Training in Virtual Reality

In the past weeks, we looked at the possibilities of using VR (Virtual Reality) as a means for eLearning and training. Today I would like to share an excellent example of this use in practice.

Sentient Computing has published a video about using the HTC Vive for training of high voltage switching. The video can be seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ni5L6R6uq8

This training exercise simulates the process of high voltage switching in the safety of virtual reality, before performing the operation on live systems. An experienced high voltage engineer talks a developer through the process of performing the switch using VR goggles and controllers. Thanks to simulations like these, inexperienced persons can become familiar with dangerous procedures without being put in harms way.

MANY APPLICATIONS

There are many applications and situations which may benefit from training in virtual reality. Scuba diving, rock climbing or other high-risk activities, handling dangerous equipment or materials, and other situations that require the learner to familiarize themselves with a process can be trained in VR. It is understood that virtual reality will not replace the real experience, but it can serve as a useful preparation for the actual event.

NEW FRONTIER

Virtual Reality is the new frontier for training and eLearning, and it gives me satisfaction that it’s being utilized for constructive, useful purposes and not just gaming and entertainment. Our company, as well, is preparing to create some VR demos for training and eLearning, and I will be happy to share them with you when they are ready.

If you are interested in learning more about our company, Pathways Training and eLearning, please visit us at our website: http://www.pathwaystrainingandelearning.ca/

VIDEO PRODUCTION TIPS FOR ELEARNING

Video production is a very useful tool for eLearning. Through video we can convey information clearly and succinctly, and capture the viewer’s interest in a way we might not be able to purely with text. Alongside animation and interactive media, video production provides a means to make the course more interesting. By using these tools, the eLearning developer can increase the attention span of the learner, as well as the effectiveness and content retention of the curriculum.

Video production is no longer accessible only to large studios and wealthy organizations. With the revolution of computers and electronics came the opportunity to make videos on fairly low budget. Certainly, if your clients dictate quality, you may need to spend money to purchase or rent professional equipment and studio space, however, there is plenty one can do with consumer equipment. Even budget camcorders offer an excellent quality of video and audio if used within their constraints. For example, most single CCD camcorders don’t perform well in low light conditions – however, being aware of such limitations allows us to avoid them and use the equipment to the fullest of its capabilities.

For on-screen tutorials, there is a variety of software available to capture the screen and record your voice, and even accentuate the presentation by being able to zoom in on different parts of the screen, highlight the mouse cursor, or include a PiP (picture in picture) of your webcam video.

When planning a video production session, there are many factors to consider. Foremost of all, you should have a script. A script is a vehicle of communication which allows everyone involved on the production to share the vision. It allows you to analyze and prepare for the production, and have a clear picture in mind about what it is you are putting together.

Before the production, analyze the script. Make a list of all the locations, all the actors, props, costumes, vehicles and equipment that will be required. If there are outdoor scenes, be prepared for potential rescheduling due to adverse weather. Arrange for transportation, and any licenses or permissions required to film on those locations. Remember to have all appropriate paperwork (such as release forms) signed by the cast, prior to production. Outdoor productions can provide the most beautiful locations, but are also risky to film. You may have a limited time window for light, the wind may make your audio unusable, and change in weather is often difficult to predict. However, if planned properly, outdoor video shoots can yield outstanding results!

Indoor productions allow you a more controlled environment to work in. However, renting a studio can be an expensive business. Filming indoors in spaces which are not studio can also present a challenge. Space, fire safety, access to electricity (and making sure you don’t blow the fuses with your lights) should all be considered.

Often, I am asked to estimate the cost of a production, and how long it will take to complete it. Often, there is not enough information for me to make an educated estimate. The client will say that they want a 20-minute video. However, they don’t have a script yet. This means that I have no way to break down the script scene-by-scene, determine the resources needed, or the required costs. One cannot determine the cost of a production merely by its length. Certainly, 20 minutes of talking to a camera from an office desk is a different than 20 minutes of a Lord of the Rings battle scene. Sometimes, the client will imagine shots that require a boom or a helicopter (or at least a drone). These beauty shots are certainly impressive, but also carry an additional cost to accomplish them. That’s why I must emphasize again the importance of the script to analyze a production. Without a script, we don’t know what we’re doing.

There may be situations where it’s appropriate to include improvised dialogue, but be careful about the dangers of allowing unscripted dialogue running away on you. Not only is it more difficult for the talent to remember all the points that need to be covered, often it leads to headaches during editing. The producer may want to take this out or add that in, or combine multiple takes of the same scene. Often it becomes quite unmanageable – it is much better to have the conversations scripted and prepared ahead of time. The argument that unscripted conversation sounds more natural comes with the risk of unforeseen surprises which often crop up only in the editing room.

