Abigail Jordan

How to create
a modelled
environment
using 3DS
max

Abigail Jordan

Contents
Scenario:................................................................................................................................ 3
3D shapes and manipulating their shape...............................................................................3
Moving................................................................................................................................ 3
Edges:............................................................................................................................. 3
Sides:.............................................................................................................................. 3
Shapes:........................................................................................................................... 3
Resizing.............................................................................................................................. 4
Edges:............................................................................................................................. 4
Sides:.............................................................................................................................. 4
Shapes:........................................................................................................................... 5
Rotating.............................................................................................................................. 5
Edges:............................................................................................................................. 5
Sides:.............................................................................................................................. 5
Shapes:........................................................................................................................... 6
Techniques used in 3D modelling...........................................................................................6
Form and shape of 3D environments..................................................................................6
Polygons:........................................................................................................................ 6
Extruding:........................................................................................................................ 6
Environment modelling techniques in existing games.........................................................7
Modelling process:.......................................................................................................... 7
Animations:..................................................................................................................... 7
Computer generated imagery:.........................................................................................8
Game plan and block out........................................................................................................8
Genre:............................................................................................................................. 8
Outline game plan:..........................................................................................................8
Environment visuals/concept art:.....................................................................................8
Story board:.....................................................................................................................9
Possible animation techniques:.....................................................................................10
How to Guide (for the gaming industry)................................................................................11
Step 1 - Plan.................................................................................................................. 11
Step 2 - Research......................................................................................................... 12
Step 3 - Assignments....................................................................................................12
Step 4 - Modelling......................................................................................................... 12
Step 5 Game engine..................................................................................................12
Step 6 - Testing............................................................................................................. 12
Step 8 - Sell................................................................................................................... 12
Step 9 Bug fix 2.......................................................................................................... 13
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Abigail Jordan

Scenario:
In the assignment we have been given we need to create a modelled environment of a part
of the college and render it out into Unity for a first person capture the flag game. Then
create a how to guide explaining some of the techniques use to make our models as well as
explaining the game making process.

3D shapes and manipulating their

shape (P1)
Moving
Edges:
Using the move function in 3DS max you can move an edge of a shape to make it look
different to its original shape. In order to do this you need to make the object into an editable
poly by clicking the rainbow button (Modify) and right clicking on the object you want to
change and click editable poly. You then need to click the edges button and W (which
activates the move function). You can then choose an edge you want to move and move it to
any position you want.

Sides:
The move function works with sides as well. This moves an entire side of the shape to create
simple shapes that are not in the list of standard primitive objects. To do this you will also
need to make the shape into an editable poly and select the side that you want to move by
clicking the square in the editable poly section (polygon) and W to move the side of the
shape.

Abigail Jordan
Shapes:
You can also move the whole shape with the move tool. To do this you can either have it on
editable poly or not. To do it with editable poly you convert it and highlight the entire shape
while its still in polygon, to do it without you just need to click the shape and press W and
you can move it however you want. You can use this if you want to move a shape into a
specific position or if you just want to move it out the way so you can make another shape.

Resizing
Edges:
You can use a function in 3DS max called resize. This lets you resize anything that you have
made. You can use it to resize a sing edge of the object you have created or are modelling.
To do this you need to convert the shape into an editable poly then click the R button; this
brings up the resize tool. You can then use this to resize I however you want. You can resize
it going only to the left or right or you can resize it so that it goes in every direction at the
same time.

Sides:
You can also resize a whole side of an object with this function. To do tis you need to convert
the shape into an editable poly and click the polygon button and then R. This lets you resize
one side of the shape so that you can make one side of the shape bigger or smaller than the
other. You can use this to create objects that are difficult to make or are complicated. And
simplifies it down so your only modelling for a few minutes.

Abigail Jordan

Shapes:
The resize tool also lets you resize the whole shape. This is also done by either converting it
to editable poly and highlighting the whole shape or just pressing R right after you have
created the shape. Doing this lets you create a shape thats too big s that you can edit it to
have lots of detail then making it small so that you can fit it with your model.

Rotating
Edges:
Another function in 3S max is the rotation tool. This lets you rotate anything on the model
you have made. In order for you to rotate on edge of the shape you have created is to
convert the whole shape into an editable poly and then by clicking the edge button and
clicking E to get the short cut up on the screen. You can then rotate this edge or any other
edge in any direction you want. This is good if you want to create an odd looing shape but
cant model it from only using a plane.

Sides:
You can also use this function to rotate one side of the shape you are modelling. To do this
you will need to convert the object into an editable poly then clicking the polygon button then
E to rotate it to the left, right, up or down, or a mixture of the four. This function is goo if you
are trying to model an arrow head or something else pointy because you can do it two sides
to make them go inwards to look like the bottom of the arrow head.

