I'm interested in getting a group together to learn video game creation. I've been playing with Unity 3D but I know there are others available, like CryEngine. I'm not averse to using any particular one, I'm just more familiar with Unity. I'm not very good at it yet, but I'm slowly working my way through the big Essentials book. I haven't created any characters so far, just buildings and landscapes. I've found my weakness is coding, but I'm great at modeling. If anyone is interested in swapping my modeling skills with their coding skills, or just learning together, drop me a line or post up here.

I've been using Revit and AutoCAD to do most of my modeling, and 3DS Max to port through the FBX files with the materials and then fine tuning in Unity. I have access to all of the needed software and a few books, I can't loan any of my modelnig software, other than the AutoCAD license I'm donating to the HF, but Unity is FREE.

My goal is twofold; be able to create a marketable game and also to be able to quickly generate live walk-thrus from 3D content (ie. buildings created in Revit/AutoCAD). If we actually make a game that we can sell I'd propose all proceeds be donated to the HF.


Jon

Unity 4.0 just released today (11/14) so I'm looking forward to exploring it's new functionality (just downloaded it). If you are interested in game development there is a local twin cities chapter of the IGDA (International Game Developers Association) that meets monthly on the 2nd Wednesday of the month in the Nerditorium at the Nerdery office at 9555 James Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55341. That is tonight (11/14 @ 6PM) actually. Definitely the crowd that likes to talk about game engines. The Nerdery brings in Papa Johns pizza during the socializing before the presentations start. There are a lot of indie developers and artists that attend and swap skills. It is usually a good time and some people go out for drinks afterwards.

Here is an EventBright link for this month's meeting if you are interested. I won't be at open house tonight because of that meeting.

- Doug

I have no code or model skill but i can qa and bug report and have much hardware for testing.

Thanks Doug,

I'll definitely check them out. Last night was at the HF, but maybe next month I'll try and make it down there... if I don't get called in for bowling league. My wednesdays just got a whole lot busier.

I downloaded my copy of Unity 4 last night when I got home. I was a bit surprised when I tried to loacate one of my projects and the open dialog box didn't recognize any of my project folders as containing a valid project. Double clicked them in explorer and it converted them just fine, but still it was a bit unnerving for a second.

I am happy to see that the system requirements haven't really changed. Nice to know that I could run it on a laptop if I had to. I tried running it on my old 1Ghz netbook when I went on vacation this past summer, I don't recommend it. (I think my phone has more processing power.)

Jon

IGDA-TC isn't meeting in December but the Ludum Dare 25 game making competition is supposed to be happening the weekend of December 14. Maybe we could compete as a team from HF.


About Ludum
Ludum Dare is a quarterly accelerated game development Event. Participants develop games from scratch in a weekend, based on a theme suggested by community.
Ludum Dare was founded by Geoff Howland, and held it’s first competition in April of 2002. Since then the community has run more than 24 regular Events, several dozens of practice competitions, collectively creating many thousands of games in just a weekend each.

That sounds interesting, I'll check it out. Mind you, I'm a very novice game developer and though I'm good at reading code I'm not very good at writing it. I can come up with some great ideas though.

Sorry to come late to this thread. The best way to learn is to jump in head first, consider competing in Ludum Dare, a 48 hour solo game competition:

Ludum Dare 25 — December 14th-17th, 2012
http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/

There will be a lot of Unity entries, and since all source must be made available for each entry, it is a great opportunity to see how people make games.

I have entered LD a few times now, but I'm doing 2D or 2.5D Java/Processing, not 3D stuff.

Well, I've installed the Unity 4.0 engine on my home computer, viewed some web-based demos and tutorials, and played around with it a bit. Not getting very far yet. I haven't done any game development whatsoever, but I'm interested in educational simulations and Unity seems an ideal platform for a newbie like me to start.

I plan to install it on my laptop soon too. Maybe those interested can get together sometime, share notes, and get me a little further along?

I'd be interested in joining forces and learning this together and comparing notes. I've picked up quite a bit about importing/exporting models from Revit or AutoCAD and some MAX but I haven't really played with the software enough to say I'm proficient and know what I'm doing. I'm not sure my experience would make it worth going to the local IGDA meetups, that and my Weds are booked either at the HF or the bowling league.

I have Unity 4.0 as well, but my time has been eaten up by my RepRap which should be out of the way shortly. I did work through a lot of the big essentials book in 3.5 but it's been a month or 2 since I've even looked at it so I'd need to review my notes.

Just a FYI,

There is a Global Game Jam event happening January 25 to 27, 2013 at the Nerdery in Bloomington, being hosted by the local IGDA chapter.

I did this last year. It is basically a 48-hour event where you try to create a game from scratch to finish in 48 hours based on a concept revealed at the start of the event. Can form teams. Not limited to computer games. Kind of like Ludum Dare.

It would be nice if there was a 48-hour Hack-a-thon/Fest thing like this that makerspaces could compete in.

- Doug