Another important tip is to make sure the script is written in a conversational manner. We speak differently than we write. Not only will a formal script bore the audience to tears, it will often be difficult for the talent to deliver, even with the use of a teleprompter. While I am on the topic of teleprompters, I highly recommend spending the extra money to get the large size screen. From my experience, a small teleprompter screen only leads to squinty talent and complaints, and repeating scenes take after take.

During production, make certain to keep track of scenes, shots and takes. A simple printed-out spreadsheet from Excel will do the job nicely. Check off each completed scene for video and audio (in case they are separate, such as in B-roll) and also mark which take was the good one. The editor will appreciate this. At the end of production, check your spreadsheet to make sure all scenes were filmed. This is important especially since many productions are shot out of sequence.

Our company often uses video productions as a tool to educate or add content to eLearning modules. Video can be inserted into Articulate Storyline, or any number of modern eLearning developer apps. Together with interactive activities and animations, video provides us a powerful tool to improve the experience of our eLearning modules, an make them more interesting for the learner.

To learn more about our company and how we contribute in the field of eLearning, please visit our website at www.pathwaystrainingandelearning.ca

Developing eLearning for VR: Unreal or Unity?

So you want to develop eLearning applications for VR? Which 3D game engine should you choose, Unreal Engine or Unity?

There are certainly other options, such as CryEngine, CopperCube and Torque3D, but Unreal and Unity are undeniably the mammoths. Both of them provide full VR support for both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, and both have a long list of blockbuster games that were coded in them. Let’s examine the pros and cons of each.

Unity

Unity is supported by the official Oculus Rift SDK. Unity Free lets you develop for Oculus Rift without any cost, except the hardware. It provides a number of programming languages to choose from, such as C#, JavaScript and Boo (a form of Python). C# is arguably the most powerful, while JavaScript has the widest selection of tutorials.

Another pro for Unity is the Asset Store. You can find a wide variety of free and paid assets that can easily be added to a game. The assets include music, art, code and modules, to name a few. The powerful asset management system and attribute inspection even allows you to include unique lighting or GUI in your game.

Unity also has a great editor, which is powerful and intuitive. You can pause the gameplay and manipulate the scene at any time, or progress gameplay frame by frame.

Rapid prototyping is another strong point of Unity. The modular system allows for quick development of an idea. Features such as drag-and-drop editing, shaders, and animation allow you to dive right into developing a game.

Unity is a proven game engine with a history of huge developers, such as Microsoft, Paradox, Square Enix and Sega. These developers chose Unity for a reason, and that reason is flexibility and power. With direct access to the code “under the hood”, Unity can be used to create the functionality and game behaviour exactly the way you want it.

There are a few negative aspects to using Unity, which should be mentioned. For example, Unity 4 is built on Mono and C#, which means the garbage collector can impact performance and cause stuttering. C# and .Net usage in Unity is questionable, and a lot of the API uses public static methods. This encourages the use of public fields for everything, and a lot of questionable implicit casting. These are poor coding practices which can lead to problems with inexperienced programmers.

Lastly, Unity3D is a proprietary, closed source game engine. Unity requires a fee for features like basic version control support. If the performance doesn’t satisfy the growing requirements of a project, it will be impossible to migrate a game from Unity due to vendor lock.

Unreal

Unreal Engine 4 uses dynamic global illumination with voxel cone tracing. This is a similar algorithm to ray tracing, but uses thick rays instead of pixel thin rays, for a vast decrease in the amount of computational power.

UE4 is licensed to developers for a 5% royalty fee on resulting revenue, and includes full access to source code – something not available with Unity.

Among of the greatest benefits of Unreal is Blueprint, a visual scripting system for non-coders. Blueprint resembles flowcharts, with each node representing a function or value. You can easily connect outputs and inputs of nodes, allowing you to tweak and prototype without ever writing any code. Blueprint also allows a better at-a-glance overview of game logic, and makes complex behaviours easier to accomplish.

Recompiling an entire game can take a long time. Unreal Engine 4 quickly compiles in seconds instead of minutes, improving the iteration time by an order of magnitude. This makes it great for when you are making small changes and adjustments to your game, which happens very often.

The downside of Unreal is that it’s not completely free. It operates on a royalty based system, whereby 5% of profits will go to Unreal. There are always two sides to every coin.

Two Sides to Every Coin

Whether you develop eLearning applications or games for entertainment, both Unity and Unreal are more than capable of accomplishing the task. You must carefully examine the pros and cons, and decide for yourself which engine is the best one to use. I hope that this breakdown will help you make an educated decision.

