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 – creating a building from two images


  1. Start with a rectangle roughly the size of your building and Push/Pull it into a box.

  2. Import the front of a building and select Use as Texture.

  3. Place it on the bottom left corner of the front face of your box and click to the top right as shown next.

  4. Now, Push/Pull the sides and roof of the box so that the edges line up nicely with the edge of the building in the image.

  5. Add a generic image on the side in the same way. Here's the model so far:

  6. Use a normal SketchUp material on the roof.

  7. Double-click the roof to select the sides of the roof, then use the offset tool to create a narrow frame around the edge. Push/pull the inner rectangle down a little to create a parapet and flat roof. Your game characters will be able to walk on this.

  8. Right-click on the front image and select Texture ¦ Make Unique Texture. Now select Texture again and select Edit Texture Image. This will take you to GIMP.

  9. In GIMP, paste the image of a shutter door or whatever else...