Does Smu Have a Game Art and Design Class

The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University's Guildhall is ane of the premier graduate video game education programs in the The states. The program has graduated more than 600 students, and alumni are working at over 200 video game studios effectually the globe.

The Guildhall offers a Main of Interactive Engineering science in Digital Game Development degree and Professional Document in Digital Game Evolution programme. Students also select an area of specialization ­— Art Creation, Level Design, Production, or Software Evolution. Classes are taught by industry veterans, who work as mentors to develop skill and talent in the adjacent generation of game creators. Visit http://guildhall.smu.edu for more than information.

Unreal Engine 4: Impressions from SMU Guildhall

Epic Games' technology has held a spot in SMU Guildhall's curriculum since 2004. Faculty used Unreal Tournament to introduce multiplayer gameplay to level designers, while the entire educatee population built game projects with the Unreal Engine. Several kinesthesia-led research projects also selected Unreal technologies to generate content. We spoke with 3 lecturers at the Plano, Texas-based graduate program for video game development about their experiences with UE4 since its release. They were Nick Heitzman, fine art creation; Jon Skinner, level design; and Wendy Despain, team game production.

Office I: UE4 in the Classroom - Artists

When did you begin working in UE4? How did y'all tackle training yourself?

Nick Heitzman, Art Cosmos lecturer: I jumped into Unreal four last Baronial, as before long as we had our licenses available to faculty. My excitement level was loftier as several students had been even before adopters and I was peripherally enlightened of several of the astonishing improvements Ballsy had made with the new editor and engine.

My standard process for grooming myself has evolved out of having to alter software toolsets and engines multiple times over the last twenty years making games. Even so it still revolves around taking what I know worked in one tool or engine, and recreating it in the new format using any enhancements that new platform provides.

I grabbed a fairly simple asset I'd integrated previously into UDK; made some small changes I knew would brand the .fbx format mesh consign more friendly – reworked the texture set to support the new specular/roughness/metallic split, then brought it all into Unreal four and gear up about recreating the asset using the new toolset.

Once I had some experience with the assets themselves, I moved onto larger scenes, landscape, foliage, heaven domes, post-processing – and the push continues every bit I discover and become better at utilizing all that Unreal four puts at my fingertips.

Are in that location detail features in UE4 that appeal to you and your art students? If so, which ones?

Heitzman: What appeals most to me personally, is the way every aspect of the interface and usability has been streamlined, cleaned, and made easy to assimilate for art workflow. Scale makes more sense now and is easier to control, blueprints to control skies, lighting, then much is available now to artists to accept their work beyond the 'cheque-in', and ensure consistent visual quality across a project.

Uncomplicated things, like tools in logical places, working as intended. The new file structure and its flexibility is as well a very welcomed modify for keeping so many art assets organized. Sharing assets across multiple projects and levels has never been easier, maintaining dependencies with complex hybrid art assets is a reality. Everything is in place, and works, similar I would expect it to. This is not ever the case with editor/engines, and now I am spoiled by Unreal 4'due south functionality and ease of apply.

The appeal for my students is the avant-garde rendering systems, the ability to create assets with a quality and subtle realism that was previously relegated to portfolio rendering software. Physical based rendering is a powerful art tool, one which I am sure will exist abused in the well-nigh term simply like specular was when it was shiny and new (sorry, that was atrocious). In one case the initial learning bend is conquered, and the subtle use of real textile properties is mastered by our students, the quality of game fine art will reach a new level of visual fidelity rivaling out imagination.

What they appreciate, and may not even be aware of, is what I touched on to a higher place apropos ease of utilise and stability of the platform. Our Art students tin be focused now on the quality of their work and taking advantage of the upgraded fabric settings, leaf and mural tools, time of day and environmental lighting, effects, how this affects their work. With Unreal 4 they volition not be aware of the pain earlier, less stable editors accept been plagued with, and that is a good thing.

Can you share a trick you lot've learned that makes it easier for your students to work in UE4?

Heitzman: Introducing them to the way textures work together in the material editor is one of the foundational lessons they need to master.

To help them encompass the interdependencies, we create a pristine smart telephone and texture set. Using the specular and metallic to get the subtle levels of gloss on the screen and trunk. Nosotros work to achieve a chrome on the trim, and some texture in the example dorsum itself. They are able to stretch their artistic freedom in the screen; create their own custom icons, wallpaper, color scheme every bit long every bit the end result is a clean, new phone in Unreal four.