To learn more about our company and how we contribute in the field of eLearning, please visit our website at www.pathwaystrainingandelearning.ca

Economics: Cheaper always has a price

I was driving through our neighborhood recently  with my son on the way back from soccer practice.  It was one of the first really warm days of Spring, so many of the local shopkeepers were busy outside their stores cleaning windows, sweeping sidewalks and putting out colourful chalkboard signs that promised great deals and upcoming sales.  It was one of these signs that caught my son’s eye, outside the local Pet store.  The sign’s proclamation was simple, if not devastating.  Printed in a bold black font,

“Going out of Business Sale”

Reading the sign took only a second, but I knew the impact would last far longer.  Ask most parents in our neighbourhood (any neighbourhood I suppose) and they will say the same thing. The local pet store is more than just a place to buy food for their cherished family member…. it’s a mini zoo, where they can spend an hour on a Sunday afternoon… a place that in their children’s eyes, is filled with wondrous creatures great and small.

As a proud Canadian business owner myself, I am always saddened to see a local business fail, but this particular closing was especially troubling.

My son knows all too well, the sacrifices a family endures when they own their own business…. the weekends spent working…. the late nights… the endless “give me second” references, signalling that he should come back to talk to me later.  These are all too familiar, but made worthwhile when we succeed, which thankfully my company has been able to do.  But I do not think until that very moment, he had realized that sometimes a business can fail, even one as wonderful and joyous as our local pet store.

Naturally he asked ‘why’?

“Could be any number of reasons,” I said. “But, most likely, it’s because they couldn’t compete with the bigger pet stores”.

“What do you mean, they couldn’t compete; because they are small?” “Does that mean your company will go out of business too?”

“No, we’re just fine. What I mean by ‘compete’, is that some companies (large companies) can buy the things they sell to customers much cheaper than smaller stores can, because they paid less to get them. So their customers are happy, because they save money when they shop there.”

“Yes,” he said jumping in… “but the people working in the small companies aren’t happy, because now they don’t have a job.”

“Yah,” I sighed. “That’s economics; cheaper, always has a price.”

Naturally this conversation, got me thinking about my business. Pathways is a learning technology company. We are by all accounts successful. Growing, employing Canadians. But we don’t sell widgets. We sell services that become products. eLearning, gaming, animations, simulations etc. Our cheaper options would come in the form of people. We could outsource. Many in our industry do. It’s easy. In most cases, no one has to be the any the wiser. We could pass the savings on to our customers. Then everybody wins, right?

I know that ‘cheaper always has a price’. I know that local talent must be fostered and supported for our customers to really enjoy what we’re selling. I also know that you can outsource yourself right out of a job. It all comes around eventually.

Before writing this entry, I asked one of my colleagues what he believed our competitive advantage was. He paused for a moment and said, “We care. All of us. We all care. We may not always be perfect, but we care about what we do – because we see the direct impact of our work on our clients. If you don’t know your customers, how can you care about them?

He was right.

Small business owners know how much each and every client matters. They have to, because their livelihoods depend upon each and every one of them. People often talk about small business being the life-blood of our economy, but the real measure of those words comes when we make choices to buy our pet food somewhere cheaper.

Virtual Reality (VR) Technology in eLearning

After years of experimentation and testing, virtual reality (VR) technology is finally coming to our homes. The HTC Vive was released on April 5, 2016 (mine is on back-order, to be delivered in June), and there are alternatives such as the Oculus Rift (released on March 28, 2016) and others available to the consumer. Although the price for these devices is still rather steep, I have a feeling that VR technology is here to stay. The experience is unlike any other, and there is already a heap of software available to play. Let us examine how VR technology can be applied to eLearning, and how a learner could benefit from such technology.

For those who are not familiar with the latest high-tech gadgetry, let’s first give an overview of what VR is, and what all the hype is about. VR stands for Virtual Reality. The set-up includes special goggles that display a separate screen for each eye – with perspectively adjusted views to give the illusion of a 3D environment. HTC Vive includes a pair of hand-held controllers. A couple sensors need to be mounted on the walls, to accurately detect your movements. The goggles receive information from your computer, which runs the VR software.

There are additional controllers available for HTC Vive, such as a pair of gloves for activities such as climbing or punching, or anything that involves precise hand movements. The gloves can track individual finger positions, so they can be used for dextrously precise simulation, such a surgery or crafting. The possibilities are limitless.

When a user puts on the goggles, they are immersed into a virtual world of whatever the software offers. They could find themselves atop a mountain, under the sea, on a death-defying roller coaster, or in a haunted mansion. The user is free to look around in any direction, and often there are various objects – or creatures – to interact with. There are many games available for the VR experience, as well as locations and scenarios, which let the user experience what it feels like to be there. An upcoming trend are 3D movies, in which the user is free to view and wander the world as the movie unfolds. An excellent example of such is the film Allumete, by Penrose Studios. You can read about it here: http://www.wired.com/2016/04/alumette-groundbreaking-vr-film-tribeca/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=Page+post+boosting&utm_content=571fea5b1aa292e86b8b458c&utm_id=571fea5b1aa292e86b8b458c#slide-1

How can this technology benefit eLearning? By creating an emotional response, and by bringing to the user locations, objects and experiences that would not otherwise be available. Let me give you some examples.

