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: Tom

Crook

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/definition/english/demo

A Demo in my opinion is used to ul timately test your final product to see how people react and what your target audience could

be.

This is relevant to The term demo as it is The ‘Fifa Demo’.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

2

Beta A beta version of a program, game

etc... i s an unfinished version released to ei ther the public a select few or whoever signs up to beta test i t for bugs or glitches.

ttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Beta

a beta version of a game in my

opinion is the Line between complete and incomplete and can help pick off those last few bugs your game may have.

This is relevant to

the term BETA as it i s the BETA of the game ‘Destiny’. Alpha This phase i s were developers

generally test the software using white box techniques. Alpha software

can be unstable and cause crashes

and data loss. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software

_release_life_cycle#Alpha

The a lpha of a game can in my

opinion lead to your final product as not many people play it due to

the unstable nature of the

vers ion.

This is relevant to the term ALPHA as i t shows Minecraft in it’s Alpha stage.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

3

Pre-Alpha Pre-a lpha refers to a ll activities

performed during the software

project before testing. Including

Analysis, Software Design and

software development.

http://eloisecorke.wordpress.com/20

13/05/22/definition-pre-alpha-alpha-

and-beta/

The pre a lpha is a development

s tage and does not run as well as other s tages of game development such as beta and the gold master version.

This is relevant of the term PRE-ALPHA as the picture above is of the game World Of War

Craft in i ts PRE-ALPHA VERSION. Gold A golden master, or GM is the final

vers ion of a software program that is sent to manufacturing and is used to

make retail copies. http://www.techterms.com/definition/goldenmaster

The gold master is the final

vers ion of a game and is the vers ion the game will be copied

from.

https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejWf82doi8Y

This is a link to a youtube video showing a game in golden master version.

Debug In computers, debugging is the process of locating and fixing or

bypassing bugs (errors) in computer program code or the engineering of

hardware device. http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/debugging

Debugging is finding a problem in game and fixing i t mostly in the

coding in a game.

This is relevant to debugging as it shows a game in debug mode.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

4

Automatio

n

Automated software testing is a

process in which software tools execute pre-scripts tests on a software application before i t is released into production.

http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/automated-

software-testing

Automated software tool is

where a software will carry out the set job until nit is complete.

This diagram explains automation.

White-Box

Testing

A software testing technique whereby

expl icit knowledge of internal workings of the item being tested are used to select the test data. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/White_Box_Testing.html

White box testing i s selecting a

certa in part of the game and testing every aspect of i t checking for bugs and other imperfections.

This shows the classification of white box testing.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

5

Bug A software bug is a problem causing a

program to crash or produce invalid output. The problem is cause by insufficient or erroneous logic. http://www.techopedia.com/definitio

n/24864/software-bug-

A bug is a problem in a game

normally causing problems like crashing and other things which effect how the game is played.

This is showing a bug as no i tems are being shown during the post game lobby.

GAME ENGINES

Vertex Shader

The vertex Shader i s used to transform the attributes of vertices (points of triangle) such as colour,

texture, position and direction. From the original colour space to the display space. http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia

/term/53754/vertex-shader

The vertex shader i s used to change the colour and textures of vertica l lines.

This is showing the process of vertex shader.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

6

GAME ENGINES

Pixel

Shader

Pixel Shaders are used to change the

appearance of Pixels

o http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/53

754/vertex-shader

Pixel shader is used to change the

colour of the pixel in your game.

This picture shows how the pixel shaded changes the quality of a picture

. Post

Processing

he term post-processing (or postproc for short) is used in the video/film business for quality-improvement image processing (specifically digital image processing) methods used in video playback devices, (such as stand-aloneDVD-Video players), and video players software and transcoding software. It is also commonly used in real-time 3D rendering (such as in video games) to add additional effects.

The term post processing i s there

to improve the overall quality of your image and can be used in other fields such as 3D rendering.

This shows the post processing effect on a picture.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

7

Rendering Rendering is the process of generating

an image from a model by means of a computer programs. http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Rendering_(com

puter_graphics).html

Rendering is the process of

generating the level or images around you on a game.

This image shows a map rendering all the pixels.

Normal Map

Normal map is important for a 3D artists, Normal maps cons is t of red, green and blue.

http://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/articles/gamedev-glossary-what-is-

a-normal-map--gamedev-3893

Normal mapping is made of three colours red,green and blue and they form to make one colour.

This image shows mapping of a characters.

Entity ntity-component-system (ECS) is a software architecture pattern that implements concepts from Composition over inheritance using a database-like structure. Common ECS approaches are highly compatible with Data-driven programming techniques, and the two approaches are often combined.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity_component_system

Enti ty i s used to combine things

with old and new software.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

8

UV Map UV mapping i s the 3D model ing

process of making 2D image repres intation of a 3D model . http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual/Textures/Mapping/UV/

Unwrapping

UV mapping is used to form the

3D characters from 2D pictuers.

