Spring

Mt. Sierra College GAM0260

Environmental Modeling and Lab

Course Description

Instructor

Andrew Bina

In this course, the student begins to build actual game

environments. Techniques for building and texturing
structures and terrain are discussed. The student will
create both indoor and outdoor game levels and
worlds. Construction of these worlds will conform to
standard industry practices.

Email

abina@mtsierra.edu
Office

Mt. Sierra College

Academics Department
Office Hours

Arrange with Instructor

Lecture: 3 Hours

Telephone

Lab:

(626) 873 - 2100

2 Hours

Prerequisite(s)

GAM0250
Credit Hours

Student Learning Outcomes

4
Quarter

Spring 2015: Apr 06 through June 21, 2015

After successfully completing this course, students will

be able to:

Classroom

Room #121
Day/Time

Wednesday, 6:00PM - 11:00PM

Academic Term
Week

Start

End

06/Apr

12/Apr

13/Apr

19/Apr

20/Apr

26/Apr

27/Apr

03/May

04/May

10/May

11/May

17/May

18/May

24/May

25/May

31/May

01/Jun

07/Jun

10

08/Jun

14/Jun

11

15/Jun

21/Jun

Approach projects with an asset driven workflow.

Model environmental terrain.
Model organic assets i.e. plants.
Model hard-surfaced objects such as buildings
and benches, etc.
Use textures to create details rather than
modeling.

15

Materials
Textbooks
Autodesk Maya 2014 Essentials
Paul Naas
st

Sybex, 1 Edition
ISBN 13: 978-1118575079

st

3D Game Environments, 1 Edition

Luke Ahearn
ISBN 13: 978-1118575079

Software and Other

Microsoft Office 2010 or newer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
or
iWork09 or newer (Pages, Numbers, Keynote)
Adobe CC 2014
Autodesk Enterprise Suite 2015

Additional materials
USB Flash Drive (8GB or higher recommended)
Digital Camera for modeling and texture reference
Some type of storage and transfer utility...i.e. External hard drive, laptop, flash card, etc.
*A Dropbox account is recommended for file sharing and backup purposes.

GAM0260 Environmental Modeling and Lab

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APPENDIX A
Useful Websites for 3D Artists & Game Developers
*If you are using Adobes Acrobat Reader, you will have to enable hyperlinks for these to work.

Digital Tutors: www.digitaltutors.com/

Digital Tutors can be accessed for free by students from the LRC. Students must schedule a normal tutoring session
with the LRC and state that they wish to use digital tutors for their session.
Visit www.mtsierra.edu/srt to sign up for tutoring.
Other General 3D Learning Sites
CMI-VFX
Lynda.com

https://cmivfx.com/
http://www.lynda.com

General 3D Resources:
Turbo Squid
Creative Crash
3D Buzz
Ballistic Publishing

www.turbosquid.com/
www.creativecrash.com
www.3dbuzz.com
www.ballisticpublishing.com

Modeling Resources:
3DSK
Aircraft Layouts
The Blueprints
Pixologic Classroom

http://www.3d.sk
http://jpsmodell.de/dc/luft_flug_e.htm
www.the-blueprints.com/
www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/

Texturing Resources:
CG Textures
Texture Lib
Grunge Textures
Mayang's
Urban Dirty

www.cgtextures.com
http://texturelib.com
www.grungetextures.com/
www.mayang.com/textures/
www.urbandirty.com/

Animation Resources
Animation Mentor
11 Second Club
Eadweard Muybridge

www.animationmentor.com/
www.11secondclub.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eadweard_Muybridge

View the work of others

CG Channel
CG Society
Renderosity
PIXOLOGIC

www.cgchannel.com/
http://forums.cgsociety.org/
www.renderosity.com/
www.pixologic.com/zbrush/gallery/

GAM0260 Environmental Modeling and Lab

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Course Outline
Week

Session Topics

Activities & Homework

Introductions
Scale
Modeling tools

Start your texture & reference photo libraries

Model Unique Prop

Basic UV Mapping & Texturing

Gather Reference for Midterm

Plan out model build

Planning the Project

Repeating Features
Modeling Hard-surface elements
UV Mapping continued

Begin Modeling Midterm Environment

Modeling Architecture
Creating seamless textures from photo
reference

Should finish modeling this week.

Begin UV mapping and Texturing phase

Modeling Architecture Continued

Finish the Midterm

Midterm Review
Introduction to the Final

Design the final project.

Inventory the entire project. (Models, textures,
etc.)

Model & UV Map Complex Structures

Begin modeling the Final (Start with the main

structure)

Terrain & Rock

Continue modeling. (Finish main structure)

UV Map Assets as you create them

Modeling organic elements: Trees

Creating vegetation elements like
grass, bushes, etc.

