Design Seminar II

Code:

SDII211

Acronym:

SDII

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
CNAEF	Design

Instance: 2018/2019 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Design
Course/CS Responsible:	Communication Design

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
DC	18	Plano Oficial do ano letivo 2017	3	-	4,5	64	121,5
			4

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The primary aim of this course unit is to provide students an introduction to the field of real time 3D graphics, working on organic modelling, mesh deform animation, texturing and shading, and interaction. This course is lectured regarding its role in current Communication Design practices regarding the concerns for production of real time 3D environments, such as simulations and video games.

Learning outcomes and competences

Students will develop skills regarding conception and production for real time interactive 3D environments and characters, aimed at simulation applications and computer games. By the end of the semester, students will have accomplished a formal and introductory contact with real time and interactive 3D environments, being able to progress autonomously in this field of study.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Designing Characters and Assets for Computer Games and Simulations:




• Organic and Box Modelling;


• Texture Painting and UV Mapping;


• Digital Sculpting, Retopology, and Normal Maps.




2. Creating and managing Short-term and Cyclic Animations:




• Rigging Characters and Objects;


• Mesh Deform Animation using Inverse Kinematics.




3. Implementing the assets in the Game Engine:




• Managing the Polygon Budget;


• Shaders and Baking Techniques.

Mandatory literature

—; Blender 2.6 User Manual (At http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual.)
Bastos, Pedro; Produção 3D com Blender de personagens bípedes, FCA, 2011. ISBN: 978-972-722-693-1
Flavell, Lance; Beginning Blender: Open Source 3D Modeling, Animations, and Game Design, APress, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-4302-3126-4
Solarski, Chris; Drawing basics and video game art: Classic to cutting-edge art techniques for winning video game design, Watson-Guptill, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-8230-9848-4
Totten, Chris; Game Character Creation with Blender and Unity, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2012. ISBN: 978-1-118-17272-8
Williams, Richard; The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators., Faber and Faber, 2001. ISBN: 978-0-86547-897-8 (1st ed. 2001; eBook/iOS app. 2013.)

Complementary Bibliography

—; Blender, Floss Manuals (At https://www.flossmanuals.net/blender/.)
—; Blender 3D: Noob to Pro, Wikibook (At http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro.)
Bacone, Victor Kuller; Blender Game Engine: Beginner's Guide, Packt Publishing Ltd., 2012. ISBN: 978-1-84951-702-7
Bastos, Pedro; Produção 3D com Blender - para arquitectura e personagens, FCA, 2010. ISBN: 978-972-722-652-8
Felinto, Dalai & Mike Pan; Game Development with Blender, Cengage Learning PTR, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-4354-5662-4
Simonds, Ben; Blender Master Class: A Hands-on Guide to Modeling, Sculpting, Materials, and Rendering, No Starch Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-59327-477-1
Wartmann, Carsten; Blender Game Kit 2nd Edition, 2011 (At http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.4/Books/Blender_Game_Kit_2nd_Edition.)

Teaching methods and learning activities

Presentation, analysis and discussion of relevant materials in order to establish a permanent discussion forum within the workgroup.

The classroom will be structured as a creative lab, as a space of experimentation and exploration, where students, individually and collectively, will develop projects in order to implement scientific contents and consolidate scientific and technical skills.

Software

Blender (www.blender.org)
Unreal Engine (www.unrealengine.com)
Unity (www.unity3d.com)

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	10,00
Trabalho laboratorial	90,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de projeto	31,50
Estudo autónomo	30,00
Frequência das aulas	30,00
Trabalho laboratorial	30,00
Total:	121,50

Eligibility for exams

Final grade equal or higher than 10.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final scores will be calculated from the mean average of every project evaluation, and its articulation with a qualitative evaluation of the students' contributions in class and all the remaining curricular activities: Exercise 1 (30%) + Exercise 2 (50%) + Continuous Assessment (20%).

The lack of attendance by more than 25% of classes will be cause for reprobation. Non delivered projects will be scored with a 0 (zero). Projects that are not duly monitored won't be evaluated. Projects delivered beyond the established deadlines will be penalized in its score by 20%.

Considering the strong expository methods this course unit employs, students can not be evaluated in a single moment, such as a written exam.

Classification improvement

Only by attending the class the following year.