As i’m a great fan of blender, and use it for almost one year and an half, but still considerate myself a roockie. Made some basic modelling, basic animation, basic use of the compositor and basic video editing in the sequencer.
Now i would like to try the blender engine (basic hehe), but the issue is not how learn it, i’ve made some experiments myself, but now i was asked to teach ‘how to make 3d games in blender’ but my learning curve is not the same as ‘the ones new to blender’.
So i ask for some advice how to achieve my goal. I started introducing them to python and making small programs, now im divided in making small games in pyhton first or explore with them the ‘Basic knowledge of the BGE Logic Brick system’ (and then the python-blender-related-syntax).
With Blender it is essential to introduce the logic bricks first. