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Games Middleware

The aim of this course is to learn about the role of middleware in the creation of computer games. In this course students will look at the issues involved in choosing and integrating middleware into a games engine. Specifically this course will look at physics, audio, networking and games engines. On this course students will make use of the Open Dynamics Engine (a physics engine) and FMOD (an audio engine). ODE is used in many commercial games such as Stalker Shadow of Chernobyl, Call of Jurez and BloodRayne2 . FMOD is the audio engine used in World of Warcraft, Call of Duty 4 and BioShock. We may also do some Half Life 2 modding using the Source Engine (depending on time).

New Timetable

Game Worlds:
Tuesdays 2 - 4
Fridays 9 - 11
Middleware:
Tuesdays 10 - 11, 12 - 1
Wednesdays 2 - 4

Lectures

• Introduction lecture
• Physics Programming 1 - Linear Newtonian Physics
• Linear physics problems
• Physics Programming 2 (Friction)
• Quaternions 1
• Quaternions 2
• ODE 1
• A great website that answers loads of questions about quaternions & matrices for rotations
• ODE 2
• Applied ODE - Gravity gun and car
• Game Networking 1
• Game Networking 2
• Game networking 3- Updated 11/1/2008

Code

• Game Middleware Labs on Google Docs
• Solution to the Shotgun damage problem
• Solution to the car steering & friction problem
• ODE 1 Falling bricks code
• ODE 2 Joints code
• Car Code
• Gravity Gun
• Non multithreaded chat client & server
• Multithreaded chat with brain
• Thread class
• UDP Examples
• Moveable windows assignment code
• Synchronisation Exampple - Updated 11/1/2008

Assignment

• Assignment

Past Papers

• 2007/2008

Downloads

ODE - Required to compile & run the demos. I recommend you point Visual Studio at the release version of the dll's (much faster!)

Wall & balls simulation - DirectX rendering of ODE Physics Objects

Joints simulation - DirectX rendering of ODE Joints

Links

• Serious games ideas page on seriousgames.ie
• Serious Games WIKI - Feel free to contribute
• Visual Studio Express - Required to compile all the labs/examples on your Home PC
• Direct X SDK
• ODE Homepage
• FMOD Homepage
• Game Developers Ireland