Video Game Design/Programming/Framework/2D vs 3D
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[edit] Graphics (2D vs 3D)
Graphics is the common name for the visual presentation of a game environment. The creating of these environments begin generally with the concept artist to design what the characters, objects, and environments will look like. Once approved the concepts are scanned onto planes in a 3d modeling application such as Maya or 3dsMax. In these programs the majority of the work that makes a game's visual presentation is done. The game engine should be debugged and tested with more primitive environments and models particularly with game consoles. What the game calls the graphics engine is used to manipulate the games animations scripts characters position in an environment and memory allocation for graphics rendering. Other data such as physics, AI and the game scripts are handled by other engines. There is a large misunderstanding with the general public in that a game is made with only one "engine".
Some popular graphics engines: Crystal Space, Irrlicht, Ogre3D
Examples of 3D modeling and animation: AutoDesk(formerly Alias) Maya, 3dbuzz, AutoDesk 3dsMax, Blender, TrueSpace (now free)
[edit] Allegro
[edit] SDL
[edit] OpenGL
[edit] DirectX
[edit] User Interface
A user interface consists of:
- Graphics - Buttons, info panels, maps etc)
- Layout - Where those things are placed on the screen
- Interaction - How these things respond to user input; do they bring up a map? your inventory? access settings?
The user interface is also a very important component of any game because this is usually the first thing a new player will see when starting up your game. It is also (in most games) always visible to the player, so it is wise to put some effort into making an interface that is intuitive, easy to use and that looks good! There is nothing like a badly designed interface to put someone off a potentially great game.