Abigail Jordan

Shapes:
The rotation tool is also good if you need to rotate the whole object. To do this you either
need to convert the object into an editable poly or pressing E straight after you have created
the object. This is good if you have made an object but it is the wrong way round to the
model that you want to add I to. In this case you can rotate it both sideways and upside
down as well. So you can model something that is the right way up but turn I upside down to
add it into your model.

Techniques used in 3D modelling (P1)

Form and shape of 3D environments
Polygons:
A polygon is the shaped surfaces that make up an object. You can change the size
and shape of these polygons to change the size and shape of the object you are
modelling. For example, a sphere is made using different types of polys to shape the
surface of the object, triangle ones to create to top and bottom curves, and squares
to create the middle. The more polys you put into an object the more rounded it
looks. If you add more polygons onto a curved object to more round it looks.
However if you use lots of polys to create an object you will use in a game engine it
will take longer to render due a high poly count. This is due to the fact that it needs to
recreate more polys than if you use an object with a low poly count.

Abigail Jordan

Extruding:
Extruding an object is when you take a curtain side, point or face of the object you are trying
to extrude and extends it by however much you want. In order to do this you need to convert
the object into an editable poly and then select the side, edge, or point that you want to
extrude. You can use the extrude feature when you need to add on more geometry to an
object either because it is too short/small or you have an odd shape and need to extrude
only a little bit of one face. In this example you would need to add more length/width/height
segments, then extrude to only add on to a little bit of the object.

Environment modelling techniques in existing games

Modelling process:
The most modelling that needs to be done in the call of duty games is the environment, this
is due to the fact that its (mostly) outside, the buildings dont need to be in too intricate detail
because people dont spend too much time inside the buildings, and sometimes the
buildings arent even used, you cant even go in through the door.

Animations:
Some of the animations used in call of duty are; Boxes/other objects moving when your
character walks into them, water splashing up from lakes/rivers/puddles when a bullet hits

Abigail Jordan
it/your character walks/runs through it and glass smashing/falling out of the window when it
gets shot.

Computer generated imagery:

CGI is used a lot throughout the call of duty games, some examples are; a tank/truck making
a bridge across a broken road (modern warfare 2, Team player), Falling of space station
parts after the Ghost story (Ghosts, ghost stories) and the number change/moving of objects
(Black Ops, throughout whole game).

Game plan and block out (P2)

Genre:
The genre of our game is a first person multiplayer capture the flag game, with two teams
trying to capture the others flag and return it to their base.

Outline game plan:

The aim of the game is to work with the rest of your team to capture the other teams flag
and bring it back to your base. The bases for the teams are; the hall and the refectory. Once
you die in the game you will respawn back in the original starting ace of the game, which will
be in your base. Each team has one flag inside their base and when the other team gets the
flag back to theirs it resets in your base again. Each team will earn points for each play they
kill and extra points for capturing the other teams flag. In order for the game to finish our
team needs to capture the other teams flag three times. The winners of the game are the
people who have most points at the end of the game.

Abigail Jordan

Environment visuals/concept art:

Concept art is used to show the audience or viewer/player of the game what the game is
about without using any words. Mostly the concept art used is not actually game play
footage but something that the game company has produced to make the game look as
appealing as possible while showing what the game is about.

In this piece of concept art, two people are shown protecting their teams flag from the
opposite team.

This piece of concept art shows one person shooting someone from the opposite team and
them flying backwards due to the force of the hit.

Abigail Jordan

These pictures show some of he ones we have taken in order to model he environment, we
used these photos as a reference to what we have to model.

This is the floor plan of our game; it is set in the main hall and refectory (canteen) of the
main building in Eastleigh College. This shows a colour coded plan of the map we are
modelling. Each colour represents a different object like pillars, chairs, doors.

Story board:
The producers use a storyboard in games to show the concept of the game. In this example
the storyboard is used to represent the fact that it is a capture the flag game.
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Abigail Jordan

Shot one of the story board shows the start of the game, in this part all players in one team
are all together gathered around their teams flag which they need to protect. In the second
shot, people are seen running in all directions showing that people are spreading out to
either protect their flag from the other team or running to get to the other teams flag. The
third shot shows one person running through the hall ways quickly to find the other teams
flag before he is found and shot. The fourth shot shows two people from the other team
protecting their flag from the other team, they are also being shot at from the team who is
trying to steal their flag. In the fifth shot the two people who were protecting their flag are not
dead and the original team is stealing their flag. In the final shot of the game play story
board, a person is running back to their base with the opposite teams flag to win the game.
In the last three sections of the story board are the respawning of characters. The first shot
is showing the player getting shot and dies. The second shot shows the dead man on the
floor which, after a second or two, fades out. In the third shot the player fades back in, in the
original starting position of your team at the beginning of the game. You are then free to
continue with the game again.

