CS426 - Video Game Programming

CS 426 - Video Game Programming

University of Illinois at Chicago

Version: January 2, 2009

Spring 2009

Time: Fri, 2:00 - 4:30

Place: 2068 Engineering Research Facilities Bldg (ERF) on 842 W Taylor St.

(NOTE: this is NOT the room that is published in the university catalog.)

Instructor & TA Contact Info:

Jason Leigh (spiff at uic.edu)
Phone: (312) 996-3002
Office: Room 2032, Engineering Research Facilities Building (842 W Taylor St)
Home Page: www.evl.uic.edu/spiff
Office Hours: 2032 ERF: Friday 10:30am-2pm

TA:

Muxuan Wang (email: mwang30 at uic.edu)
Office Hours: TBD

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of video game design and programming. Video game programming is one of the most challenging disciplines in Computer Science because it attempts to combine, in real time, concepts in: computer graphics, human computer interaction, networking, artificial intelligence, computer aided instruction, computer architecture, and databases.

In this class students will form project groups consisting of both CS and Art majors, to design, build and demonstrate a simple video game. Some of the topics you will learn include:

Video game history
Taxonomy of video games
Gameplay design - components of a video game experience
Software architecture for video games
Intro to 3D graphics and stereoscopic computer graphics
Hardware architecture of contemporary video game platforms
Human physical and perceptual limits & stereoscopic computer graphics
Game AI (artificial intelligence)
Multiplayer game design
Game physics
Intro to real time shading effects, such as Toon Shading, Reflections, Lens flares, Shadow

Warning: This class will take up a lot of your time. Do not expect to get an A in the class unless you are able to put in a lot of effort. It's a fun class but it's a lot of work!

Projects from previous years are available to look at here.

Class Photos and Press Reports

Required Course Materials

Both undergrad and graduate CS students, as well as MFA students in Art, Communications etc, are encouraged to enroll. Undergrad students should have at least had CS 107 (Intro to Computing and Programming) and CS 201 (Data Structures). Art students should have at least some experience with using computers and software paint packages.

You need to own your own PC and a copy of the following software to take the class. PC should have hardware 3D acceleration and sound card.

This semester the class will be developing games for the TacTile, multi-touch table.

You will be building your own Multi-Touch Pad as well so you can develop games while at home (so you will need your own webcam, cardboard box, and picture frame).

The software you will be using for the class are:

Processing - The main programming language we will use.
API for TacTile
Inkscape - Free SVG drawing tool.
Wings3D (www.wings3d.com), DAZ3D (www.daz3d.com), or Blender (www.blender.org) or any 3D modeling package you prefer as long as it can export OBJ files. Also, download the tutorial for Blender.
Texture Editor, free and very good texture creator and editor. Local copy here.

Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net)
The following Data Sets might be useful to you:

Models - a collection of 3D models (135MB)
Textures - a collection of texture maps (17MB)
Sounds - a collection of sound effects (57MB)

Feel free to take advantage of ACCC's Student Media Lab

Course Schedule and Logistics

Schedule for Spring 2009

Textbooks & Resources

Optional Textbooks:

Consider picking up one of the following books (especially if you are not a Computer Science student and would like to learn a bit about programming with Processing).