UV map main structure and any asset that has

not been mapped
Begin Texturing

Finish the Final project

Transfer Maps
Generating Normal, Diffuse, and
Ambient Occlusion in Maya
Review and critique Final project
progress
Tips and tricks

Final Review
Rendering out Revolves for portfolios

10

11

GAM0260 Environmental Modeling and Lab

Have a good Break

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Grading Rubric, Assignments, and Late

Work
Score

Qualities and Criteria (As applicable)

90-100%
A

80-89%
B

70-79%
C

60-69%
D

0-59%
F

Demonstrates excellence in grasping key concepts; answers all questions posed; incorporates
outside research and provides sample citations for support of opinions; readily offers new
interpretations of discussion material. Demonstrates excellent critical thinking skills. Expresses
ideas clearly, concisely; uses appropriate vocabulary. Free of errors in grammar, spelling,
punctuation, word choice, and format.
Satisfactorily grasps key concepts; answers all questions posed; will offer an occasional
divergent viewpoint or challenge; shows some skill in support for opinions; Demonstrates
satisfactory critical thinking skills. Ideas are expressed with few errors in grammar, spelling,
punctuation, word choice, and format.
Shows evidence of understanding most major concepts; answers all questions adequately
without support of opinions. Demonstrates poor or a lack of critical thinking skills. Some signs
of disorganization with expression; transition wording may be faulty.

Has mostly shallow grasp of the material; rarely takes a stand on issues; offers inadequate
levels of support. Poor language use garbles much of the message; only an occasional idea
surfaces clearly; expression seems disjointed; overuse of the simple sentence and a
redundancy with words and commentary; paragraphs often appear unrelated to each other.
Incomplete answers given. Shows no significant understanding of material. Language is
mostly incoherent.

Assessments
Assessment Items

Weight %

Attendance/Professionalism

20%

Notes

20%

Midterm Project

30%

Final Project

30%

Total

GAM0260 Environmental Modeling and Lab

100%

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Late Work Policy In-class and Homework Projects

Late work is not accepted. Quizzes and Exams may not be made up.

Make-Up Policy For Midterm and Final Projects

Midterm and Final Projects may be made-up by prior arrangement with the instructor. Midterm and Final Projects will
be assessed a 5% penalty per day late. The Final Project must be turned in no later than the day before grades are
due.

Policies and Contact Information

Grading System
Students will be assigned a mid-quarter review grade for each on-campus course in which they are enrolled. Midquarter review grades assess students standing in each of their courses at the end of week five, and are not included
in the calculation of the grade point average as they are intended solely to provide students with a benchmark of their
performance in each course. Mid-quarter review grades are available on the Student Portal and upon request at the
end of week six of each term. Students are encouraged to review these grades with their instructors. Students
enrolled in online courses are encouraged to review their course gradebook regularly.
Mt. Sierra College uses a 4-point grading system. Letter grades are used to assess the relative extent to which
students achieve course objectives. Grades are assigned at the end of each quarter and term grade reports are
mailed to all active students. Errors on grade reports must be reported to the Registrars Office prior to the end of the
succeeding term.

90% - 100%

Excellent

80% - 89%

Good

70% - 79%

Satisfactory

60% - 69%

Passing, but Unsatisfactory

0% - 59%

Failing

Attendance
Successful students recognize the importance of class attendance and participation. Good attendance is the key to
good grades! Mt. Sierra College has a mandatory attendance policy that applies to all students, whether completing
courses online or on campus.
Attendance for classes conducted on campus is based upon the students physical presence in class. Students
should contact their faculty when anticipating an absence or delay. Students are expected to be present at the
beginning of each class meeting and to remain for the entire session. Students who come to a class 10 minutes or
more after it starts are considered tardy. Partial attendance is given to students who arrive late or leave early.
Attendance for classes conducted online is based upon participation. The policy is fully explained in each online
course syllabus. The same policies apply to online attendance as those that apply to on-ground courses. Partial
attendance may be given if a student does not fully participate.
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Students who miss three cumulative class sessions will be dismissed from the class by the Registrar. Please refer to
the descriptions under Course Withdrawal for the full details and ramifications. Students who miss all classes for two
consecutive weeks, or 14 days, will be dismissed from the College by the Registrar. Please refer to the descriptions
under Program Withdrawal for the full details and ramifications.
If a student is withdrawn from a course or from his or her program due to attendance, the student has the right to
petition for reinstatement. Petitions for Course and Program Reinstatement are available in the Student Services
Department and on the Mt. Sierra College Student Portal. Petitions must be submitted within seven days of the
issued date of the notification letter, or within three days of issued notification by email. Mt. Sierra College does not
grant requests for leave of absence. Students experiencing difficulties that may affect their ability to continue their
education are encouraged to contact Student Services promptly to determine what assistance is available.
Students may be dismissed for each of the following attendance violations:
Three (3) cumulative days absent from scheduled class in the current term
Fourteen (14) consecutive days absent from all scheduled class(es) in the current term

