Northumbria (UK) CM404 Programming for Games 2
International Game Developers Association
Programming for Games 2 - a module on BSc Computer Games Software Engineering at Northumbria University, in Newcastle, England
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| Course |
Table of contents |
[edit] Teachers
[edit] Instructors
- Chris Rook
- David Gee
[edit] Course Background Information
[edit] Location
Northumbria University City Campus, Newcastle, England
[edit] Classification
See: Areas for classifing for your course.
Games Programming
[edit] Student background needed
Students are expected to have some previous programming experience in C++, and a competence in Maths. This module is only offered on BSc Computer Games Software Engineering, year 1.
[edit] Course prerequisites
This module follows Northumbria (UK) CM403 Programming for Games 1
[edit] Time periods
The module is delivered over 12 weeks (one semester) with the following contact time each week
- Two 1-hour lectures
- One 2-hour lab session
[edit] Course Structure
[edit] Course description
This is an intermediate module of C++ programming, teaching directX programming and object-orientation
[edit] Course learning objectives
By the end of the module, students will be able to :
- To provide students with the principles, knowledge and skills to use predefined abstract data types and dynamic memory allocation in programs.
- To provide students with basic understanding of a suitable OO modelling notation that will allow them to draw the intended structure of an OO program.
- To provide students with knowledge and skills necessary to enable them to design and test computer programs in a high level language.
- To provide students with the knowledge and understanding required to move and animate images on a computer screen, using a suitable library.
[edit] Week by week topics
| Week | Topic | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction and classes. | |
| 2 | More on classes | |
| 3 | Even more classes. | |
| 4 | Pointers. | |
| 5 | Pointers + memory structures. | |
| 6 | 2D Engine | |
| 7 | Game loop | |
| 8 | Game entities | |
| 9 | Game programming. | |
| 10 | UML – Use cases. | |
| 11 | UML – Class diagrams | |
| 12 | Revision |
[edit] Course Materials & Facilities Used
Here you can link to and/or describe books and other materials you used for this course. Feel free to create new pages for each item here if a page for it does not yet exist.
Books
Programming and Problem Solving with C++ (Dale, Weems & Heddington)
Software (engines, tools)
Microsoft Developer Studio .NET as a C++ development environment.
Syllabus
- 10% Algorithms for using data files for storage - such as the use of character-delimited data files.
- 10% The use of predefined abstract data types in programs.
- 20% The software definition of simple abstract data types. (The creation of simple structs and classes, but without complex features, such as inheritance and dynamic binding.)
- 10% Dynamic memory allocation and its application in simple programming situations.
- 10% Debugging strategies and defensive programming.
- 10% OO notation - class diagrams & collaboration diagrams
- 10% Testing strategies - black and white box testing.
- 20% Algorithms for moving and animating images within a game loop.
Assessment strategy
Assessment is by exam.
Case studies
[edit] What worked
By now the students are spreading their programming wings, having a good foundation they learn to expand their repertoire of programming tools.
[edit] What didn't work
Some of the UML notation is a slightly odd fit in here.
| This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. |
