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Summary: This module is the first in a series of modules designed for teaching GAME2302 Mathematical Applications for Game Development at Austin Community College in Austin, TX.
This module is the first in a series of modules designed for teaching GAME2302 Mathematical Applications for Game Development at Austin Community College in Austin, TX.
See the Download source code section to download source code files for the modules contained in this collection.
As of September 2012, the official course description reads: "Presents applications of mathematics and science in game and simulation programming. Includes the utilization of matrix and vector operations, kinematics, and Newtonian principles in games and simulations. Also covers code optimization."
Online resources are provided to the student for each of the topics identified in the above description. The topics merge in the final module of the collection, which explains an animated simulation of the first-person view of a human cannonball from the point in time that the human cannonball leaves the cannon until the human cannonball lands in the safety net, or fails to land in the safety net. The trajectory and the point of impact are determined by such factors as:
This course does not use a printed textbook. Instead, the primary resources for the course are:
Main item 3 in the above list (this collection ) will serve as the major resource for classroom lectures.
Main item 1 ( Vector Math for 3D Computer Graphics ) and main item 2 ( physics sub-collection ) will serve as major homework study assignments.
Main items 4 and 5 (including sub-items 1 through 5) are provided for reference only.
The material in this collection (item 3) explains how to implement the concepts developed in the first two items in programming (Java) code. While this will serve as the major resource for classroom lectures, students are encouraged to bring questions about the other items to class for discussion.
The first classroom session will be dedicated primarily to explaining the mechanics of the course, discussing the syllabus, etc.
Once those items have been taken care of, students will be asked to go online, access or download the Kjell tutorials, and begin studying Kjell's CHAPTER 0 -- Points and Lines and CHAPTER 1 -- Vectors, Points, and Column Matrices down through the topic titled Variables as Elements in Chapter 1 , in preparation for the next classroom session.
Students should also begin studying item 2 ( physics ) and should study one physics module per week thereafter.
Finally, in addition to studying the Kjell material, students should read at least the next two modules in this collection and bring their questions about that material to the next classroom session.
In the next module, we will begin the examination of sample programs and a game-programming math library intended to provide aspiring game programmers with the mathematical skills needed for game programming.
This section contains a variety of miscellaneous information.
Financial : Although the Connexions site makes it possible for you to download a PDF file for this module at no charge, and also makes it possible for you to purchase a pre-printed version of the PDF file, you should be aware that some of the HTML elements in this module may not translate well into PDF.
I also want you to know that, I receive no financial compensation from the Connexions website even if you purchase the PDF version of the module.
In the past, unknown individuals have copied my modules from cnx.org, converted them to Kindle books, and placed them for sale on Amazon.com showing me as the author. I neither receive compensation for those sales nor do I know who does receive compensation. If you purchase such a book, please be aware that it is a copy of a module that is freely available on cnx.org and that it was made and published without my prior knowledge.
Affiliation : I am a professor of Computer Information Technology at Austin Community College in Austin, TX.
Click here to download a zip file containing the source code for all of the sample programs and many of the exercises in this collection.
Extract the contents of the zip file into an empty folder. Each program should end up in a separate folder. Double-click the file named CompileAndRun...bat in each folder to compile and run the program contained in that folder.
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More about this module: Metadata | Downloads | Version History
This work is licensed by Richard Baldwin under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 3.0), and is an Open Educational Resource.
Last edited by Richard Baldwin on Feb 5, 2013 2:13 pm -0600.
