Photography for Game DesignSetup, operation, and troubleshooting a computer

Hardware vs Software

•Hardware – the physical components of a computer• Ex: hard drive, monitor, mouse

• Software – a collection of code installed on the hard drive• Ex: Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, Photoshop

Hardware needed for a video game

• Computer processor (CPU)

•Memory (RAM)

• Video Card

•Hard Drive

•Output devices

• Input devices

Software needed for a video game

•Operating System

• Runtime Environment • Ex: Java, C, C++

• The game

Computer Parts

• CPU – brain of the computer where most calculations take place.

• Motherboard (mobo) – main circuit board of a computer

• Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) – the memory available to programs• must be refreshed (powered) thousands of times per

second or the data will be lost

• Video Card – expansion card that allows the computer to send graphical information to a video display

• Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) – handles most graphics used for 3-D applications and other mathematically-intensive tasks to help free up the CPU

• Hard Disk Drive (HDD) – main data storage device that uses magnetic charges

• Does not need constant power to store data

• Solid State Drive (SSD) – similar to HDD but has no moving parts

HDD vs SSD

SSD

• Usually 10 times faster

• No moving parts

• Uses less power

• No noise

• Available in smaller physical sizes

• Generates less heat

• Not affected by magnetism

HDD

• Cheaper price especially for drives over 500GB

• Largest storage capacity at several terabytes of space

Components inside the case

Below: System board (Motherboard) Below: Central

Processing Unit (CPU)

Components inside the case (continued)

Above: Random Access Memory (RAM)

Right: GPU

Below: Video Card

Components inside the case (continued)

Below: Power Supply Unit (PSU)

Above: Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

Computer Maintenance

• Keep anti-virus and malware protection up-to-date

• Install updates for the Operating System

• Clear the cache and delete temp files

• Keep the keyboard clean by using compressed air and rubbing alcohol

• Keep drinks away from the computer

Computer Maintenance (continued)

• Never use cleaning supplies on the monitor or tower unless it is designed for the monitor type

• Never spray liquids at the monitor directly

• Use an anti-static wipe to dust the case

• A can or compressed air can be helpful to remove dust from the case and fans

• Never obstruct an air vent or fan on the tower

Good Computer Habits

• If it is important, save it (back up) in multiple locations• Ex: External Hard Drive, Flash Drive, Cloud

• Use maintenance tools to help a slow computer• Defragmenter• Cleanup• Recycle Bin

Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

•Copy Ctrl + C

•Cut Ctrl + X

•Paste Ctrl + V

•Undo Ctrl + Z

File Systems

• Folders can be used to organize the files on a computer

• Libraries can be used to group similar folders together

Parts of a window

Parts of a window (continued)

• Navigation Pane – used to access libraries, folders, and drives

• Back and Forward Buttons – used to go back and forward to folders that you have already opened

• Toolbar – contains tools to perform common tasks

• Address bar – navigate to a different folder or go back

• Library Pane – customize the library or arrange files by properties

Parts of a window (continued)• Column headings – changes how the files are organized

• File list – shows the files in the folder or library

• Search box – searches in the current folder or library

• Details pane – shows the details of the selected file

Photography for Game DesignBasics of Photography

Vocabulary for Photography

• Depth of Field – distance that the subject of a photo appears sharp

• Resolution – the detail an image holds (how good the picture looks)

• File Compression – minimizing the size of a file without degrading the quality of the image

• Emphasis – area that first attracts the viewer’s attention

Rule of Thirds

• Proposes than an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and 2 equally spaced vertical lines.

• Important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.

Top Left: Example of Depth of Field

Top Right: Example of Emphasis

Bottom: Example of Rule of Thirds

Do’s of digital camera care

• Regularly clean the camera

• Take care of the lens by never touching it and putting on the lens cap

• Handle all moving parts with care

• Turn off the camera before removing the battery or memory card

• Keep your camera dry

Do’s of digital camera care (continued)

• Store your camera correctly if not going to be used for a long time• Keep away from magnets• Use silica gel• Remove batteries• Keep in cool, dry place away from windows,

furnaces, and damp basements

Don’ts of digital camera care

• Subject your camera to…• knocks• Magnets• Smoke• Water• Steam• Sand• Chemicals

Don’ts of digital camera care(continued)

