Unity: Next Level Game Visuals

Name: Unity: Next Level Game Visuals
Rating: 4.7 (20 reviews)

Learn a suite simple techniques that will allow you to transform the look of your game graphics

Highest Rated

Last updated 8/2018

English

What you'll learn

Be equipped with the knowledge and practical experience to use a range of simple, yet powerful, techniques to dramatically improve game visuals
Understand the terminology used when rendering textures onto game objects
Create your own height and normal maps, to simulate surface detail on a game object (rivets, scratches, seams etc.)
Create seamless textures
Understand tiling and offsetting of textures to achieve more realistic visuals; use simple code to randomize tiling and offset values to reduce the appearance of repeating textures
Understand the benefits and limitations of all the techniques introduced in this course and where they can be applied
Provide you with the suite of techniques to equip you with the confidence to take the 'next steps' in your journey of creativity

5 sections • 16 lectures • 2h 51m total length

Why Buy this Course?1:03
Why you would part with your hard earned cash and invest in this course? Hopefully answered.
Introduction and Course Overview2:41
A quick look at the format of the course and how to get the best from it.
Setting up your Software Applications3:23
How to get the software needed for the course, including some free alternatives to Photoshop
Faking the Detail - This Course in a Nutshell5:26

An Image Primer21:17
A foundation for the remainder of the course that introduces some of the terminology.
Images: Test your Understanding
Textures, Materials, Shaders and more....13:09
How all these different components relate and interact with each other
Textures, Materials & Shaders: Test Your Understanding
Height Maps and Normal Maps Explained18:08
The theory behind what height maps and normal maps actually are and what they can do for us.
Height Maps and Normal Maps: Test your Understanding
Using an Atlas to Explain Tiling and Offset10:46
The use of tiling and offset is often overlooked but they can be a powerful tool.
Tiling and Offset: Test your Understanding

Your First Height Map and Normal Map12:07
A quick practical session in creating you first Height Map and Normal Map: Start to Finish
4 More Examples19:31
Introducing some more techniques for producing Height Maps and Normal Maps
Height Maps and Normal Maps from Scratch21:18
A couple more examples of creating Normal and height maps but this time without manipulating the base texture
Online Map Generator4:43
For those who don't have access to Photoshop and also those who do but want to do more.

Working knowledge of the free, personal version, of Unity (We will be using a small amount of C# but no programming knowledge is required)
Working knowledge of Photoshop or other similar image editing application. Free alternatives to Photoshop are presented in the course
This is a beginners course so don't worry I'll walk you through all that you need to know

By the end of this course you will be able to

Understand the theory behind diffuse maps, height maps and normal maps
Create your own height maps and normal maps from textures that will quickly and simply transform the look of your game graphics
Understand the relationship between textures, materials and shaders
Express your creativity without needing to be an artist
Create your own seamless textures
Understand tiling and offset in order to correctly display textures on game objects
Understand the concept of an texture atlas

Hopefully, along the way, having fun; equipped and inspired to independently explore your own techniques beyond the boundaries of the course

Anyone who wants to have fun by making your game graphics more realistic
Those who want to express their creativity in games (but don't worry you do not need to be artistic - I'm not!)
Anyone wanting to learn the techniques to create and modify base textures, height maps and normal maps
Anyone wanting to increase the principles and underlying knowledge of textures, materials, height maps & normal maps; what they are and how they work
Game designers who may want to create their own graphical content rather than rely on others or purchases from the Unity Asset Store
Anyone wanting to create their own unique materials for fun or profit (Unity Asset Store and other market places)