Cover image for UDK™ Game Development

UDK™ Game Development

Author Alan Thorn
Release Date: 2011/12/01
ISBN: 9781435460188
Topic:
0%
116
Chapters
0-1
Hours read
0k
Total Words
    Start Reading Now    
       Add to Wishlist       
View table of contents

Book Description

These days, the games industry is a multi-billion-dollar business. In this competitive marketplace, developers seek to gain an advantage over the competition by using ready-made, third-party tools and engines that enable them to quickly design high-powered games. One such tool is the Unreal Development Kit, or UDK, created by Epic Games. With the freely downloadable UDK, game developers can turn their existing graphics, sounds, ideas, concepts, and plans into fully working and cohesive games. UDK™ GAME DEVELOPMENT is written with newcomers to the UDK in mind. It is arranged so that each of the core foundational UDK components is considered in depth and one by one, in the best order in which to tackle them. Reading this book, you'll explore such key topics as meshes, materials, textures, sounds, and lights. As you do, you'll discover how to build a number of levels, or mini-games, that feature music, animated characters, weapons, destructible scenery, lighting effects, particle systems, and more. After reading this book from cover to cover, you'll have a firm grasp of UDK essentials. A companion Web site contains all the UDK levels constructed in this book, source code for the UnrealScript language, and material and mesh files.

Table of Contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. About the Author
  5. Contents
  6. Introduction
  7. Part I UDK Getting Started
    1. Chapter 1 Introducing the Unreal Development Kit (UDK)
      1. What Is the UDK?
      2. What Can the UDK Be Used For?
      3. UDK Alternatives
      4. The UDK Feature Set In Depth
      5. Downloading and Installing the UDK
      6. A Guided Tour of UDK Directories and Files
      7. UDK Documentation, Help, and Information
      8. Related Tools: nFringe, Visual Studio, and Plug-ins
      9. Conclusion
    2. Chapter 2 Building a First Project: A Tour of the UDK
      1. Project Overview
      2. Creating a New Level
      3. The Four-Viewport View
      4. Creating an Arena with BSP and CSG
      5. Adding Materials to the Arena
      6. Adding Static Meshes
      7. Adding Lights
      8. Adding Sounds
      9. PlayerStart, KillZ, and a Blocking Volume
      10. Visual Scripting with the Kismet Editor
      11. Conclusion
    3. Chapter 3 UDK Fundamentals
      1. The UDK Editor Interface
      2. Understanding File-Based Versus Project-Based Applications
      3. Viewports
      4. World Actors
      5. Content Browser and Other Menus
      6. The Toolbox
      7. Conclusion
  8. Part II UDK Essentials
    1. Chapter 4 BSP Brushes, the Builder Brush, and CSG
      1. The Builder Brush
      2. BSP Brushes
      3. CSG
      4. Components of Geometry
      5. Modeling in Geometry Mode
      6. Project: Creating a CSG Environment Using BSP Brushes
      7. Conclusion
    2. Chapter 5 Materials, Textures, and UV Mapping
      1. Materials and Textures: What Are They?
      2. Material Channels
      3. Materials as Algorithms
      4. UV Mapping
      5. Project: Materials and Mapping
      6. Conclusion
    3. Chapter 6 Building Game Worlds with Static Mesh Actors
      1. The Anatomy of a Static Mesh
      2. Static Meshes Versus CSG
      3. Static Mesh Actors
      4. Using Static Meshes
      5. Project: A Bridge Between Two Islands
      6. Conclusion
    4. Chapter 7 Music and Sound
      1. Audio in Video Games
      2. Music and Sound: Is There a Difference?
      3. Wave Sound and Sound Cues
      4. Project: Adding Audio to the Bridge Level
      5. Conclusion
    5. Chapter 8 Lighting
      1. The Additive Color Space (RGB)
      2. Illumination: Direct and Indirect
      3. Normal Mapping: Detail Lighting
      4. Unreal Lightmass: Lightmapping
      5. Static, Dynamic, and Composite Dynamic Lighting
      6. UDK Light Types: Point, Spot, and Directional
      7. Project: Lighting Cube Park
      8. Conclusion
    6. Chapter 9 Kismet and Matinee: Beginning with Visual Scripting and Animation
      1. Unreal Kismet
      2. Unreal Matinee
      3. Project: Using Kismet to Show a Welcome Message
      4. Project: Using Kismet to Create an Automatic Door
      5. Project: Creating a Camera Tour with Director Mode
      6. Conclusion
    7. Chapter 10 User Interfaces in the UDK with Adobe Flash and Scaleform
      1. User Interface
      2. Scaleform and Flash
      3. Project: Creating a Menu User Interface
      4. Conclusion
    8. Chapter 11 Particle Systems with Unreal Cascade
      1. The Need for a Particle System
      2. The Anatomy of the Particle System
      3. The Cascade Editor
      4. The Properties Pane
      5. The Curve Editor Pane
      6. Project: Balloon Time
      7. Conclusion
    9. Chapter 12 Scripting with UnrealScript
      1. What Is UnrealScript?
      2. Getting Started with UnrealScript: PixelMine nFringe and Microsoft Visual Studio
      3. The Structure of an UnrealScript Application
      4. The Actor Class
      5. Conclusion
  9. Part III Building a Project (The Nexus)
    1. Chapter 13 Designing and Planning The Nexus
      1. Project Overview
      2. Creating the Third-Person Camera
      3. Implementing the Third-Person Camera
      4. Conclusion
    2. Chapter 14 Finishing The Nexus
      1. The Work Ahead
      2. Amending GameInfo: Time Limit
      3. Creating Checkpoints: Extending TriggerVolume
      4. Building the Obstacle Course
      5. Conclusion
  10. Appendix Q&A: Taking It Further with the UDK
  11. Index
3.129.70.157