Then we take the phone and nosotros create a version of it in use. Fingerprints visible at various levels of oiliness on the screen and buttons. Smudges – dust collecting effectually the perimeter of the trim. Subtle clothing on the case at the points it would normally be held. The goal here to have, at kickoff glance a functional phone that when exposed to lighting reveals logical utilise.

Finally, nosotros introduce the tearjerker of the 'dropped phone'. We have the phone and introduce croaky screens, dents, and the expected textile changes involved with this change. At present the normal map, roughness play a part in delivering believable damage. Some use of bump outset to sell the deeper screen splits. The phone now appears to the viewer initially as damaged, and so the lighting unveils the spider web of light cracks and vesture showing the true tragedy of the ruined phone.

Later on this exercise our students seem to have a much better grasp of how all the texture values, math functions, and variables, work together to make the material bend to their needs.

Role II: UE4 in the Classroom - Designers

You've taught Guildhall level designers Unreal Engine 2 and UDK (Unreal Engine 3) previously. How does UE4 compare?

Jon Skinner, Level Blueprint lecturer: UE4 is such a big step forward that information technology feels similar a new technology - which of course is incorrect, it's an impressive iteration of previous tech. In my opinion, Design is the biggest stride forwards and is maybe the key characteristic that separates UE4 from other current-gen technologies. Gameplay ideas can now be implemented extremely easily past anyone on a team, non just the programmers, and rapid prototyping has become a true reality. The Material Editor was a revelation in UE3 and I'1000 glad it'southward been updated for UE4 while retaining its ease of utilize. Persona is a massive improvement over UE3, artists have much more control over their animations and the integration with Blueprint is heady.

I'yard also looking frontwards to the update to Pour, which has e'er (in my opinion) felt the hardest of all the systems to understand. True in-editor play is a huge time-saver, information technology'south surprising how much time can be lost by starting up a split up client window whenever yous need to test something in the game. Finally, true source code access, which was available only to licensees in previous versions, is an impressive step past Ballsy. Combine this with the ability for anyone to submit code patches, updates, and suggestions through their Github is an indication that Epic is customer-focused and committed to giving their user base of operations the all-time experience possible.

How do your students benefit from using UE4 versus another tech?

Skinner: At that place is the obvious fact that Unreal Engine is an industry standard engineering science. This enables us to prepare students for working in a large codebase, with an all-encompassing and comprehensive toolset, all while providing knowledge that is current and immediately applicable for students entering the manufacture after graduation. While UE4 is a sizeable step frontwards in terms of engineering science, there are a lot of concepts and actions that can be carried over from UE3 and UDK - BSP use, static mesh cosmos, nugget import, and basic lighting are some of the steps that virtually every project needs, and it was proficient to see Epic not changing things that didn't need drastic amending.

Compared to other technologies, UE4 is just... well, *easier*. We use several different tech here and while each is useful, they are niche applications. UE4 provides tools that are so complete that students can brand virtually anything they tin think of, from 2D games to MMOs to mobile titles. Blueprint lets students perform actual rapid-prototyping. Persona lets artists get far more impact from their animations. Programmers benefit from having access to the source lawmaking of both engine and editor. I cannot call up of any other applied science that allows all parts of a pupil squad to go so deep - and so easily - into implementation, letting everyone feel like they have a pale in making their games equally fun equally possible.

Designers "think large," but that's non ever the best path for a student with express fourth dimension. Whatsoever advice on how not to go lost in UE4?

Skinner: This depends on what you are trying to practise. Focus on the core ideas of your project; if you're making a game, work co-ordinate to the 80-20 dominion (decide 80% of your gameplay upwardly front end, implement information technology, then playtest every bit much as possible. Lots of games detect fun mechanics through playtesting so tweak and iterate the gameplay for a LONG time earlier moving to the visuals). If you lot're making a level, make sure you sympathize the game blazon kickoff (SinglePlayer, DeathMatch, Team DeathMatch, Capture The Flag etc) before proceeding.

Equally for the editor and technology, don't learn in a vacuum. Call back of something you desire to do (start with uncomplicated ideas!) and do that. Build new knowledge on previous knowledge. This ways that you won't immediately jump into Pattern, Cascade, Persona and the Material Editor; choose one, decide what you want to practice (once again start simple!) and try information technology. You won't suspension annihilation by trying. When you lot take a success, make sure to save a fill-in of that success so y'all can return to it later.

