasArts Entertainment Company near San Francisco, CA. With a B.F.A from The Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL, Matt has more than seven years of industry experience as a 3D artist and animator.

Matt has also taught college-level 3D graphics for four years at Cal State Fullerton and the Academy of Art College in downtown San Francisco. He has worked for companies such as DreamWorks, Day 1 Studios, and Electronic Arts. He began his career working for various film and broadcast studios in Florida and Chicago, then branched into creating 3D art for video games. Some of Matt's credited titles include the Medal of Honor series, RTX Red Rock, and Secret Weapons Over Normandy. He is currently working on several cutting edge projects for multiple platforms.