Monday, December 11, 2006

Hand-in

Ahhh this time of year comes round so soon! A time when all the computers for once are full and work is done. Or sometimes lost through the fickle data.

Right, hand in is at Britannia mill (1st Floor) school office, they will stamp your work to tell me its on time so all is fair and square.

The module codes for the units are:

Intro to 3D - 4CC042
Game studies - 4CC057

You need an assignment record form for the front, this sheet is in 2 parts, one of which you get to keep (and keep it safe).

If in doubt whether to include some things hand it in. I try not too mark down work for handing in too much.

Include paper copies where possible in case of data loss and have a copy of everything for yourself.

Plagerism is handing in someone else's work and claiming it as your own. Its very serious and students who do it have the book thrown at them. If in doubt see me, if you have quoted someone, fully reference it. We have software to combat this.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Sheila's Blog

Look for Sheila's blog a lionk will appear here soon !

And also everyone say Hi to Christian from Sony who has been invited into our blogging circle, (So on your bestest behaviour) Richie at the moment gets the vote for No.1 at Maya for his ahem.. work with exhaust pipes, I know it was painful mate... A reminder that Krakow deposits have to be in by the end of next week!!! and we do take credit cards!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Oh just one more thing

When you get your Krakow reciept and bring it to me I have to get you to fill out a heath questionnaire, for health and safety reasons

Krakow!!!!

Just to remind you that tomorrow is an important day, Firstly those lovely people from Sony are turning up to talk to you about Computer Game graphics and to blow your socks off. They will probably be asking you to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) but this is normal.

An excellent lesson today guys, god its great when learning is fun. GTA on trial! for games ethics. Sentence is passed.

Krakow, the posters are up here at Britannia Mill and KR so there should be no excuses, its going to be great. Details are:
leave East Midlands Tuesday Morning from Uni to get the flight to Krakow, 4 nights B&B. We have a chance to draw and sketch as well as have some photography masterclasses in what is Polands University capital, Krakow is a big student city.

Some people have payed a deposit already and there aren't that many places!!!

One last word please update your blogs some of them are looking very old compared to some of the newer ones.

Monday, November 06, 2006

todays lesson

I'm not being picky but I want you to get to grips with good modelling practice and so I will be looking at your models of cars for good modelling. A Good tip for the top is to start off simply and add the detail you require (cutting, splitting or ringing). That way you get a feel for the complexity of the model, also you have to keep shifting the poly's around so for the lazy amoung you less polys is better. It's easy to add complexity where you need it its more bothersome to simplify a model and keep a good topology.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Game City

Hi Guys,
Just a reminder that Game city is NEXT WEEK!!!! go look at the web site at Game City John Seer is organiasing the coach for next week. More deatils later. I like the sounds of the Tekken 3 tournament!

Monday, October 16, 2006

Today's excercise

OK Guys We are starting polygon modeling today so I want you to pick one of the models below and later on we are going to create these in stunning 3D!!! The first one you should pick is the darlek. Keep hold of the Car we did last lesson as we'll be needing that when texturing time comes.

Darlek side


Darlek Top

Start with these





Edgar


Monster where monster?


Racoon

Friday, October 13, 2006

Poland Trip

OK initially here are some details of our trip this April to Auschwitz, now these may change but it will give you a flavour of what to expect.

Auschwitz Tour
The World's most notorious place of genocide and mass grave. Started in 1940 as a concentration camp for Polish political prisoners, in 1942 it became the centre for the extermination of European Jews. In 1940 - 1945 the Nazis killed about 1.5 million people there, mainly Jews but also Poles, Gypsies, Russian POWs and people of other nations.

You will spend about 3.5 hour in Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps, where you will be given an English guided tour by the Museum's licensed guide. The tour begins with a 15-minute documentary film about the liberation of the camp, then the museum guide will show you exhibits in some of the surviving prison blocks, the gas chamber and the crematorium. After a short break you continue to Birkenau, where you go up to the watchtower above the entrance gate to see the view of the biggest Nazi extermination camp.


Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour - Visitors may take a walk of 3 km through 3 levels in the Salt Mine down to 136 meters below ground level through chambers and passageways excavated in the 17th century. On the way visitors see underground chambers and chapels hewn out in the saltrock, statues of saints sculpted in salt, and saline lakes. The Salt Mine at Wieliczka is listed among UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage monuments.


Here is a link to a
travel blog about Auschwitz

I initially thought Ahhh! salt mines, Stalin, Siberia and Goolags, but then I saw these pictures:



NURBS

NURBS to you all! You all seemed to do very well with the old NURBS well done. They are quite tricky as there's very little to do moving points and many operations to perform to get the model you want.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Hey Guys




Today we are going to look at NURBS, now these can be tricky and a little confusing, not my speciality I must admit BUT we will be creating more cars and then texturing these later.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Sorry Guys

Been a couple of days since my last post, just wanted to say sorry but I've been working on some Maya tutorials to post on a Forum.