Maybe my all-time communication hither would be to work inside an existing game; currently I suggest Unreal Tournament iv because (in my opinion) deathmatch is the easiest path to familiarity with the technology. Unreal Engine 4 itself is vast and while it comes with game templates, information technology should exist viewed as a "blank canvas". Starting out should be easy and give quick piece of cake wins or you'll go frustrated and requite up. Don't give up; UE4 lets yous exercise whatever you lot desire, take it slow and try things out.

Role III: UE4 in the Classroom – Team Game Product

What is the Team Game Production aspect of Guildhall?

Wendy Despain, Product lecturer: Students at the Guildhall have intense classes delving into the hardcore details of their specific subject – art, level design, software development and product – but they besides accept the chance to piece of work together in multidisciplinary teams of gradually increasing sizes. I teach Team Game Production II where students are in preproduction on four teams making Capture The Flag games in Unreal Engine iv.

The course is coordinated and led by iii faculty, all with years of game manufacture experience. We strive to get our teams out of the frame of mind of students and starting to think like game developers. Professional devs are ever having to acquire new software and go up to speed on the latest thing ASAP, so switching the class over to UE4 non only provides them with outstanding personal resume material, but also gives them practice with working together as a team to explore a new engine and figure out what they can do with it.

Does that set up arrive challenging to apply UE4 with students who are but commencement to work together?

Despain: New teams, working on new software… it's definitely a challenge. We're starting anybody out with a few days of intense training. The first few days had level designers, artists, programmers and producers all in the same room getting the same overview. We try to make certain everyone on the team is speaking the aforementioned language and all on the aforementioned folio almost what the engine tin do. Subsequently that, we broke out into the diverse disciplines (producers went with Level Designers as they will be doing more than level design than producing at this phase in the curriculum) and nosotros did a deep swoop into what they needed to know about UE4 to do their particular function of the task.

While it's a challenge, it too provides a shared learning/bonding experience for the teams. So although information technology would exist fun to do a game projection using an engine they were already familiar with, this lets us start anybody out on the same footing. Nobody is the resident expert. They're all learning it together, and it has an equalizing effect on egos, which tin can sometimes go in the style on grouping projects.

Is in that location an area of UE4'due south use in a squad setting that you're excited to see in practice?

Despain: We've told them that this is similar getting your driving learner's license and then being handed the keys to a make new Ferrari. I think they know what a smashing opportunity this is and what kinds of potential this software has. They absolutely cannot look to become this puppy out onto a flat piece of road and see what she can do. I think they're a trivial frustrated that as leads and educators nosotros want to have them to demonstrate their skills with some defensive driving in a quiet neighborhood start.

I tin can see their eagerness to try out every bell and whistle, and in some ways I feel similar I'1000 crushing their dreams, counseling them to work on fundamentals before they attempt to wing. Merely once nosotros know they've got those fundamentals down, I have no uncertainty that they are going to push all the limits just to see what they can do. Information technology's going to be heady what they come upwards with. I tin can't wait.

Kinesthesia Biographies

Nick Heitzman has several years of experience in the game industry, and has worked on a number of titles. Jon Skinner joined SMU Guildhall in 2003 and has worked on commercial and bookish game projects. Wendy Despain is a video game writer and narrative designer with more than a decade spearheading digital media projects.

Team Game Projection: "Inua"

Student team, Expose Games, is currently working on " Inua. " They are in week three of the sixteen week project and they take fourteen developers made up of artists, level designers, programmers, and producers.

The images testify the work of atomic number 82 artist, Taylor Smith. These were examples of concepts being recreated using new lighting features in Unreal Engine four.

" Inua "

Guildhall Cohort 22 Capstone Project

Release: May 2015

Development fourth dimension: xvi weeks

Team Members:
Producer: Matt Worrell
Game Designer: Jon Clark
Lead Developer: Trevor Youngblood
Programmers: Brian Rust, Evan Kohn, Hoang Nguyen, Laura Brothers
Lead Creative person: Taylor Smith
Artists: David Gautier, Amanda East, Kristy Zeller
Pb Level Designer: Jason Leary
Level Designers: Michael Crawford, Chris McCrimmons

mitchellwhady1951.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.unrealengine.com/ko/blog/smu-guildhall-unreal-educational-spotlight?lang=ko

Share this post