Possible animation techniques:

Opening doors:
One of the things that you can animate is the doors. You can animate them to open and
close on a loop or you can animate them to open and close if you are so fa towards/away
from them. In order for you to animate them on a loop is to open up unity with your model
already fixed together, and figure out which door you want to open. In a different window to
the one with your model in it click the button that loose like three lines one under the other.
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Abigail Jordan
Then click add tab and animation, this will bring up a new tab in the bottom box which you
will be doing all your animation in. The next thing you need to do is to click he thing you want
to animate, in this case the door, make sure the door is not fixed to any other object and can
be move on its own. Then, in the animation box, click add curve, this bring up you files for
you to save the animation, find a suitable place to save I and save it as something you will
remember (e.g. opening door). Next you click the triangle next to the word transform this
brings up another menu to choose what you want to do. Because we are moving he doors
from left to right and back (like sliding doors) you need to click the cross next to the word
position. This adds a position on the timeline, these diamonds represent the start time and
the finishing time, you can move these around so that it takes longer for the door to get back
in the original place. You ten need to move the red time line to the time you want the door to
stop moving and start moving back, you then need to move the actual door on the view
screen to the position you want the door to stop at. This brings up more diamonds on the
time line, these represent the time in which the door will stop and move back. All you have to
do now is press ay and the door continuously moves back and forth within the time you set
and the distance you set as well. I have sown this animation through the use of a box.

Flickering Lights:
The aim of the game is to work with the rest of your team to capture the other teams flag
and bring it back to your base. The bases for the teams are; the hall and the refectory. Once
you die in the game you will respawn back in the original starting ace of the game, which will
be in your base. Each team has one flag inside their base and when the other team gets the
flag back to theirs it resets in your base again. Each team will earn points for each play they
kill and extra points for capturing the other teams flag. In order for the game to finish our
team needs to capture the other teams flag three times. The winners of the game are the
people who have most points at the end of the game.

How to Guide (for the gaming industry)

(P5) / (M3)
Step 1 - Plan

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Abigail Jordan
The first thing gaming industries do in creating a new game is to plan about what kind of
game you are creating. Is it a first person game? A linear game (following a story line)? Or
an online multi-player shooter game? Once you have the details you need it will make it
easier to complete the making of the game because you know what you are aiming for.

Step 2 - Research
The second step in creating a game is to research your game. The things you can research
for your game is; where you are setting it, how big the map has to be, how long each game
needs to be. You can use other games to find these, using the most popular games to find
out what your game needs to be like could mean that your game is just as good and popular
as the best-selling games. Once you have the plan you can map out the game using floor
plans to use as references and add measurements to them so you can use one piece of
paper to help with the scale and modelling outline of the game.

Step 3 - Assignments
You then need to assign people to each task, you can have 3 people modelling one part and
other people modelling other parts, this makes things easier because you can get things
done quicker and youre not putting un-necessary stress on yourself to get everything done
by yourself for deadline.

Step 4 - Modelling
The next part of the game process is to model the game. This can be done by a deadline or
in any time period. For a game that has a deadline you need to spread it out so youre not
doing it all in one go. This can increase the risk of a mess up because you stop
concentrating after a while and you dont realise what you are doing.

Step 5 Game engine

Once the game is made the company puts it in the game engine and renders the game
making it the final version of the game. The game is then put onto disks (For Xbox, PC, PS3
etc...) which can then be tested.

Step 6 - Testing
The next thing to do is to test the game, this is done with two (or more) groups of people
mainly called the alpha test and beta test.
The alpha test is where the creators/everyone involved in the development and making of
the game tests it out and determines if there is any problems with it. If there is not it will pass
onto the beta test.
The beta test is when they choose so many people who werent involved in the making of
the game and tests it out. This s done to either, test the game and see if people who werent
involved in the game find any bugs/problems, or to see if the test group likes it to decide if
other people would like it and if the game is worth selling.

Step 7 Fix bugs

In this step you fix any bugs that are found in the game these are found y both testing
groups, the bugs that are fixed in this stage are the big ones that are easy to come across
easily.

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Step 8 - Sell
The next step is to sell the game. The promotional team for the game is tasked with finding
ways to promote the game to make it appeal to as many people as possible; this increases
its appeal which concludes in more people buying the game and more profit for the game
makers and company to create more games.

Step 9 Bug fix 2

The last step of the game making process is to fix the bugs for the second time. This is to fix
any bugs that have slipped through both testing stages and are found by people who have
just bought the game. Fixing these can give your game a better view from the players
because they think that your game is good because it has no (more) bugs and they think
your industry is good and fast at fixing bugs so they give a good review so they are more
likely to buy future games and give your games even more publicity and players.

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