Unit 78: Exercise 4

UNIT 78: Digital Graphics for Computer Games.

Exercise 4:

File Extensions:

File extensions are very important when it comes to handling images. This is because specific file extensions limit the size, quality and the ability to customise if your uploading from a software such as photo shop. Customisation file types are very important in the game development industry because if someone was to create a digital graphics template with photo shop and save and send as a .JPG a co worker on the project will not be able to customise as .JPG flattens the image merging all individual layers into one. Where as if the template creator saves the image as a .PSD which is photo shops own file type the co worker will be able to customise as the file will be saved with the individual layers separated.  

Common types of File Extensions:

If you head over to last weeks work at the bottom I created a list of file types/extensions at the bottom of the page. How ever the image above shows an example of a few file types/extensions.

Image Compression:  

Image Compression is the process of lowering an images file size. This can be good in many ways as it allows you to take up less storage. However each time you compress an image the quality of the image lowers and if you leave it uncompressed it will not differ the quality. This is used on blue ray discs. It is used to upload big files onto something with small storage spaces. A good example of this is gaming within a mobile phone. An example of compression file types is .tiff. However you could also use file archives such as WinRAR and 7-zip to compress and un-compress files sizes. Another example of this is lossy. Lossy is the technique of compressing and removing unnecessary information/pixels are removed or deleted. 

Image Capture:

Image capture consists of many ways of saving a picture. It includes features like: Print Screen. This is a built in utility within your OS which allows you to screen shot what ever you see on your display system. To do this you simply press the "PrtScn" button that is placed somewhere within your keyboard. How ever you can be more manual and go out and take a picture even using hand hold devices such as a mobile or you could use a camera. However this doesn't save to your computer. To save it to your computer you can either upload it with a USB or have it scanned. However if you scan you must select high DPI to keep that image quality high. Another manual example of this is drawing. To plan for your graphic art you can draw it out and scan it to your PC. This is a really useful method as it allows you to upload your drawings to the PC and in software's like Photoshop you are capable of drawing on top of this with multiple layers.

Storage of image assets: 

Within storing images there are many factors to consider. This includes: The layout in which you are saving and the type and size of a file. Within the games design industry it is vital that you keep a neat lay out of your work so its easily accessible. This is because if you where to share your work with a co worker so he can apply some changes it will be easy for him to navigate through the files to find out what he or she needs to work on where as if you didn't stay organise your files it would be a lot harder. It is also vital that you save in the correct file types. For example many games designers in the graphical industry use Photoshop to work on their art. If they where to save a piece of work as a .JPG it will not be customisable after it is closed. Where as if you where to save it using Adobe's file type .PSD it will save the image with the layers unmerged allowing it to be customised upon uploading and closing. 

Unit 78: Computer game graphics

UNIT 78: Digital Graphics for Computer Games.

Research Exercise

Computer Game Graphics:

Pixel art(2D/3D Isometric Sprites)

Sprites are 2D bitmaps that are directly drawn to the render target without any transformations or lighting effects. Old games such as Mario mainly consist of these sprites. This is because they can be used to make a 2D animations. The only use of 2D sprites in this modern age are for HUD's (HeadsUp displays). For example Health/xp bar, mini-maps etc.

3D Isometric Sprites are basically 2D sprites but the editor has added a lot of depth to it to make it look 3D. The purpose behind 3D isometric Sprites are to make it look more appealing and stand out to the player. Games that only consist of 2D shapes and animations can be really boring.

The Advantages of using 2D sprites are: easier to make and take up less storage. Where as it doesn't look very appealing in comparison with 3D isometric Sprites. The examples below show typical examples of 2D sprites when it comes to gaming and the HUD's within the games . 

                                            Concept Art:

Concept art is vital when it comes to games development. This is because you gain access to edit anything when ever it is necessary. Another useful advantage of concept art is constructive criticism. This when you show what you have done so far. This person will then tell you what went well and whats needs changing to make it even better. You then go away and make these improvements. This is very use full with game design as you want your game to be spot on and any bad creations will be dealt with in this way. You are also able to create things like mood boards etc to help you come up with different variations characters that will suit the environment you will be creating.

Within games there are multiple subjects where graphical art is needed; this is when the creation of: Characters, Vehicle, Weapons and most importantly the Environment. Without any of these features a game wouldn't be playable and wouldn't be able to go very far. The purpose of these features is to enable the player to interact with the game itself making it more appealing.

Texture/Background Art:

Texture art is when a graphics designer is trying to make a virtual object within a game look as realistic as possible. Most often developers don't actually make the details themselves. They use photo-realism. This is when the creator goes out and takes a picture of something and directly uploads it to the game. The purpose of this is to make the game look as realistic and appealing as possible. Background art is added to make the game look more interactive and makes the player actually think he or she is there.

User Interface:

User interface also known as HUD is vital within gaming. This is because it informs you on statuses within the game. User interface often uses 2D sprites. It often portrays information like your Health points, inventory UI and story progression. The purpose of this is to help the gamer keep knowledge and track of where they are and what is going on within the game. The image below is a perfect example of user interface. This is because it is easy to see and stands out from the game it self. This is good because it allows the players the focus more on the game itself without constantly trying to find out how much health he or she has or ammo.

Print Media Art:

Print media art is basically advertisement. Advertisement is really important as it gives your work/game publicity. The more publicity the bigger your game community will be. This includes: Trailers, Game Packaging etc. This is important as it helps make money that'll help towards making the game.

Raster/Vector Images:

A raster image is an computerised image where if you zoom in far enough you will be able to see individual pixels within an image. This is because Raster Images are made up of a set grid of dots called pixels where each pixel is assigned to its own 8bit colour sequence within the RGB. This makes these images completely resolution dependent. However you are unable to do this with a Vector image. This is because vector images use basic geometric shapes that allow them to be scaled up and down without losing quality. 

<------Raster                                                                     Vector------>

Where and When you would use these images:

Vector images should be used throughout the process of advertisement such as logo designs and print works such as posters and brochures are uses of vector images. They use software's likes adobe illustrator etc. Their file types consist of: .PSD .WMF .FLA and .AI. Raster images can be used for blueprints and print outs, they could also be used for background images.

File types:

Raster:

• .bmp: .bmp is also known as a single bitmap image. It is used to store bitmap images.
• .gif: .gif is a lossless format that allows animation and static images.
• .jpg: .jpg is a file format that compresses the image file size. The more it is compressed the lower the quality is.
• .tiff: .tiff is a tag image format that is used for transferring raster images between different application programs.

Vector:

• .psd: .psd is a Photoshop image that is saved to be customised due to it being a proprietary file.
• .ai: .ai is an adobe illustrator file that is proprietary used to represent single paged drawings.
• .pdf: .pdf is a portable document format. It allows people to view, navigate, print or forward it to somebody else.