• Store your camera in humid, dusty, or dirty places

• Subject your camera to extreme hot or cold temperatures

• Place your camera in direct sunlight for prolonged times or in a car when it is hot

• Scratch the camera with hard or sharp objects

• Drop your camera in water

• Use canned air (most cameras are not airtight)

Basic Parts of a Camera

1. Lens – Usually made of glass, focuses and directs the incoming light

2. Aperture – part of the lens that controls the amount of light that reaches the sensor

3. Shutter – controls the amount of time that the sensor is exposed to light

4. Image Sensor – consists of a grid with millions of light gathering elements (pixels)

• One million pixels in a Megapixel

Basic Parts of a Camera (continued)

5. LCD Screen – allows you to view your subject before taking the picture

6. Viewfinder – same as the LCD Screen but is designed to be held up the eye

7. Memory Card – stores all of the image information

8. Flash – provides extra light during dim, low light situations

9. Body – the physical case that houses the parts

10.User Controls – allows the user to customize the picture with various settings

Left: Lens Aperture DiagramBottom: Camera Lens

Above: Image Sensors

Below: LCD Screen and Viewfinder

Right: Memory Cards

Raw Image Format (.raw)

• Description: digital negatives; contains minimally processed data from the image sensor

• Benefit: • Many more shades of colors

• Bypasses undesired steps in processing

• Large transformations results in fewer visible artifacts

• Drawback: • Large file size

• Not widely accepted

• Requires extra time to process the image

Bitmap Image File (.bmp)

• Description: way to store a raster image (image made of pixels in a grid)

• Benefit:• Stores color data for each pixel in the image without any

compression

• Crisp, high-quality graphics

• Used more for printable images

• Recognized by many programs on Macs and PCs

• Can be compressed using lossless data compressions

• Drawback:• Large file sizes

JPEG and JPEG 2000 (.jpg and .jp2)

• Description: mainly a lossy compression method for bitmap images

• Benefit:• Works best on realistic scenes with smooth variations of tone and color

• Allows the user to balance file size and resolution

• Most common format for storing and transmitting photos on the World Wide Web (Internet)

• Drawback:• Does not work well for line drawings, text, or icons

• Should not be used in scientific or medical images

• Not useful if constantly editing the files

• Does not support transparency

Graphics Interchange Format(.gif)

• Description: bitmap images compressed with lossless techniques; created by Steve Wilhite of CompuServe

• Benefit:• Supports transparency

• Suitable for sharp-edged line art with limited number of colors

• Used to store low-color sprite data for games

• Small animations and low-resolution film clips

• Graphics load fast on websites

• Drawback:• Limited to 256 colors (8-bit images)

Portable Network Graphics (.png)• Description: lossless bitmap compression; improved, non-

patented replacement for GIF;

• Benefit:

• Supports transparency

• Most used lossless image compression format on the Web (Internet)

• Small file sizes with good resolution

• Drawback:• Does not support non-RGB (CMYK) color space

• Does not allow animation

Tagged Image File Format (.tiff)

• Description: stores raster (bitmap) images; commonly used by graphic artists and photographers

• Benefit: • Useful for printed images

• Allows for different compression techniques

• Preserves layers, transparency, and other features from Photoshop

• Great for archiving intermediate files (introduces no compression artifacts)

• Drawback:• Large files

Portable Document Format (.pdf)

• Description: used to present documents on any device; developed by Adobe Systems; frequently used in legal documents, informational documents, and forms

• Benefit:• Preserves the graphic appearance of documents (files retain the

same formatting)

• Prints the exact same on any computer (given the same parameters)

• Drawback:• Cannot be easily edited (usually must be recreated)

• Requires Adobe Reader to view

PhotoShop Document (.psd)

• Description: Photoshop’s native format; layered image file used in Photoshop; usually used when still editing photos

• Benefit:• Preserves layers, transparency, masks, and all other effects in

Photoshop

• Drawback:• Hard to open without Photoshop

• Proprietary file type

• Usually converted to a different type (JPG, GIF, TIFF) to share the image

• Cannot be converted back into PSD after flattening the layers