1. DGMD E-70 Principles of Game Design
LESSON #11: Digital Playtesting & Introduction to Character Animation with Mecanim

2. 1. Digital Prototype Testing/Sharing 3. Unity 3D Animation Pipeline:
TODAY:
1. Digital Prototype Testing/Sharing
2. Team Meetings
3. Unity 3D Animation Pipeline:
Animation Clips, State Machine,
Components, and GameObject -parenting.

3. PART 1: DIGITAL PLAYTESTING
SET UP (10 minutes):
Teams Choose Tables
Set up game digital prototype on 3 laptops.
Decide initial Observers (1-2) and Players.
Discuss: 1-3 points/instructions to share with visiting players? Write them down!

4. PART 1: DIGITAL PLAYTESTING
PLAYTEST ROUND #1 (20 minutes):
Observers stay to manage playtest, Players find other games to play.
If team chose 1-3 instructions, give them.
Players attempt to play prototype (5-10 min). Observers take notes!
Players fill out questionnaire (5 minutes).
Time permitting, discuss answers.

5. PART 2: TEAM MEETING (10 minutes):
Convene at your team table to discuss observations and questionnaire answers.
Discuss Production goals for the next week (next top priority Backlog items, potentially influenced by tester experience/ observations) and divide work equitably.

6. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE:

7. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE:
PNG textures
and Reference
Image

8. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE:
2. Reference
Plane

9. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE:
2. Reference
Plane

10. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE:
2. Reference
Plane

11. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 3. MODEL: Mesh Tools/ Create Poly Tool

12. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 3. MODEL: Multi-Cut Quads

13. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 3. MODEL: Select faces and Extrude: front and back

14. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 3. MODEL: Select depth Edges, get ring, Connect and Scale

15. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: Create Blinn Material and Apply to object.

16. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: Open Create UVs/ Planar Mapping Option Box

17. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: Project on Z axis

18. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: Planar Map Surrounds Object.

19. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: Open Window/ UV Texture Editor.

20. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: RightClickHold to select UVs…

21. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: …Scale and Move…

22. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: …to fit Meeple front view.

23. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: DoubleClick the center line and hit Separate in UV Texture Editor.

24. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: RightClick to choose UVs/ UV Shell, and select back half.

25. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
CREATE MEEPLE: 4. TEXTURE: Move back half to the right, hit Flip UVs.

26. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
ANIMATE MEEPLE:
5. Select object
and hit [s] to
add keyframes.
Turn on Auto
Keymode Toggle,
change time and
transform object
To set more frames.

27. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
ANIMATE MEEPLE:
5. 3 motions:
Idle (10-40)
Walk(50-70)
Jump(80-100) .

28. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
EXPORT MEEPLE:
6. File/Export
Selection

29. PART 3: 3D Animation Production:
EXPORT MEEPLE:
6. Turn on Bake Animation.
In advanced options set version to
FBX 2011.
Export!

30. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipline:
SET-UP:
Create Ground Plane or Box.
2. Add Directional Light (with shadows) and Point Light to illuminate space.
IMPORT MEEPLE:
Add the FBX
and PNG to the Project.
2. Add the Mesh
to the Hierarchy

31. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
Select Project FBX, in Inspector define clips for three motions.

32. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
In the Project, RightClick to create a
a New Animator Controller.
Add to Hierarchy mesh

33. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
DoubleClick Animator in Project to open State Machine.

34. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
Drag Animation Clips from Project into Machine

35. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
Add parameters: Bool “walk” and Trigger “jump”

36. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
Add components: Physics/Rigidbody, Physics/Box Collider, C# Script

37. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
Add components: Physics/Rigidbody, Physics/Box Collider, C# Script
Do NOT add them directly to the Animated Mesh! The result will be an object that always returns to the origin.

38. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
Instead, create a new Empty Game Object, locate at the origin, and add all 3 Components.

39. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
Then move the Animated Mesh to the origin and parent it under the Empty GameObject.

40. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
Be sure that the script reference to the Animator in the script refers to the child!:
void Start(){
anim = gameObject.GetComponentInChildren<Animator>(); }

41. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
To play the animation, use if statements and refer to the animator’s parameters:
if (Input.GetKey ("w")) {
anim.SetBool ("walk", true);
rigidbody.velocity += transform.forward * speed; }
else if (Input.GetKey("space")){
anim.SetTrigger("jump");
rigidbody.AddForce (Vector3.up * JumpSpeed);

42. PART 4: Unity Animation Pipeline:
… and don’t forget to end the animation AND velocity:
else {
anim.SetBool ("walk", false);
rigidbody.velocity = new Vector3(0, rigidbody.velocity.y, 0); }

43. Production Scheduling: Course Milestones
Due Week 8: Paper Prototypes: “Fun”
Due Week 9: Digital Prototypes: “Quantity.”
Due Week 11: Full Playable Prototypes: “User Clarity.”
Due Week 12: Revised prototypes: “Fun.”
Due Week 14: Prototype Complete: Multiple levels populated, bugs fixed, full Art and Audio.
Final Presentations: Playable Game and Marketing materials: Trailer, Website, Press Release, Icon.

44. Due Next Week:
HOMEWORK #11: A FUN Game: 4th Digital Prototype with revised play, more levels, some more art, & audio
TEAMS:
Divide Unity/Art/Audio production equitably.
Meet with your team at least twice to discuss progress, solve problems, and consolidate build.
Test clarity with at least two NEW players.
Submit fourth digital build to class next week.
Individually: Progress Report #4: Submit typed page: What you agreed to produce, what you accomplished, self-evaluation/related screenshots.

45. Have an Phenomenal Week!
And don’t forget to us with questions: Instructor: JASON WISER Available an hour after class and daily .