2. Binding the Character Rig to the game character’s mesh.
3. Creating an animated walk Cycle
4. Creating textures for the game model
5. Creating an environment, baking shadows & illumination to a texture map.
6. Exporting game characters to a file format for a game engine
7. Importing characters into a 3-D game engine.
8. Controlling characters using data from input device.
9. Adding environment to the game.
Course Resource
Course Community Forum
Character Rigging & Animation for Game Environments
Welcome to Video Game Design Tutorial training. This on-line training will focus on selected areas of video game design that you can work at your own pace. Understanding the mechanics of computer game design will allow anyone to create moving artwork, but that does not automatically make everyone a "skilled" animator. This training covers the underlying principles of animation and how to add them to your design work.
The training will begin with the simplest principles of animation like speed, timing, squash and stretch, anticipation, bounce, and gravity, then progresses into the analysis of physical effects and natural phenomena. Examples of Flash animation are broken down into single frames revealing what it takes to create realistic motion for sparks, drips, water, lightning, and explosions.
Who should take the course?
This course is designed for beginning animation designers, game designers, graphic designers and video editors who require training in how to apply motion animation to various programs.
Course
The course covers creating animation and motion objects for game design. After completing this course you should be able to:
Create a 3D animated game, (including geometric modeling, lighting, camera angles, texture formation, skeleton rigging, and motion).
Organize physical principles of 3D animation (including perspective, transformations, geometric and spline-based modeling, lighting and shadows, inverse kinematics and modeling, natural phenomena and motion.
Create realistic modeling of humanoid characters (including walking, facial expressions, and speech), as well as other natural phenomena.
Write the concepts of 3D character animation in the context of computer gaming, use of lighting, texture, and other cues to set moods.
Design graphics and animation in alternative environments, such as 2D worlds and mobile devices.
Time required
You can take this course at your own pace, but to complete it will require a minimum of 8 to 12 hours. To complete this course within a week you must work about two hours per business day.
To get the most out of this course
Do all the activities. They do not take long and allow you to practice what you have learned.
Review the readings after you complete the activities. The activities should simplify how you can apply the readings.
Participate in the discussion groups, ask questions, and help others.
New and updated content Two more chapters of Secrets in Animation Designs are available in PDF format from the Course resources page.
Upcoming Events Interview with Mark Prensky: Join us in our community forum for a one-hour interview with this noted Game Designer. Time and date TBA
In the news
MSNBC reported on a story about the Video Game Industry and how it is being used to teach students. If you act fast, you should be able to see the news story on msnbc.com
If you have technical comments or problems about the website, or would like to contact someone with general comments not program related please email: Willliam Stephens at wrstephens@bellsouth.net