Everyone I have ever seen use a VR headset has had a profound emotional experience as a result of it. People take off the goggles with huge smiles on their faces; they clutch their chairs or desks as they look down into perilous depths, they react when something big approaches. It feels real. It feels more real than videogames, or movies – even 3D movies at IMAX cannot compete. This is because with the VR headset we have complete freedom of view, and can often interact with the environment. Movies, even 3D movies, are scripted and not interactive. Games displayed on a screen may be interactive, but they are restricted to the rectangular screen in front of you, and therefore do not immerse you as completely into the experience. When wearing the VR headset, the user feels like they are really there!

To put on a VR headset for the first time, in my opinion, is a similar experience to what people over a century ago experienced when they first saw a movie. It is unparalleled. This is the reason why, despite the steep price of the gear, I believe that VR is here to stay. This is also the reason why VR needs to be used as a tool for eLearning, and not just for gaming. The experience is memorable and immersive, and should be used as a tool for learning. It is well known that a learner retains much more information if they are actively interested in the subject, and it is up to educators to present it in an interesting way. VR offers that opportunity.

Through VR we are able to bring to the learner that which they might otherwise not have available. Imagine we are studying history, specifically the Roman Empire. Imagine that thoughtful educators, developers and hobbyists have meticulously recreated places from that era in 3D, and made them available for us to explore in VR. Regardless of our physical location, we could go back in time to visit Rome, including citizens in authentic costumes who we could interact with. They may speak in Latin, but English (or other) subtitles could hover above them so that we could understand what they are saying, and still have a closely authentic experience of what Rome might have been like two thousand years ago.

History and culture are not the only subjects that can benefit from VR. There are simulations possible for virtually any subject, study or training program. The only limit is the developers’ imagination.

Therefore, albeit VR is not a traditional learning tool, I would encourage educators and developers to embrace it as such, and put it to a good use.

To learn more about our company and how we contribute in the field of eLearning, please visit our website at www.pathwaystrainingandelearning.ca

Gamification & Engagement

Recently much has been written about the integration of gamification in instructional design including posts I have done myself, but today I wanted to discuss in more detail why this has become so important.

Gamification is defined as the “application of common elements of game playing as a means to encourage engagement with a product or service” and as I have written in the past, the element of game playing has mass appeal, but why is engagement so important?

Consider the following…millennials (persons born between 1982 – 2004) are now the largest generation in the workforce.  Think about that for a moment.  Tens of Millions of employees who have grown up empowered by technology and pushing the demand of instant gratification.  This group is connected, they operate in the “now” and want to feel valued by those they work for…. they want to be engaged.

There have been countless studies on the significant increase in employee retention when employees feel engaged but I will leave that discussion for another day.  The point is this… employees want to be engaged, engagement is a good thing and one way to get an employee engaged is to use gamification.

In the upcoming weeks I will continue the discussion on gamification and discuss in more detail how instructional designers and programmers are partnering to create eLearning modules that are using gamification in many creative and exciting ways.

To learn more about gamification and other eLearning training solutions offered by Pathways please visit our website at http://www.Pathwaysinc.ca

Gamification Introduction

Several recent surveys conducted this past year estimate there are 1.2 billion people worldwide playing video games, spending up to 3 billion hours a week.  Of that number, the Sony Network boasts 110 million users for their PlayStation console while Microsoft numbers are at 50 million for their Xbox 360 and One platforms.  That leaves over a billion people playing video games on” non-console” formats, such as their personal computer or laptop, phone or other handheld devices.  Understanding that, is it any wonder that more and more instructional designers are using gamification” as part of their projects?

Gamification is defined as the “application of common elements of game playing as a means to encourage engagement with a product or service” *.  For example, awarding points, playing against or being in competition with other users, having a set rules of play to follow, etc.  So basically, using the elements over a billion people have become familiar with to help them learn.

In the upcoming weeks I am going to delve deeper into the phenomena that is gamification and discuss in more detail how instructional designers and programmers are partnering to create eLearning modules that are using gamification in many creative and exciting ways.

