Task 1 - Formative Computing for Games.

The Programmers Role;

A programmer is a person who writes computer software, there are many names for people in this nature of work; programmer, computer programmer, developer, coder or software engineer. These  people will often work in primary programming languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, Lisp, Python ect… a programmer can be a person who specialises in one area of programming or can be a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software.

Programmers in the Games industry are very passionate when it comes to games, whether it’s free to play on a mobile/ tablet device or it’s on a console or computer, they’re always up for a challenge. Programmers help shape the game using rapid development processes and maximise the games potential using established analytics.

.           The key duties of a programmer in the games industry are to actively participate in code and feature design as without understanding the ideas that other employees in the business are coming up with, the programmer might not understand how to visualise problems and outcomes as clearly as they company would like. Visualisation is a big part of how programmers think, not in the same way an artist visualises things however they often sit down and create small flow charts to help them get a basic idea of the code they will start writing. Working with designers and artists can often help a programmer with implementing desired features in which he has not come up with, in the games industry this is often a trial and error period in which the artists and programmers go back and forth ensuring that they are creating exactly what they want.

Programmers are often asked to program game systems, tools and user interfaces to certain specifications, so being able to stick imagination and logic together, however there are loads of different programming areas such as; Game Engine, Physics Engine, Graphics Engine, Artificial Intelligence, Sound, Gameplay, Scripter, User Interface, Network ,Games Tools, Porting, Technology and Generalist Programmer, each of these would still be expected to report to a Team Lead when creating features as you as a programmer would not have the authority to approve such items.

Programmers who work in the industry will often have a good understanding of programming principles such as D.R.Y (Don’t repeat yourself.), K.I.S.S (Keep it simple stupid.), or Do the simplest thing that could possibly work, these will often make a programmer more efficient in the workplace which will make them better in the long run. Programmers will often be willing to learn new technologies and open minded to the changes that haven’t happened yet but will inevitably happen.  Being a programmer is an iterative process and being open minded often helps when you know that the code you’ve written is probably wrong; this is a skill that all programmers have acquired over time.

Daily Duties of Computer Programmers:

• Writing software programs in a variety of computer code languages, including C++, JavaScript, and HTML
• Updating and expanding present programs to be more current with the latest technological advancements
• Utilizing code libraries as collections of independent code lines to simplify the writing of computer programs
• Debugging codes, evaluating the effectiveness of programs, and fixing any errors
• Building computer-assisted software engineering (CASE) resources to automate the writing of computer codes
• Designing mobile applications, systems interfaces, and computer operating systems
• Training users or computer operators on how a new program functions

Computer Programmer Job Description
In most cases, computer programmers can be found working in office settings within the computer systems design and related services industry. Some computer programmers who are experts in a specific concentrated area may also find employment as consultants for outside firms and travel frequently between various work locations. Since writing code can be completed from basically anywhere, many computer programmers also telecommute.

(http://www.access2knowledge.org)

Overall programmers are very driven and motivated individuals that will have strong communication abilities, good attention to detail and are often if in the games industry are passionate about games, great team players.

Game of Thrones me 6

What I've created using Autodesk's Mudbox for the first time ever.

     

 4230936 Polygons vs 9,968 Triangles  (10,000 is the limit.) 

      

    

 I've used one PNG texture map which i believe i could have optimised a lot better as when i scaled the model down to less than 10,000 triangles i realised that i had unwrapped the underside of the characters hair (the black frog shape) which did not need to be done.

Ive used up another PNG texture map for Normals, which help the model define parts i've had to leave off from the high poly version. one example of this working really nicely for me is; On the high poly version the chest piece has a pattern worked onto it, however i could not keep this when taking the model down through its layers. This normal map has allowed me to take the detail from the high poly and stick it on the 10,000 triangle version of myself.

Game of Thrones Me 5

Playing with Mudbox.

(I have never used Mudbox before this project)

 Save 5 compared with save 9. probably a good 3-4 hours of time here.

 Again save 5 with save 9.

 Hopefully I will have something that still looks like a human by the end of this.

Game of Thrones Me 4

03.02.14

Before my model goes into Mudbox 2014.

Current triangle count. is 4,956
Leaving me with just over 5000 triangles to play with once the model comes back out of Mudbox.
Putting this model in Mudbox will allow me to take my triangle count to crazy lengths for detail and then use the detail in my soon to come textures.

After using Turbo Smooth the models triangle count goes up to 19,936 tris. This is the kind of end result I would like to match when coming out of Mudbox, but without  going over my 10,000 triangle budget.

Game of Thrones Me 3

(13.01.13)

Technical requirements for whole character model.

You will be assisted in gathering a collection of photographs of yourself to complete the task, however sourcing other reference is highly advised.

·         Scale: Centimetres.  All models must be built using this scale. one unit = one centimetre. Using a real world measurement makes it easier to match and check scales of objects, e.g. a head is around 30cm tall.

·         Polygon Count: 10,000 triangles.  Be careful you are counting triangles and not quads. “Polygon” is often used to describe both quads and triangles, which is confusing.  Your budget is 10,000 triangles, (make sure you use the ‘count triangles’ option in the Max Polygon Counter.) Remember you are creating a non-player character, these tend to be much lower than the playable ones. To give an idea of polycount used in games today see here.

·         Texture Space: 3 RGB texture @ 2048x2048 pixels square. Save as .png. You will need to produce one diffuse (colour), one normal, and one specular texture map only. 

·         Efficient use of Polygon budget: Polygons should be distributed intelligently through your model so there is greater polygon density in areas with more detail. This must not be done at the expense of making other areas of the model look too simple or ‘choppy’.

Reference pictures of myself for modelling task ahead. (these shots aren't meant to look glamorous.)

                                          

Because I am pregnant in these pictures I feel that it would be easier if I model the character pregnant.

(Update... 20.01.14)

Currently this is what the underlying models body looks like, however after looking at it close there are triangles which don't actually need to be there. This model is going into  Mudbox 2014, and will only be a posed for show character. No rigging, no animation.

(Update 27.01.14)

Currently the character is still below the triangle count and has lots of room for improvement, i eventually got rid of the legs on this model because they took up unnecessary triangles from my budget. Simply because this model would never be a main character in a game, the legs aren't necessary however if it was a main character i may have kept the legs up until the knee joint. This would still allow for good rigging and animations.