Unity Expert Gameplay Programmer Certification Courseware
Unity Expert Gameplay Programmer Certification Courseware
MP4 | Video: AVC 1920 x 1080 | Audio: AAC 48 KHz 2ch | Duration: 07:50:07 | 29 GB
Genre: eLearning | Language: English
Estimated 10 hours of video instruction
Overview
This series of courses help prepare you to take the Expert Gameplay Programmer Certification exam, and covers six topics areas distributed over five lessons. These topics include Rapid Gameplay Prototyping and Unity Services Implementation; NPC Design programming and User Interface Implementation; Level Design Programming and Performance Optimization. The format of these courses are project and activity based and participants will need to feel comfortable individually programming a game in Unity. Participants will be challenged with a series of realistic programming problems in Unity video-game projects, the kind true gameplay programming experts face every day. Each challenge is inspired by one or more of the topics covered in the exam.
Description
This course is exam preparation for Unity's Expert Gameplay Programmer Certification Exam. This course will challenge you with a series of realistic programming problems in Unity video-game projects, inspired by one or more of the topics covered in the Expert Gameplay Programmer Exam. Throughout this course, you will work on a 2D "infinite platformer" game project and 3D "Dual-Stick Survivor" game project. This will help you practice prototyping core gameplay mechanics, including scripting GameObjects and their components, coordinating UI systems, and implementing UI scripting. This will also include configuring GameObject physics, spawning Prefabs, designing level logic and behavior, scripting animation systems and events, and working with in-game cinematics.
Throughout this course, you will learn Unity Services Implementation techniques, including: streamlining your project management with Unity Cloud Build, monetization with Unity Ads and in-app purchases, and Unity Analytics. By the end of this course, you will implement in-app purchases for a 3D "Dual-Stick Survivor" game project.
About the Instructor
Unity Technologies is the creator of the worlds most widely used real-time 3D (RT3D) development platform, giving developers around the world the tools to create rich, interactive 2D, 3D, VR and AR experiences. Our 1000 person engineering team keeps Unity at the bleeding-edge of technology by working alongside partners such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Oculus to ensure optimized support for the latest releases and platforms. Experiences made with Unity reach nearly 3 billion devices worldwide, and were installed 24 billion times in the last 12 months. Unity is powering RT3D in architecture, automotive, construction, engineering, film, games, and more.
By successfully completing the projects in all four courses, participants will have had extensive, guided practice in the programming skills needed to pass the Unity Expert Gameplay Programmer exam.
Skill Level
Advanced
What You Will Learn
Interpret Game Design Document to determine basic game functionality
Build a prototype to illustrate basic game functionality
Identify conflicts and solutions during prototype stage to improve game play
Enable ads in the game to demonstrate knowledge of Unity Services
Demonstrate knowledge of NPC logic and behavior
Demonstrate knowledge of animation behavior systems
Develop a HUD to demonstrate knowledge of UI coordinate systems
Create an options menu to demonstrate knowledge of user interface scripting
Create a basic game world level to demonstrate knowledge of level design
Add characters to your level
Demonstrate knowledge of gameplay debugging
Demonstrate knowledge of platform optimization
Who Should Take This Course
Primary: Game Developers seeking extensive, guided practice in the programming skills needed to pass Gameplay Programmer Expert Certification
Course
Requirements
Prerequisites: 2-3 years of experience developing games with Unity with advanced programming skills, particularly in the C# language
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Gameplay Programmer Specialization
The Expert Gameplay Programmer Exam
Course 1: Rapid Gameplay Programming
Core Gameplay Prototyping
Understanding What the GDD Wants
Converting the GDD to Unity
Let the User Move
Refining User Control
Getting the Basics Set Up for the Most Basic NPC
Inheritance and Polymorphism
A Zoo for NPCs
User Interface Coordinate Systems
Overlay, Camera, and the World
UI Coordinate Systems
What does the GDD Require?
