3D Game Environments: Create Professional 3D Game Worlds

362 Pages·2017·31.865 MB·English

by  Luke Ahearn

SECOND EDITION
3D Game
Environments
C R E A T E P R O F E S S I O N A L 3 D G A M E WO R L D S

SECOND EDITION
3D Game
Environments
C R E A T E P R O F E S S I O N A L 3 D G A M E WO R L D S
Luke Ahearn
Boca Raton London New York
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Version Date: 20161102
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Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data
Names: Ahearn, Luke, author.
Title: 3D game environments : create professional 3D game worlds / Luke 
Ahearn.
Description: Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, [2017] | 
Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016025973 | ISBN 9781138920026 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Computer games--Programming. | Computer graphics. | 
Three-dimensional display systems. | Virtual reality.
Classification: LCC QA76.76.C672 A42143 2017 | DDC 794.8/1526--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016025973
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
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To Julie, Ellen, and Cooper

Contents
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xvii
Author xix
Introduction xxi
i
Section
the basics
1 Game world optimizations 3
Introduction 3
Asset-based optimizations 7
MIP mapping 7
Texture pages (or T-pages, atlas textures, or texture packing) 10
Unlit textures 11
Multitexturing or multiple UV channels 12
Lightmaps 13
Masking and transparency 15
Texture size and compression 18
Particle systems 18
Forced perspective 22
vii
viii Contents
Polygon optimization 22
LoD 23
Collision-based optimizations 24
Collision objects 24
Collision types 27
Occlusion-based optimizations 28
Occlusion and culling 28
Distance fog 31
Cull distance 34
Cells and portals 35
Planning 35
Conclusion 36
2 three-dimensional concepts 37
Introduction 37
Texture mapping 38
Mapping types 39
Planar 40
Box 40
Spherical 40
Cylindrical 40
UV editing 40
Multitexturing 40
3D 42
3D space 44
Viewports 44
Player perspective 47
Shortcuts and hotkeys 47
Units of measurement 47
Grids and snaps 47
Hide/unhide 48
Freeze 49
Drawing modes 49
Grouping 49
Selecting 49
Contents ix
3D creation 50
Mesh editing 51
Axis 51
Object space or local 54
World space 54
View space 54
Pivot points 54
2D shapes 54
Creating 3D objects from 2D shapes 56
Extrude 56
Lathe 56
Loft 57
Transforms 57
Deforms 58
3 Shaders and materials 61
Introduction 61
Shader basics 63
Common shader effects 66
Diffuse (color maps or textures) 67
Blend 70
Average 70
Additive 70
Subtractive 70
Detail mapping 70
Depth of field 70
Heat haze 72
Specular highlights and glossiness 72
Bloom (glow or halo) 74
Masking and opacity 74
Illumination (unlit, emissive, or full bright) 75
Reflection 78
Pan/rotate/scale 81
Bump, normal, and parallax occlusion mapping 82
Conclusion 87