Academic Integrity
Mt. Sierra College is committed to the ideal of academic integrity and honesty. All members of the College
community, students, faculty, administration, and staff have a personal responsibility to uphold the standards of
academic integrity. Any form of academic dishonesty is serious and will not be tolerated. Any instance of academic
dishonesty calls into question the offenders past work, especially the value of previous grades, and ultimately the
value of the degree earned, thereby defrauding the entire College community.
It is the students responsibility to be aware of what constitutes academic dishonesty, and to uphold the standards of
an honest academic endeavor.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of both the college faculty and the student populace to safeguard the integrity of the
classroom. The College Administration is responsible for the application of sanctions that go beyond the classroom.
Academic dishonesty includes, but may not be limited to: plagiarism, cheating, falsifying records, lying, obtaining
and/or distributing examination materials prior to exams without the consent of the professor, submitting anothers
work as ones own, submitting work completed for another course without the agreement of both professors, and
helping any other student in any act of dishonesty. Plagiarism is explained fully in both English Composition and
Advanced Composition, as well as in numerous other courses.
Plagiarism is the use of another persons words or ideas without clearly and properly acknowledging the source of
information. To avoid plagiarism, always cite or acknowledge the author or source of information when:

Copying the writing of someone else and inserting it into your own assignments

Using the opinions, insights or views of another; or

Paraphrasing anothers spoken or written work

Plagiarism is covered in more depth in ENG080 and ENG135. You can also find more information on plagiarism in
the Avoiding Plagiarism section of the Purdue Online Writing Lab at
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/
At a minimum, students who violate this policy will receive an F on the assignment or examination. In addition, the
instructor must provide a written report of the instance of academic dishonesty to the Dean of Academic Affairs who
will consult with faculty and department heads to consider whether further sanctions will be imposed. The severity of
the sanction(s) will depend on the severity of the infraction and the offenders past record. Sanctions may include a
failing grade for the course, dismissal for one term, and the maximum penalty of expulsion from the College for
students who have committed multiple acts of academic dishonesty.
(Please refer to the Academic Catalog for the entire Academic Policies and Procedures.)

Classroom Food & Drink

Food and drinks except bottled water- are not allowed in the classroom.

Smoking and e-Cigarettes

Smoking of any type, including the use of vapor devices, is not allowed in the classroom
GAM0260 Environmental Modeling and Lab

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Library & Information Resources Network (LIRN)

and Britannica Image Quest
Mt. Sierra College has partnered with Library & Information Resources Network (LIRN) to help students with their
research. LIRN is a comprehensive, online research tool, featuring complete articles full-text and graphics all
available twenty-four hours a day, anywhere there is Internet connection. It provides a core library collection with
access to over 60 million journal articles, books, encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, and audio and video clips
that support all academic programs. LIRN is the accepted online library at Mt. Sierra College.
Mt. Sierra College students can also enjoy easy online access to more than one million images from one convenient
site: Britannica Image Quest. All images are rights-cleared for non-commercial, educational use great for
assignments, activities, reports, and many other projects.
For information about accessing LIRN or Britannica Image Quest, see the web page in the course home section of
your class, or contact the LRC (see contact info below).

GAM0260 Environmental Modeling and Lab

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Contact Information
Mt. Sierra College Help Desk
For student portal technical assistance, please email
the Colleges help desk at helpdesk@mtsierra.edu or
call (626) 808-7821

Mt. Sierra College .EDU Email for Students

Academic Advisors
Last Names A-I
Elizabeth Chan
echan@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2188

By now, you should have already obtained your

College email address. If you havent been assigned
one yet or are having trouble with it, please contact
anyone in the IS department at IS@mtsierra.edu or
call (626) 873-2183

Last Names J-S

Campus President

Last Names T-Z

William J. Kakish

Dean of Student Services & Career Services

Nathan Bauman
nbauman@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2149

Anto Ourfalian
aourfalian@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2129

Pat Holley

Associate Dean of Academics

Tim Botengan

Director of Career Services

Tawny Hernandez
thernandez@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2120

Department Chairs
General Education and Business

Registrar
Joyce Boylan
jboylan@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2150

Roy Boulghourjian
royb@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2189

Learning Resource Center

Technology Department

For help with your course research, contact the

Librarian at the Learning Resource Center
(L.R.C.) at lrc@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2163

Leonard Gonzalez
leonard@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2161

Media Arts Department/Lead Faculty

Visual Effects and Digital Video:
Laurel Klick
lklick@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2140
Graphic Design:

Mike Pace
mpace@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2160
Game Arts and Design:

Migo Wu
mwu@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2176

Tutoring
To request tutoring, submit a Request for
Tutoring Form by visiting this link:
http://www.mtsierra.edu/srt. For more
information on the tutoring services, contact the
Librarian at the Learning Resources Center
(626) 873-2163 or lrc@mtsierra.edu

Campus Bookstore
For ordering or questions about your textbooks,
please contact the Campus Bookstore at
studentstore@mtsierra.edu or (626) 873-2137

Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the
Dean of Student Services, Pat Holley, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. She
can be reached at (626) 873-2170 or at pholley@mtsierra.edu.

GAM0260 Environmental Modeling and Lab

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