Static Aspect Ratios
Dynamic Aspects Ratios
Configuring What Can be Hit
Masking the Graphic Raycaster
UI Scripting
What's important to the User
Any Feedback is Better Than None
Testing Through the UI
Adding a Mini-Map
Adding a Radar: Part 1
Adding a Radar: Part 2
The UI Profiler and Frame Debugger
UI Optimizations
Identifying Localization Needs: Part 1
Identifying Localization Needs: Part 2
Localization Implementation
Conflict and Solutions During Prototype
Defining Failure and Success
Making the Computer Provide Useful Feedback
On Paper
Course 2: Programming for Level Design
Introduction
Configuring Physics
Collider Types and Configuration
Choosing the Best Collider for the Job
RigidBodies and Colliders
Rigidbody Performance
Kinematic Rigidbodies
OnTrigger Configurations
OnCollision Configurations
Physics Mask Groupings
Physic Material Properties
Spawning Runtime Prefabs and Effects
When and Why to Spawn Objects
When and Why Not to Spawn Objects
Spawn Rates and Performance Impact
Reliable Particle Effect Placement
Dynamic Particle Effect Spawning
Evaluating Effects for Spawning and Placement
Dynamically Altering Wind Zones
Line Renderers
Trail Renderer
Level Logic and Behaviour
Triggered Interactions
Bringing Gameplay Together
Our Mighty Gameplay Overlord of Scene Management
Orchestrating Chaos
Loading and Unloading Scenes
Loading Scenes
Unloading Scenes
Steaming Limits
Cinematics
In-Engine Cinematic Parameters- Part 1
In-Engine Cinematic Parameters- Part 2
Cinematic Post Effects
When, Why, and at What Cost?
Course 3: NPC Design Programming
Course Introduction
NPC Logic and Behavior
Animation State Machines
Driving States Via Scripts
Animation Events
Adding State Machine Behaviors
Mapping NPC Logic
Scripting Logic into an NPC
Mapping Mob Mentality
Navigation and Pathfinding
NavMesh Methodology
Baking a Quality NavMesh
NavMesh Area Costs
Area Triggers
Off Mesh Links
Obstacle Avoidance Quality and Priority
Raycasting
Raycast Behavior
Debugging Raycast Masks
Optimizing Raycasts via Layers
NPC Spawning and Placement
Determining NPCs for Placement at Scene Load
Where to Dynamically place NPCs
Determining NPC Spawn Rates
Optimizing Spawn Rates per Platform
Course 4 Performance Optimization
Introduction
Rendering Optimization
Occlusion Culling
Optimizing Performance via Occlusion Culling
LOD Methodology
Evaluating LOD Distances
Analyzing Fill Rates
Rendering-Best Practices
Minimizing Frame Drops
Asset Bundles
Asset Bundle Strategies
Determining Optimal Configurations
Identifying Issues
Providing Asset Bundle Solutions
Using Asset Bundles
Gameplay Debugging
General Debugging Strategies
General Debugging Techniques
Isolating Level Issues
NPC Debugging
Isolating Scene Loading and Transition Issues
Finding the Best Solution
Low-Hanging Fruit
Game Killers
Platform Constraints
Platform Input/Controller Schemas
Platform System Resources
Optimizing Runtime Performance per Platform
Optimizing Storage per Platform
Platform Constraints
Platform Optimization
Using the Profiler
Managing your Short-term Memory
Long-term Memory Use
Hidden CPU Taxes
Assessing Capabilities per Platform
Targeting Build Targets
Course 5: Unity Services Implementation
Introduction
Unity's Ads
Simple Ad Placement
Simple Ads and the Player Experience
Supplementing Scene Loading with Ads
Rewarded Ad Placement
Rewarded Ads and Player Experience
Enhancing the Player Experience with Rewarded Ads
In App Purchases
Enabling an In App Purchases Store
Processing In App Purchases
Post Purchase
UI Elements for In App Purchases
Implementing an In App Purchase
Unity Analytics
Unity Analytics
Translating GDD Level Design to Data Collection Points
Custom Data Events for Player Behavior
Heatmap Data
Identifying User Pain Points from Heatmap Data
Using the Dashboard for Evaluating Analytics
Evaluating Analytics Raw Data
Performance Reporting
Analyzing Performance Reports
Unity Cloud Build
Setting up Cloud Build
Test Build Logs
Assessing your Target Build Platforms
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