Unit 78: Digital Graphics for Computer Games

How will you be creating your digital graphics?

• Consider technical limitations and the screen resolution
• Consider software (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks, GameMaker) – also the interface too (work area, tool box, status bar, file information, window control, floating palettes, palette docking, tabs etc…)
• File extensions and compression for the files
• Consider technology (Computers, laptops, peripherals etc…)
• Graphic specification
•  The plan
• Time management – deadlines (production schedule, deliverables and quality assurance)
• Asset management – export file path, file format, compression, file naming conventions and file backup
• Menus (open, save, new, import, export, edit)
• Image settings (size, resolution, colour mode, background, width, height, transparency, aspect ratio and file name)
• Drawing tools (tool options, brush, pencil, duplicate, clone, fill, text, line, shape, zoom, guides and rulers, grid, palettes eg, colour, gradients, layers, object, brushes, history, actions, size, layers, eg copying, saving, arranging; flattening; colour selection, eg foreground, background, colour swatch and eye dropper. 
• Editing tools: selection, eg marquee, lasso, magic wand, magnetic lasso, deselect; transform, eg scale, rotate, skew, cut, copy, paste, crop, erase, undo, fill
• Advanced tools: effects, eg layer effects, filters, channels; image adjustments, eg brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, colour balance, gradients, transparency, invert; masks; paths eg vector paths, converting text to paths; brushes, brush plug-in.
• In-game graphics: head up displays; sprite graphics; gif animation; image textures; asset creation from concept art, eg character, weapon, vehicle, environment backgrounds
• Print media graphics: eg game packaging, box cover, manual, label, poster, concept artwork
• Production stages: original development files, final flattened optimised image
• Aesthetic qualities: composition, colour palettes; typography, creation of meaning
• Industry practice: reflect on finished product (compared with original intentions, fitness for purpose, technical qualities, aesthetic qualities), production skills (ideas generation, graphics specification, workflow and time management, technical competence