Official course description, subject to change:

Basic info last published 15/03-24
Course info
Language:
English
ECTS points:
7.5
Course code:
KGGAPRO1KU
Participants max:
60
Offered to guest students:
yes
Offered to exchange students:
yes
Offered as a single subject:
yes
Price for EU/EEA citizens (Single Subject):
10625 DKK
Programme
Level:
MSc. Master
Programme:
MSc in Games
Staff
Course manager
Christian Carvelli
Part-time Lecturer
Course Academic Responsible
Djordje Grbic
Associate Professor
Course semester
Semester
Efterår 2024
Start
26 August 2024
End
24 January 2025
Exam
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.
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.