Module #1 Introduction to 3D Environment Design Overview of the role of environment design in video games, course objectives, and expectations.
Module #2 Understanding Game Engines Introduction to popular game engines (Unity, Unreal Engine) and their environment design tools.
Module #3 Design Principles for 3D Environments Exploring fundamental design principles for creating engaging and immersive 3D environments.
Module #4 World-Building Fundamentals Understanding the importance of world-building in environment design, including lore, theme, and tone.
Module #5 Environment Design Document (EDD) Creation Learning to create a comprehensive Environment Design Document (EDD) for a game project.
Module #6 Blockout and Grayboxing Introducing the blockout and grayboxing process for quickly iterating on environment designs.
Module #7 3D Modeling Fundamentals Basic 3D modeling concepts and techniques for environment design using popular software (e.g., Blender, Maya).
Module #8 Material Creation and Texturing Understanding material creation, texturing, and shader design for realistic and stylized environments.
Module #9 Lighting Fundamentals Introduction to lighting concepts, techniques, and best practices for 3D environments.
Module #10 Level of Detail (LOD) and Optimization Techniques for optimizing environment performance using Level of Detail (LOD) and other methods.
Module #11 Environmental Storytelling Using environment design to tell stories and convey narrative information to the player.
Module #12 Prop and Set Dressing Creating and placing props and set dressing elements to enhance environment realism and immersion.
Module #13 Water and Water Effects Designing and implementing realistic water and water effects in 3D environments.
Module #14 Vegetation and Terrain Design Creating realistic and stylized vegetation and terrain for 3D environments.
Module #15 Urban and Architectural Design Designing and building urban and architectural elements for 3D environments.
Module #16 Specialized Environment Types Designing environments for specific game genres or settings (e.g., sci-fi, fantasy, horror).
Module #17 Collaboration and Communication Best practices for collaborating with other game development disciplines and communicating environment design intentions.
Module #18 Playtesting and Feedback Incorporating playtesting and feedback into the environment design process.
Module #19 Polishing and Refining Environments Techniques for refining and polishing environment designs for a more immersive and engaging experience.
Module #20 Advanced 3D Modeling Techniques Advanced 3D modeling techniques for environment design, including sculpting and mesh manipulation.
Module #21 Dynamic and Interactive Environments Designing and implementing dynamic and interactive environment elements, such as destructible objects and dynamic lighting.
Module #22 optimizing for Performance Advanced techniques for optimizing environment performance, including profiling and debugging tools.
Module #23 Working with a Game Engines Tools In-depth exploration of a game engines environment design tools and workflows (e.g., Unitys Terrain System, Unreal Engines Landscape Tools).
Module #24 Creating an Environment Portfolio Building a portfolio of environment design work to showcase skills to potential employers.
Module #25 Course Wrap-Up & Conclusion Planning next steps in 3D Environment Design for Video Games career