This image shows the mapping of a 3D model.

Procedural Texture

Procedural textures are terxtures generated by our engine on the basis of thier text description. They can be used instead of normal textures. https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Procedural_Textures

This is the creation of texture’s based on text in the gaming engine.

This image shows the textuers of i tems inside a game map.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

9

Physics A phisics engine is general used describe a software program that is used to simulate phisical phenomena. One of the first uses of a phisics engine was for simulating where artillary shells would land based on their weight. http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/p/physics-engine.htm

The physics engine is used to

s imulate physical actions in a game like a punch or explosion.

This image shows the phisics of a game with aball breaking through a wall.

Collision collisons consist of algorrithiams to detect collision in 2D games depend on the type of shapes that can collide. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Games/Techniques/2

The col lision is used to show the col l ision of shape’s in a 2D game.

This image shows collision programming inside a game engine and the radius of it.

Lighting High-dynamic-range rendering (HDRR or HDR rendering), also known as

high-dynamic-range l ighting, i s the rendering of computer graphics

scenes by using lighting calculations

done in a larger dynamic range. This a l lows preservation of details that

may be lost due to limiting contrast ratios. Video games and computer-generated movies and special effects benefit from this as i t creates more

rea listic scenes than with the more s implistic l ighting models used.

Lighting will help t render you game better and is used to create

more realistic scenes.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

10

AA – Anti-

Aliasing Anti allising is used to detect and smooth out jagged edges using a quick scan. https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100420031929AAON6YB

Anti -aliasing is basically used to

make your game images or just any images look better with smoother quality.

This image is showing anti aliasing so the smoothing out of the image in the image.

LoD – Level of Detail

The level of detail for a BIM model must correspond to the needs of the modeler, the project engineer, and the estimators and schedulers. LOD identifies how much information is known about a model element at a given time http://www.vicosoftware.com/BIM-Level-of-Detail/tabid/89638/

The level of design focuses on the amount of information known on the level and helps the modeller

des ign the level.

This image shows the Level of detail in the level design involved in the image.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

11

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#didyouknowout

Animation is basically used to

make your characters come to l i fe and can be used to make characters move and add motion to the scene your game is

currently in.

This image is showing the animation used on a character involved in a game.

Sprite A graphic image that can move within a larger graphic. Animation software that supports sprites enables the designer to develop independent animated images that can then be combined in a larger animation. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/sprite.html

A spri te is something that is used within a bigger graphic and helps make developing a game much

easier.

This image shows multiple images used to create an animation

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

12

Scene A scene graph is a general data structure commonly used by vector-based graphics editing applications and modern computer games. Examples of such programs include Acrobat 3D, Adobe Illustrator, AutoCAD, CorelDRAW, OpenSceneGraph, OpenSG, VRML97, and X3D. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scene_graph

Scene graphics is generally data

used on modern games and is edi ted easily by programs such as i l lustrator.

This image is showing the structure that is used to create a scene in a game.

Library If you are creating HTML5 games, i t

makes a lot of sense to start out with some game engine or framework. The

good news is that there are many free

HTML5 game engines and frameworks out there, from very minimal to pretty

complex. Below I will cover some of the most popular HTML5 game frameworks and I will also cover particle systems, game tutorials, examples, and demos. To start, I think i t makes a lot of sense to take a step

back and watch these slides on HTML5 game development.

This is a framework of a ll your

data used during the creation of the game and al components

needed such as weapon designs

and such.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

13

UI User interface design in games differs from other UI design because it involves an additional element -- fiction. The fiction involves an avatar of the actual user, or player http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AnthonyStonehouse/20140227/211823/User_interface_design_in_video_games.php

User interface is how a player

plays a game so there own personal s tyle within a game.

This image is showing the inner working of the level and of the design.

Frames frame or fps determines the sleakness of a game and how the game overall looks. http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/6825/time-based-movement-vs-frame-rate-based-movement

Frames is the amount of frames you get per second and the amount of frames you get per

second is determined by the amount of RAM your computer has .

This image is showing the average frame for certain times.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

14

Concept Bas ically what the idea of the game is. The concept is the base idea of a

game so the idea which turns into program and then the modelling then the game.

This is showing some concept art for a game.

Event Decouple when a message or event is sent from when it is processed.

An event i s when a program or character is set to do things on

command when a certain message is relayed.

This is programming the character to do certain things at differen t.

Path finding

Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by a computer application, of the shortest route between two points. It is a more practical variant

on solving mazes. This field of research is based heavily on Dijkstra's algorithm for finding the shortest path on a weighted graph.

The plotting of paths is finding the quickest possible way through a puzzle and is used to set character paths in game.

This shows a path finding algarythm implemented in a game.

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre

BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1

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