Undergrad
Courses Offered
ITGM 120 Introduction to Interactive Design and Game Development
This course begins to investigate visual and audio communication involving user actions, strategic design and the illusion of motion. Through individual approach and expression in traditional media, students experiment with the juxtaposition and sequence of design elements and imagery to develop a sense of artist-audience construct and consequence. Prerequisites: CMPA 110, DRAW 101.
ITGM 130 Digital Design Aesthetics
This course provides the foundation for visualizing and understanding the essential vocabularies, principles and concepts of design, color and visual literacy as applied to interactive digital work. Prerequisite: CMPA 110.
ITGM 240 Modeling, Materials and Lighting
Modeling techniques and aesthetic skills required to create, texture and light 3-D objects are explored. Through the use of industry standard 3-D software, students learn methods and procedures to create 3-D models efficiently and accurately. They also learn to create textures, shaders and materials for 3-D geometry. Students create visualizations in 3-D through real-world observations. Prerequisite: ITGM 130.
ITGM 241 Survey of Interactive Entertainment
This course chronicles the history and evolution of interactive and game design while reflecting on its immediacy through Internet and game culture trends. Students examine the social and artistic influences in computer mediated communications and game theory principles. Prerequisites: ARTH 110, CMPA 110.
ITGM 258 Modeling for Game Development
Students develop an understanding of 3-D, the principles of modeling, and video game aesthetics while exploring the creation of 3-D models specifically designed for integration into a game engine. Aesthetics, construction, communication, sculptural skills and quality of work are stressed. Prerequisite: ITGM 240.
ITGM 260 Interactive Design
This course focuses on the aesthetics of digital media elements and issues surrounding coherence in interactive environments. Students are introduced to authoring techniques and technologies as they learn how to create and develop basic projects for delivery on the World Wide Web and as stand-alone applications in which interactivity is the focus. Prerequisites: ITGM 120, ITGM 130.
ITGM 272 Video Game Industry Survey
This course chronicles the history and evolution of the video game industry, from its early beginnings in paper and war games to modern day next gen consoles. Students examine the industry’s growth, key players and companies, processes, controversies and career paths while reflecting on how each generation has influenced the next. Students examine the forces that shape the industry as well as the games it makes. Prerequisite: ITGM 120.
ITGM 300 Programming Interactivity for the Web
This course focuses on the basics of event-based programming. Projects relate to visual communication and computer graphics. Prerequisite: ITGM 260.
ITGM 303 Programming for Interactivity
This course introduces object-oriented programming techniques using a scripting language. This class builds upon the Interactive Design class, enabling students to develop projects that include complex interactive Web sites, experimental interactive work and online games. Prerequisite: ITGM 260.
ITGM 310 Animation for Games
In this course, students create character rigs and animation assets for games. Topics covered range from key frame animation and editing motion capture data to importing each student’s final animation into an existing game engine. Prerequisite: ANIM 250 or ITGM 258 or VSFX 210.
ITGM 315 C++ Programming I
In this course, students learn programming techniques and skills using C++. Students learn basic understanding of computer science concepts, awareness of different types of computer languages, use of a program-development environment, understanding of control structures, data structures, program logic, problem solving and object-oriented programming methodologies. Prerequisite: ANIM 250 or ITGM 240 or VSFX 210.
ITGM 320 Procedural Effects for Games
This course focuses on MEL (Maya Embedded Language) scripting skills and techniques that are applied to 3-D models and environments. Scripting commands, data types, variables and arrays are covered as practiced in the game design industry. Using industry standard methodologies, students use professional techniques and practices to explore, discuss and critique. Prerequisite: ANIM 250 or ITGM 240 or VSFX 210.
ITGM 333 Sculptural Texturing for Games
This course focuses on the creation of complex organic models, 2-D and 3-D textures for use in video game development. Traditional 2-D photo editing, painting software and 3-D painting and sculpting applications are combined to provide maximum emphasis on art, mood, and extreme detail. Additional techniques relating to the use of complex systems within available hardware constraints also are discussed. In this course students explore, discuss and participate in critiques related to professional methodologies, techniques and practices. Results-oriented techniques are emphasized. Prerequisite: ITGM 240 or ANIM 250 or VSFX 210.
ITGM 345 3-D for the Web
This course explores current opportunities for artists to utilize 3-D on the World Wide Web. Students become familiar with current developments in this field and to learn a range of software options. Projects explore a variety of possibilities for 3-D interactive design and other issues. Prerequisite: ITGM 260.
ITGM 352 Environment and Level Design
As the visual quality and expectations of digital games increases so does the need for better art direction. By focusing on issues such as art direction methodologies, visual complexity, framing, modularity, and a solid art pipeline, students design and create visually affective and highly detailed game oriented environments. Prerequisite: ITGM 240.
ITGM 353 Interactive Web Design
Key concepts of Web design are presented through a series of technical and design workshops. Students are introduced to the latest authoring and animation software and learn how to apply their knowledge of the software to create dynamic and exciting Web designs. Prerequisite: ITGM 260 or BCST 235.
ITGM 355 Animation for the Web
This studio course concentrates on how to produce animations for publication on the Internet. Through the use of Macromedia Flash software, students produce both traditional story-based cartoons and interactive animated Web pages. Prerequisite: ITGM 260.
ITGM 359 Real Time Cinematics for Games
A cinematic artist in the game industry is responsible for creating real-time cinematics, one of the main devices for delivering a narrative in today’s story-driven games. This course covers topics such as scripted events and other technical issues along with the fundamental concepts of cinematography, in order to guide students in developing work for their portfolios. Prerequisite: ITGM 352.
