Foreword: Making Games.
Turning Lead into Gold, Plastic, Wood, etc. Embrace the Constraints.
Introduction.
Who Should Read This Book? A True Artist First. What to Expect from This Book. What This Book Covers. Making the Game. Themes.
1. Preparing to Create.
How and Where to Collect Reference. Concept Art. Setting the Quality Bar. Blocking Out Your Scene. Conclusion.
2. Modeling Theory.
Primitives. Polygons and Memory. Polygon Reduction. Modeling Techniques. Common Mistakes. Conclusion.
3. Introduction to Texturing.
Game Texturing Theory. How to Choose and Create Textures. File Formats. Color Depth. Resolution (Texture Size). Photoshop. Where Do I Use My Pixels? Digital Photography. Making a Texture Tilable. Actions. Conclusion.
4. Advanced Texturing.
The Power of Layers. Photoshop Tools. Alpha Channels. Conclusion.
5. Applying Textures.
Assigning Materials. What Are UVs? Multiple UV Sets. Tiling. Conclusion.
6. Advanced Modeling.
Organic Versus Inorganic Models. Organic Modeling Methods. Modeling with Triangles. Cleaning Up Your Geometry. Conclusion.
7. Lighting Principles.
Color. Mood. Traditional Lighting Setup. Working with 3D Lights. Effective Lighting Practices. Conclusion.
8. In-Game Lighting.
Vertex Lighting. Lightmaps. Per-Pixel Lighting. Normal Maps. Dynamic Lighting. Troubleshooting. Conclusion.
9. Effects.
Particle Effects. Billboards. Fog. Water. Clouds. Decals. Conclusion.
10. Tips and Tricks.
The Metal Box. Trees and Vegetation. Reflection. Placed Shadows. Conclusion.
11. User Interface Design and Creation.
The Shell. In-Game User Interface. Heads-Up Display. Composition. Plan, Plan, Plan. Conclusion.
12. Wrapping It Up.
Source Control. Collision Geometry. Skydomes. Light Volumes. Tagging Materials. Bug Fixing. Polishing. Major Milestones. Conclusion.
Index.
