Book Image

Google SketchUp for Game Design: Beginner's Guide

Book Image

Google SketchUp for Game Design: Beginner's Guide

Overview of this book

Creating video game environments similar to the best 3D games on the market is now within the capability of hobbyists for the first time, with the free availability of game development software such as Unity 3D, and the ease with which groups of enthusiasts can get together to pool their skills for a game project. The sheer number of these independent game projects springing up means there is a constant need for game art, the physical 3D environment and objects that inhabit these game worlds. Now thanks to Google there is an easy, fun way to create professional game art, levels and props.Google SketchUp is the natural choice for beginners to game design. This book provides you with the workflow to quickly build realistic 3D environments, levels, and props to fill your game world. In simple steps you will model terrain, buildings, vehicles, and much more.Google SketchUp is the ideal entry level modeling tool for game design, allowing you to take digital photographs and turn them into 3D objects for quick, fun, game creation. SketchUp for Game Design takes you through the modeling of a game level with SketchUp and Unity 3D, complete with all game art, textures and props. You will learn how to create cars, buildings, terrain, tools and standard level props such as barrels, fencing and wooden pallets. You will set up your game level in Unity 3D to create a fully functional first person walk-around level to email to your friends or future employers.When you have completed the projects in this book, you will be comfortable creating 3D worlds, whether for games, visualization, or films.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Google SketchUp for Game Design
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Time for action – setting up the terrain texture image


Before we go on with modeling the terrain, let's set up the texture image which you will project onto the terrain.

  1. Open up GIMP and go to File ¦ New.

  2. Type in width 2048 and height 2048 in pixels.

  3. Go to File ¦ Save As and name the image Map_Master.xcf.

  4. Draw something random on the image using the Paint Brush tool, and then go to File ¦ Save a Copy.

  5. Save a copy of the image in PNG format named Map_2048.png.

  6. Back in SketchUp, go to File ¦ Import and select png from the drop down list. Select the image you just saved and select Use as Image. Click on Open.

  7. Select the bottom left, and then the top right of the grid rectangle. This inserts your image at the same size and location as your grid.

  8. With the Move tool, click on the image. Hold Ctrl (the Option key on the Mac) and move up along the blue axis and click.

    Tip

    Awkward selection tip

    If you can't get to something to select it, make use of the Outliner. The Outliner contains all of your Groups and...