ITGM 360 Interactive Game Project
Students design and develop games, Web sites and interactive media through a series of technical and design workshops. The course explores intermediate and advanced technical and conceptual aspects of design and development for group-based games and interactive projects. Prerequisite: ITGM 303.
ITGM 363 Video for New Media
This course covers contemporary trends and the inclusion of video in new media environments. Students use current technology to shoot, digitize and efficiently incorporate clips into interactive pieces. The foundations of video, including technical and aesthetic issues, are also explored. Prerequisite: ITGM 353.
ITGM 364 Scripting for Games
In this course students write scripts for a current game engine in order to alter its existing functionality as well as create new interactive elements. Ultimately, students learn to create what the industry calls an engine modification (MOD). Prerequisites: ITGM 303, ITGM 352.
ITGM 367 Interactive Story Spaces
Interactive Story Spaces focuses on the study, design and production of non-linear story experiences. Students investigate the recent history of interactive storytelling to develop an understanding of the important principles of non-linear storytelling and then apply this knowledge to collaboratively design and produce a interactive story installation. Sequential art, literature and digital and non-digital games are all studied and in turn included in the final installation project. Prerequisite: ITGM 120.
ITGM 390 Multidisciplinary Media Applications
This creative, exploratory course uses multiple techniques to provide 2-D, 3-D and interactive content for use in online or interactive productions, video games, virtual set design, broadcast, visual effects and architectural visualization. Image-based modeling and image-based lighting techniques are also covered. Prerequisite: ITGM 260.
ITGM 402 Game Design Criticism and Analysis
This course exposes students to the fundamental issues of game design and analysis through readings, writings, group discussions, and critiques of current digital and non-digital games. Students form a vocabulary to discuss and analyze each game’s successes and failures with respect to rules and narratives. Through in-class exercises and outside assignments, students create new rules for existing games as well as develop new designs demonstrating applied principles. Prerequisite: ITGM 352.
ITGM 403 Information and Interfaces
This course focuses on information structure, the interactive design process, delivery and designing visual interfaces. Students develop a conceptual framework for real-world applications, exploring issues from the industry, art and society. Prerequisite: ITGM 303.
ITGM 405 Interactive Design and Game Development Studio I
Students apply their skills to creating a workable interactive project or video game in a simulated professional environment. Topics include content creation within a limited-resource environment. The course emphasizes production-oriented goals in order to provide students with a professional skill set and a body of fine art. Prerequisite: ITGM 402 or ITGM 403.
ITGM 410 Mobile Games Development
Students in this course use industry standard tools to build games for mobile devices such as PDAs and mobile phones. Interface design issues, user input for mobile devices and programming for mobile devices are covered. Prerequisite: ITGM 303.
ITGM 415 C++ Programming II
In this course, students learn advanced program design methodologies, object-oriented design and programming techniques using C++. Students learn to build complex applications by developing re-usable and modular code. Prerequisite: ITGM 315.
ITGM 420 Creativity for Algorithms
This course focuses on the use of programming techniques to create works of art and design. By learning to experiment with algorithmic structures and applied mathematics, students develop methods for creating unique graphic patterns, forms and real-time motion of graphical elements, while taking advantage of the computer’s ability to process event instructions. Interactive (user-based) systems are explored. Prerequisite: ITGM 355.
ITGM 440 Physical Computing
This course explores nontraditional input devices to create interactive user experiences. In addition to the technical, aesthetic and conceptual concerns of this art form, the class assesses the work of a range of artists. Students develop concepts, experiments and prototypes for self-contained interactive objects in immersive environments. Prerequisite: ITGM 260.
ITGM 465 Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II
Students work in a collaborative, simulated professional environment to address issues including content creation in a group dynamic, strategic planning, goal-oriented planning, and game theory and design. This course provides students with a significant amount of professional-quality material for portfolio inclusion. Prerequisite: ITGM 405.
ITGM 480 Professional Production Practices
As an advanced production class, students gain experience on professional practices and procedures used by major game studios. Students work with workbooks, style sheets and reference materials provided by a major game design studio. Students build art assets required for in-game placement in a commercial game title, which feeds directly into the studio’s production pipeline. This is a collaborative effort between the professional studio and students.
ITGM 489 Programming Dynamic Web Sites
The Common Gateway Interface, or CGI, is the standard for external gateway programs, such as Web browsers, that interface with information servers that power the Internet. A CGI program, as opposed to a static, plain Internet document such as a regular HTML Web page, is executed in real time so that it can output dynamic information. This course examines different techniques for creating scripts that output variable Internet data based on user input or other external factors. Prerequisite: ITGM 353.
ITGM 490 Interactive Design and Game Development Portfolio
This course focuses on integrating imagery, Web sites, video and various elements into an interactive portfolio. Concepts, cross-platform developments and issues concerning aesthetics, interface design and use of media are addressed. Students collect relevant material and produce a CD/DVD/Web-based portfolio, packaging for portfolio, résumés, cover letter, business card, flat-book portfolio and optional VHS-based material. Prerequisite: ITGM 465.
ITGM 495 Special Topics in Interactive Design and Game Development
The topic of this course varies from quarter to quarter. Each seminar focuses on various problems in the field of interactive design and game development and allows advanced students to pursue individual or collaborative projects related to the topic of the course. Prerequisites: Vary according to topic.