To learn more about gamification and other eLearning training solutions offered by Pathways please visit our website at http://www.Pathwaysinc.ca

Principles of Effective Page Layout

Effective layout is a topic that deserves volumes, but I would like to summarize six principles which every designer should keep in mind. These principles apply to every form of visual layout, from web pages to eLearning modules, to posters and magazines. Let’s examine them now:

1. Balance
2. Proximity
3. Alignment
4. Repetition
5. Contrast
6. White Space

 

BALANCE

Balance exists in two forms: symmetrical and asymmetrical. It deals with distribution of weight. In terms of graphics, weight is measured by the size of an element, its density, darkness or contrast, colour, and the thickness of its lines.

Symmetrical balance means that the elements on the page are arranged in such a way, that there exists a line or lines of reflection. Symmetry can exist horizontally, vertically, across diagonals, or any combination of the above. Certainly, not every graphic and element on the page has to be a perfect reflection of its counterpart, rather, the weight of the elements is considered when establishing symmetry.

Asymmetrical balance doesn’t mean lack of symmetry. It is an arrangement of unlike objects of equal weight on each side of the page. Whether symmetrical or asymmetrical, balance should exist unless you are trying to evoke a feeling of dissonance or uneasiness. If you are too focused on the details, sit back and squint your eyes as you look at the page. Establish whether the page is balanced, or if elements should be moved around to create a better sense of harmony.

PROXIMITY

The Principle of Proximity states that to group related items on a page, you must bring them physically close to each other. For information to be perceived as cohesive, it should be organized into groups of related elements. This approach will make it both easier to be read and remembered. Proximity implies a relationship. By grouping similar elements together, the page becomes more organized. The reader understands where to begin reading, and the white space becomes more organizes as well.

ALIGNMENT

The Principle of Alignment states that nothing should be placed on a page arbitrarily; everything should have a visual connection to something else on the page. When elements are aligned, they create a stronger, visually cohesive unit. This will help in organizing and unifying the page.

REPETITION

Some aspect of the design should be repeated throughout the entire page. Repetition can exist in many forms, from design elements to font, bullet list, colour, lines or shapes, or even a spatial relationship. Repetition helps to organize the information and unify parts of the design. Repetition can exist on a single page, or throughout a collection of pages. Corporate branding, for example, uses a repetition of the same logo, colour scheme, font use and spacing to establish a strong corporate identity. Repetition creates consistency.

CONTRAST

Contrast is a powerful tool to attract attention and add visual interest to your page. If two items on the page are not exactly the same, then make them different – REALLY different!

Contrast can be achieved by combining serif and sans-serif fonts, varying boldness, line thickness, colours, shapes, sizes, spacing, images and so on.

WHITE SPACE

White space, or negative space, is the absence of text and graphics. It doesn’t have to be white, it is whatever colour the background of your page is. White space provides visual breathing room for the eye, and keeps things from being too cramped, busy and overwhelming.

Although white space is the lack of information, it doesn’t mean that it’s unimportant. White space is essential in creating an elegant appearance, composure and harmony. Novice designers often feel compelled to fill the entire page, but it’s important to remember that in design, sometimes less is more.

At our company, we apply the principles of effective page layout in a wide variety of eLearning applications, modules, and graphic materials. If you would like to learn more, please visit our website:

http://www.pathwaystrainingandelearning.com/

We specialize in bringing eLearning to the next generation through a variety of highly effective means, from traditional classroom training to eLearning and eGaming designed to maximize learning effectiveness and retention.

5 TIPS TO BETTER 3D MODELING

A developer of visual media will often benefit from the ability to include 3D assets or animation. From videogames to videos, 3D animation is frequently used in the visual media industry. Even 2D games will frequently use 3D rendered sequences for sprites, cut scenes and animations. Whether you are a professional or a hobbyist, it is worth your time to learn at least the foundations of 3D animation so that you can understand at least what is available to use, even if you don’t have to create the 3D assets yourself.

There are many steps to creating 3D assets but the foundation is modeling. Modeling means creating the geometry of the 3D asset. This can be done in a variety of software, such as Maya, 3D Studio Max, Houdini, Blender, ZBrush and many others. Some software, like ZBrush, allow you to simply sculpt without the need to worry about edge loops or polygons. However, we will examine the type of 3D modeling where you have direct control over the position of edges and vertices. This type of modeling is called polygonal (or poly) modeling. I will use Maya as the software of reference, but the same principles apply to software like 3D Studio Max and others.

Whether you are creating an object or a character, 3D modeling involves creating a mesh that is the “skin” of the object. The mesh is composed of polygons, or “polys”. A poly is a face surrounded by edges. A poly surrounded by three edges looks like a triangle, and is called a “tri”. A poly surrounded by four edges is called a “quad”. A poly can have many edges, but as you will soon learn, this is considered poor practice.

