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 – playing the level


  1. Click on the Game tab at the top of the screen.

  2. At the top of your screen are a play, pause, and fast forward button. Press the Play button now!

  3. Walk around using the arrow keys, and move your head using the mouse. Check that out for instant gratification!

    Tip

    Fall through the floor

    If the only jaw that dropped was that of your game character falling through the floor, then go back to your character controller (the capsule thing) and move it up higher above the terrain. Now also check you've checked the generate colliders box in the FBXImporter tab when you select the terrain, as described earlier. Colliders describe which geometry is solid so that your character doesn't move through it.

  4. Use the Spacebar to jump, too. You should have a first person view like the one above.

  5. When you're done looking around your magnificent creation, click on the Play button again to return to the editor.

  6. Wowsers! Was it really that simple? Yep. Now, check the following.