I've got what should be a good lecture about the Games Industry tomorrow. I'll try to get through as many reviews from last week as I can.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Myth 2 review

The game I will review is Myth 2 Soulblighter back in 1998 when I was a student a game came out that I couldn't stop playing. Recently while moving house I loaded up this gem from a by-gone age and once again I am addicted.

Myth 2 is suprisingly the sequel to the sucessful Myth. It is based in a medieval world which is again being invaded by the remains of the dead under the hideous noseless soulblighter.

Each level is peceeded by a diary extrtact setting the scene as the living attempt to stem this ever growing tide of mortal remains, this sets the scene perfectly as this eery voice over pulls no punches and raises the moral stakes after each level, you are under no misapprehensions about the fate of this world being in your hands.

Each level is based in a rolling 3D (Voxel) landscape filled with squirrels and trees and the joys of nature. You are assigned troops for each mission, sometimes after an objective is reached you will reciev some more, but you never have too many.

Into this world are placed hordes of shambling dead, who attempt to thwart your aims, some of these monsters don't shamble most are as fast if not faster than you. (as in 28 days later) which makes you take care of your small force.

The amount of your troops for each level does not vary however each level your troops get experience and some appear in level after level, until they one day very easily get killed. It is easy to die in this game.

Your weapons vary but mostly you fight with swords, arrows and molotov cocktail weilding dwarfs. The latter being the most fun to play, as the physics engine is a delight. If for example in a particularly wet environment you throw a number of explosives on top of each other annd they fail to go off they will sit there, if however a grenade explodes over them they will re-ignite flying randomly around causing a massive explosion.

All these ingredients form a game that even if you have played a level hundreds of times each time is unique, and can be played hundreds of ways. This game has definate lastibility. I'm playing it 8 years later


I give this game
Gameplay 9
Graphics 8
Sound 9
Value 10
Tilt 10

9.5

Monday, September 25, 2006

Today on Sesame street

Today we learned about the letter y and z, So just to recap again. Thanks for having patience with us, its the first time 2 departments have cooperated on a course as this was meant to be, but at the moment its mainly being run by the Arts Design and Technology school.

I'll amend the Module handbook and send that to you all, as if I send it then you can all print it off at your leisure. This should be tomorrow.

As I write several people are working on the 'blue man' I suggest you grab a memory stick and save a copy while they are still uncorrupted by rude gestures.

To recap sign up for a Blog account at Blogger.com and email me your account so I can link it in, and tell me how you are coping, how the animation is coming on etc.

Breaking News




Al Quaeda have placed a bounty on Kofi Anan's head!

Friday, September 22, 2006

By the way

The Sony advert wasn't CG generated just flamed (post) to fill in the advert, isn't that awful of me? I sound like the kid in the playground shouting out "and my dad says that bumble bees aren't supposed to fly" after everyone has already gone in for break.

It's that sinking feeling as everyone looks at you and you question yourself.
I think this quote explains it.

"Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt" Clarence Darrow

Kind of...

Anyway we aren't in some cool contest, next week we're looking more at the Maya Interface and I'll explain what the Intro to 3D course is all about.

Oh I've been asked to point out.


"1.Be scrupulous in checking what students are putting on there - after all they're representing the Uni in this respect (no 'dodgy' material) - I would expect you to take responsiblity for the content of the sites
2. Ensure that all students are aware of the public nature of their sites - their work, private notes etc on these - and that they are ok with this being in the public domain"

This is from the assistant dean.

I always think of Homer Simpson and that episode with Sir Oinksalot, and Homer goes back to University.

Castleton

That was one beautiful day!!! sorry some of you missed it, even more sorry that some people actually stayed in the pub playing on the DS's There is no accounting for taste. I'll post some pictures when I get round to it.

Good lesson this morning guys, you seem to have got to grips with the blue man, if you need a copy just see me, or if I can find his address again I'll post a link. See what you can do with him the best one will get a prize. Thanks to those that have created a blog, all that remains is to start posting!

Question of the day: What was the first Game you remember playing?

I remember playing an adventure called Pegasus in 1982 on a PET computer but its all misty to me now.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Work work work

Today I've been getting stuff ready for students for this term and writing assignment briefs. But did you know its national 'talk like a pirate day!!!' arrrghh Jim lad.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

3DS Max

Just had a word with the powers that be I will not be teaching you 3DS Max due to a full teaching load, sorry guys. But I will be teaching you lot Maya next semester. I will also be teaching you lot Games Studies next week which should be fun.

Blog club

Met with lots of students today, (yes I'm very aware that it you may and probably will be viewing this). They all seemed - quiet, slightly defensive, un-congeled into a class but also generally happy, inquisitive and eager. and all that Reticence will wear off eventually.


I've just stolen into an office in Brit Mill, literally hahahah. Myself and my accomplace Mr.Hall changed the locks while no-one was looking so this office is ours now. Now to find someone to copy out the dictionary...a newspaper ad is called for.