Each point on a poly is called a vertex. In Maya, by default, polys are one-sided. That means they have one face, and are visible only from one side. Every poly has a “normal”, which is a vector perpendicular to the face of the poly, pointing in the direction of the face. You can toggle the visibility of the normal on and off. It is a good practice to check your normals, to make sure that all of the polys are facing outward. Now, let’s take a look at some other tips to better 3D modeling:

 1. USE QUADS

If your 3D model is deformable or if it will be smoothed (subdivided), quads are the preferred method of modeling. Deformable models such as creatures or characters require a flexible “skin”. If you bend your elbow, for example, your skin changes shape and adjusts to fit the new position. On the other hand, a robot uses a mechanical joint to rotate an elbow, and often doesn’t have “skin” that would flex or bend. However, if it uses some kind of flexible cover over the joint, then that too would be considered a deformable mesh.

If the 3D object is stationary or non-deformable, using quads and tris is acceptable. However, quads can easily be divided using the smoothing function, without creating “poles”. Tris, on the other hand, tend to create “poles” which persist through subsequent iterations of division, and lead to sharp points that don’t smooth properly. Also, tris end edge loops, which are important to proper deformation and will be mentioned later on in this article.

All of your geometry should be either quads or tris, no other polys should ever be present in a finished model. If you have a poly with more than 4 sides, divide it. Some applications require all quads, or all tris, and sometimes you can use tris judiciously in an otherwise all quad geometry, but you should absolutely never have polys that have more than 4 edges.

There are various techniques to reduce edge loops, which you can use when you’re going from a high density edge loop area to a low density area. Research and experience will teach you how to handle virtually any situation.

 2. CHAMFER EDGES

A note about sharp edges is that almost every object in real life has at least some roundness to its edges. Unless you’re talking about the edge of a knife or a sheet of paper, most edges which we consider sharp have at least a little bit of chamfer to them. Take a look at your desk, for example. The edges of furniture appear sharp, but upon closer inspection we notice that in fact they are rounded or flattened, to a minute amount. This amount is important to how light bounces off the edge.

Unless your model is a low poly model for a game, you should always take care to round edges appropriately. Even for low poly models, they often use normal maps generated from high poly versions which do have the nicely rounded edges that result in beautiful specular highlights when rendered. I can often tell the difference between a professional 3D model versus an amateur one, just by seeing whether the artist took the time to polish the model by rounding edges. It’s well worth the extra effort!

 3. PROXY MODEL FOR SMOOTH RESULTS

Proxy modeling is a tool available in Maya and some other 3D modeling software. It allows you to model a low-poly “cage”, and simultaneously create a high-poly smoothed model. Usually, the cage is transparent, so that you can see the high-poly geometry inside. You also have the option to move the cage and model next to the high-poly version.

Proxy modeling is great for creating organic models such as characters and creatures. You can also create objects and architecture, simply by placing edge loops very close together to create “hard” edges. The nice thing about proxy modeling is that it will automatically smooth your model and that you can select the level of subdivision, seeing both the low-poly cage and high-poly model at the same time. Any changes applied to the low-poly cage will be immediately reflected in the high-poly model, and so you can manipulate the shape easily by pulling and pushing a few vertices. You have the benefit of both low-poly vertex-level control, and the ability to quickly and easily generate and modify a smooth high-poly surface without having to deal with too many vertices. If you do want to control individual vertices on the high-poly version, you can always break the connection to the low-poly mesh and sculpt away to your heart’s content!

Proxy modeling makes it easy to ensure your model has good geometry and good edge loops. I highly recommend using it.

 4. CHECK YOUR HARD EDGES

Every polygonal 3D object, regardless of how round or smooth, is made up of polygonal faces. To give the appearance of a smooth curve, we must use many small faces. Let’s look at a sphere, for example. As a polygonal object, it is divided into many small facets, like a disco ball. The smaller the faces, the more round the sphere.

In 3D, we can choose edges to be hard or soft. If we make all the edges of the poly sphere hard, it will have a faceted appearance. If we soften the edges, it will look round and smooth.

Depending on what you are modeling, you may choose some edges to be smooth and others hard. It is important to “turn on hard edges” to check your work, before you submit the finished model, to make sure that the correct edges have been softened or hardened. If you skip this step, you will often find unexpected “creases” in your render, and may wonder how they got there.

In Maya, there’s a function that allows you to soften all edges below a certain threshold, for example 30 degrees. This is a good start, but you still need to check the edges after you apply this function to make sure there are no surprises.

 5. PLACE EDGE LOOPS INTELLIGENTLY

Especially on deformable meshes, such as characters or creatures, proper edge loop placement is extremely important. Think about how a mesh will bend or deform, and make sure your edge loops run topologically perpendicular and parallel to the vector of movement. If your edge loops are diagonal to the deformation, you will see a lot of ugly deformation where edge loops are bent across topology.

