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 grid and plan


Now that your concept design is documented, save that file for reference later, and then start a new one in order to begin work on your actual game level. You will begin by drawing out your plan in 2D in SketchUp, based on your mock up. You'll use this as a basis for your 3D terrains, buildings, and scenery assets:

  1. Open a new project in SketchUp. Select the Engineering – Meters template. Save the file as Level_Master.skp.

  2. Go to Camera ¦ Parallel Projection.

  3. Select the Top view button if you're not already there. You now see a completely flat 2D working area.

  4. Select the Rectangle tool. Click on the Origin point and draw a rectangle to the upper right-hand side. Click again.

  5. Now type in 100,100 and hit Enter. You now have a rectangle of 100 square meters.

  6. Right-click on the face of the rectangle and select Reverse Face.

  7. Click on the Zoom Extents button.

  8. This is the extent of your map square, like the square on your chess board. Double-click on...