ABSTRACT
The technical understanding behind creating game assets is more in-depth than just modeling low-resolution geometry. Before we can get into actual modeling or creating texture maps, we’ll first need to have a solid understanding of the hardware and game engine that the content will run on. Each platform or device will have it’s own limitations, and what might run well on one platform doesn’t mean it will run as well on another. For instance, the faster processor in the iPhone 4 or iPad, in some cases, may help in the processing draw calls than the slower processor in the iPhone 3GS. Another good example is that although the iPad has a 400 MHz boost in chip performance, the lack of an upgraded GPU introduces new bottlenecks in performance to be aware of. This is where the project’s “game budget” comes into play. Your game budget is the blueprint or guide through which your game content is created. There are three specifications to be aware of when evaluating the hardware of the iPhone and iPad, which are memory bandwidth, polygon rate, and pixel fill rate. For instance, if you have a fast-paced game concept, you’ll need to denote a high frame rate in your game budget such as 30-60 frames per second (fps), and all of the content
Technically Artistic When discussing game development, topics can quickly become very technical and programmatic as we’re discussing real-time graphic implementations and mobile hardware limitations. Being a 3D artist, I found that it wasn’t the modeling and texturing that was difficult in creating game art, but it was in understanding the technical limitations of the hardware and OpenGL implementations to creating real-time graphics that I had a tough time. Not to worry, this chapter’s main goal is to discuss the following topics from the point of view of the game artist.