The area to be extra careful about is the face. The eyes and the mouth should have edge loops in concentric circles, the cheeks should be able to contract naturally, the forehead and the nose should be able to wrinkle. There are many good books available on the art of 3D facial animation, but I recommend “Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right” by Jason Osipa. This topic certainly deserves much more attention than I can give it in a short article, but I do want to bring up the importance of intelligent edge loop placement, because it will save you a lot of headache in the animation phase.

There are many, many tips, tricks and techniques that will help you improve your 3D modeling skills. Experience, books, online tutorials and forums are excellent resources. If you are artistic, love to create, or simply want to try a new art form, I encourage you to try 3D modeling. In my opinion, it is the art form of the digital age: it allows me to share my visions with the world, to create anything I imagine from virtually nothing, and to breathe life into it. Where in the past, visual art was often limited to a still image or sculpture, today we can incorporate movement, defy physics, and create illusions so realistic that they are virtually indistinguishable from real life! Don’t be afraid to try this new art form, it may give you the tools to fully express your creativity and unlock your inner child.

If you would like to see more about how our company uses 3D animation to bring education to mobile devices, please visit our website: http://www.pathwaystrainingandelearning.com/ .  We always look for fresh ways to engage the audience and to make the experience as fun as possible!

What Makes a Great Educational Game?

Educational games have suffered a bad reputation of being boring and lackluster for decades. Often, such games were created on a low budget with the sole intention to fulfill a requirement, and not necessarily to make the game engaging and fun. Perhaps the people who made such games were unimaginative, perhaps they didn’t care or have the resources to make a truly great game. However, if educational games are to be on par with the great games in the industry, they must follow the same rules and they must excel at them.

As someone who is involved in the eLearning industry and specifically in making educational games, I put a great deal of thought and research into what would make a great educational game. I’ve been a gamer since childhood, and even a game addict. I feel like I wasted countless hours on games which brought me little more than temporary enjoyment and escape from the real world. However, I always felt that the addictive quality of games can be used constructively to teach useful material, if done in a clever and creative way.

I made a list of elements which I feel are important to making a truly great game, and which I would like to share with you:

1. Story (Linear or non-linear, a great story drives a game)
2. Progression / Advancement (Customization, saving progress, sense of achievement)
3. Multiple intelligences (Activities catering to different types of intelligences)
4. Presentation / Polish (Art style, graphics & animation, sound & music)
5. Game Balance (Difficulty, need to win/achieve)
6. Cohesion (It has to make sense)
7. Uniqueness
8. Immersion, memorable game world/universe
9. Replayability

1.    Story

A good story engages the player, establishes goals and obstacles, and binds everything together in a cohesive way that makes sense. People like it when things make sense.

The story gives us an opportunity to create interesting characters, scenes and situations, to personalize the game experience and to make it truly memorable. Certainly, there are successful games which don’t focus on a story, but having a great story certainly adds a whole new dimension to your game.

2.    Progression

People love the feeling of accomplishment. Being able to create a character, customize it, advance through the game and save progress makes players want to come back and continue to build their character. Players love to share and show off their character to their friends, and MMORPGs allow them to socialize, play together with friends, show off their gear/character/achievements and team up to overcome obstacles together.

Players love to customize, even if the customization comes at a cost and doesn’t have any effect on game play. Players spend real money on clothing for their characters, or stickers/insignias on their tanks in games like World of Tanks, where the only effect of the insignia is that other players will see it, and it doesn’t benefit your game play in any other way.

Give players the ability to customize, to advance and level up in various ways, to make choices about how they will progress, and they will love your game!

3.    Multiple intelligences

I played an educational game designed to improve my typing skills when I was in high school. The game consisted of letters falling down from the top of the screen, and I had to type them before they reached the bottom. Very soon, I got bored of the game.

A game that caters to multiple intelligences (see my previous article about eLearning and the Theory of Multiple Intelligences) will be able to engage players more effectively than a game that doesn’t. There are exceptions, of course. Tetris is a game with a very narrow focus, yet it was tremendously successful. However, generally speaking, give the player more to do, more options, more opportunities, more variety – and the player will be interested much longer. Create a world, not a game.

Great games like World of Warcraft, Eve Online, Guild Wars and many others offer activities that allow the player to engage many intelligences. Bodily-kinesthetic for heart-pounding combat that requires good timing and eye-to-hand coordination, logical-mathematical for making the best choices in how to advance the character, optimize resource acquisition, manage skills and inventory. Spatial for navigation in the fascinating environments of 3D games, interpersonal to coordinate efforts in a team or a clan, where players have to work together to overcome obstacles. Address as many intelligences as possible, and build an immersive game that sucks people in and doesn’t let them go. And hopefully, teach them something useful while you’re at it!

