Game Programming (Autumn 2022)

Abstract

This course teaches fundamental techniques for using C++ efficiently to implement 2D and 3D games.

Description

Students learn the basics of game programming using both 2D and 3D graphics. They learn to integrate a physics engine and how game loops and time steps work.

After the course students are familiar with component architectures and other game programming patterns.

This course covers the following topics:

• Understanding the design and architecture of existing game engines
• Design and implementation of game engine components
• Efficient programming in C++
• Best practices for game programming from software engineering and system architecture

Formal prerequisites

The essential skills and requirements are:

• Good programming ability, since the course will involve several programming exercises and a final projects.
• Basic mathematics understanding. Geometry, matrix algebra, etc.

Intended learning outcomes

After the course, the student should be able to:

• Design and implement components for a modern game engine using best practices of software engineering.
• Manage resources and memory in C++ efficiently.
• Integrate game engine modules with high cohesion and low coupling.
• Optimize memory access and identify performance bottlenecks on the CPU
• Generalize about the structure of, and similarities and differences between, modern 3D game engines.
• List, describe, use and modify basic components of a game engine.
• Describe why system programming languages, such as C++, is needed in the games industry.
• Describe the tradeoffs involved in setting up a game loop and the initialization order of engine subsystems.
• Explain foundational aspects of game-engine technology, such as graphic rendering, game physics, player input, and system architecture.

Learning activities

14 weeks of teaching consisting of lectures, exercises and supervision

Students are responsible for attending weekly lectures and then working in their groups independently, yet supervised, on their course project.

Mandatory activities

All mandatory activities must be approved before the last class, hand-in deadlines are found in LearnIt. The student will receive the grade NA (not approved) at the ordinary exam, if the mandatory activities are not approved and the student will use an exam attempt.

The student will receive the grade NA (not approved) at the ordinary exam, if the mandatory activities are not approved and the student will use an exam attempt.

Course literature

Game Engine Architecture, 3rd edition (CRC press), by Jason Gregory

Student Activity Budget

Estimated distribution of learning activities for the typical student

• Preparation for lectures and exercises: 17%
• Lectures: 14%
• Exercises: 14%
• Assignments: 20%
• Project work, supervision included: 25%
• Exam with preparation: 10%

Ordinary exam

Exam type:
D: Submission of written work with following oral, External (7-point scale)
Exam variation:
D2G: Submission for groups with following oral exam supplemented by the submission. Shared responsibility for the report.

reexam

Exam type:
D: Submission of written work with following oral, External (7-point scale)
Exam variation:
D2G: Submission for groups with following oral exam supplemented by the submission. Shared responsibility for the report.

Time and date