Course Title: Real-Time Rendering and 3D Games Programming

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Real-Time Rendering and 3D Games Programming

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COSC1226	City Campus	Undergraduate	140H Comp Sci & Info Technology	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006, Sem 2 2007, Sem 2 2009

Course Coordinator: Geoff Leach

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3207

Course Coordinator Email:gl@rmit.edu.au

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Interactive 3D Graphics and Animation

Course Description

The course introduces key topics, principles and techniques of real-time rendering and 3D games programming and provides an opportunity for students to pursue a games or real-time rendering programming project. The formal lecture series covers material from a range of topics, with students expected to incorporate relevant components into their projects. Most projects are expected to use OpenGL as the primary 3D graphics library, C/C++ as the primary programming language and to run under the Linux operating system.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Capability Development
Development of student graduate attributes is an ongoing process that takes place in all courses and over the period of the whole course. This course particularly develops the following graduate capabilities of problem solving, knowledge acquisition and creativity through study of real-time rendering, spatial data structures, hierarchical modelling formats, physically based modelling, graphics performance and graphics programming.

Learning Outcomes
On completion of the course, you should:
- have a grasp of physically-based modelling;
- be familiar with intersection detection and collision detection techniques;
- understand the purpose of spatial data structures and be familiar with regular grids and BSP trees;
- have examined in detail, and modified, a simple physically based particle system with collision detection and collision dynamics;
- have implemented an application which uses real-time rendering - typically a 3D game, a game engine or a game mod, a visual simulation - or built a tool for real-time rendering or designed and built a game map or virtual world;
- have enhanced their graphics programming skills and knowledge or their game or virtual world modelling skills;
- understand the graphics pipeline and graphics performance, have conducted some graphics benchmarking, and be familiar with techniques for optimising graphics performance;
- be familiar with some stencil buffer techniques, shadow generation in particular;
- be familiar with shaders and the idea of the programmable graphics pipeline.

Overview of Learning Activities

The project work will be the focus of the student learning experience. Syllabus material will be presented, explained and illustrated with demonstrations and examples in lectures, classes, or online. Completion of tutorial questions and laboratory exercises and projects, are designed to give further practice in the application of theory and procedures, and to give feedback on your progress and understanding. These include discovery exercises where students will be guided to discovering particular results or effect through running and modifying example programs. Private study will consolidate your understanding of the theory and practice.

Overview of Learning Resources

You will make extensive use of computer laboratories and relevant software provided by the School. You will be able to access course information and learning materials through the Learning Hub (also known as online@RMIT) and may be provided with copies of additional materials in class or via email. Lists of relevant reference texts, resources in the library and freely accessible Internet sites will be provided.

Use the RMIT Bookshop’s textbook list search page to find any recommended textbook(s).

Overview of Assessment

The course’s nature is that of a graphics programming project or software engineering project with 100% assignment work - with the project being the focus of the student learning experience. In the project, students are expected to use some of the material introduced in the lectures, tutorials and laboratories, but also material found by independent research. In general, due to the diverse range of projects students undertake there is a need to work independently.

See Assessment Tasks (part B course guide for this Teaching Period) for assessment details, including deadlines, weightings, and hurdle requirements. For standard assessment information relating to Computer Science and IT courses see: http://www.rmit.edu.au/compsci/cgi