4.    Presentation

A great story is a good start, but it must be presented in a compelling way. Presentation is a wide spectrum term that covers everything from how the story is told, how the game is shown, how it is supported by sound and music, and the overall polish and finished look of the game.

Imagine you’re going to a job interview. The way you present yourself depends not only on your education and experience, but also on how you dress, how you speak, your manners and etiquette. The same is true for a game – a unique and beautiful art style and compelling sound track can greatly enhance the experience. Animations and special effects can turn your game into a visual feast. However, don’t rely on visual effects to make up for a weak story. The story should always be the foundation.

5.    Game Balance

Game balance is a measure of the overall difficulty of the game, the learning curve required of new users, and the ratio of effort to reward. To make the experience enjoyable, there must be a good balance between difficulty and reward. The game cannot be too complex to learn, or it will deter new users. The game cannot be too simple, or users will lose interest quickly. The game must continually reward the player to keep them coming back, but it must also be challenging enough, or they will lose interest. Matters of game balance must be resolved in the Alpha phase and fine-tuned during the Beta phase, as well as throughout the game development. Often, games will be patched and updated even after the release, not only to address bugs but also to balance the gameplay.

6.    Cohesion

People like it when things make sense. Granted, we also like bizarre comedy and unexpected turns of events, and strange oddities that defy explanation. However, there should be a clear set of rules and order in a game, unless you are specifically trying to create a bizarre and senseless game. If you are making such an illogical game, then at least make sure it is funny. Otherwise, it will be plain frustrating.

A game should make it clear and easy to see how you accrue points or coins, how you advance, and what effects various skills or upgrades have. Beyond that, the story and plot of the game should make sense. If you are designing levels or characters, think about the environment and how those characters would live in it. Design worlds, not rooms. Think about ecosystems. Would those goblins really live right next to those dwarves? It’s alright to take some freedoms, but be careful not to break the believability of the game.

Cohesion has to do with how things sit together – from game mechanics and rules, to storyline and plots, to how the characters and creatures appear, act and live. When a game is cohesive, it opens the doors to create a truly immersive experience, and enable the player to feel like they are really a part of this story or fantasy world. This goes for all sorts of games, even a car racing game is set in a “fantasy world” which bears likeness to our own.

7.    Uniqueness

Although your game might not be truly one of a kind, for goodness sake, don’t just make a clone of one of the popular games out there! Even if your game plays similar to Bejeweled® or Angry Birds®, find ways to give it character. A unique story or art style, interesting characters with unique skills, or game features not found in the original title can give your game a life of its own.

8.    Immersion

If your game has a great story, art style and cohesion, you are well on your way to creating a truly immersive experience. What you need to do is engage the senses. Music and sound add a whole new dimension to the playing experience. The game world has to be able to support great character advancement, with non-linear choices such as skill trees, tech trees, exploration options and character path customization. Aim for non-linear storylines (please read my article on this topic, which I will publish in the next few weeks), allowing the player great amount of freedom of where to go and what to do. Certainly, even playing a story-defined character on a linear storyline can be immersive, but to me it feels no different than reading a book or watching a movie. With this amazing technology at our disposal, we ought to give the player the power to choose, explore, interact and take control of their own fate! It will keep them coming back for more.

9.    Replayability

To make a game replayable, it must provide a different experience each time. There are many interesting games out there with a linear storyline, but I feel that after playing them once or twice, there’s little value in playing them again.

The secret to replayability is either a non-linear storyline, or variability of content. Even games without a storyline can have great replayability values. For example, games of chess or Tetris® are extremely replayable, because they present the player with different situations each time. In Tetris®, the pieces that appear are randomized. In chess, there are millions of possible positions, presenting new obstacles and challenges each time. This variation and randomness makes players keep coming back to try again.

In games that have role-playing elements, giving the player options adds replayability. Non-linear storyline, freedom to explore the game world, making choices in which skills to advance or which equipment to buy, all of these elements add replayability to the game.

In Summary

There is no sure-fire formula for making a successful game. It is, perhaps, even more difficult to make a successful educational game. I believe that an educational game should follow the same principles and contain the same elements that one would expect from any successful game in the entertainment industry. A great story, capacity for in-game progression, addressing multiple intelligences, style and presentation, good game balance, cohesion, uniqueness, an immersive game experience and replayability value are game elements which definitely factor to a great degree. Address these issues, and you will be well on your way in creating a successful educational game.

 

If you would like to explore more about gamification and eLearning, take a peek at our company website: Pathways Training and eLearning, at http://www.pathwaystrainingandelearning.ca/ .  We always look for fresh ways to engage the learner and to make the experience as fun as possible!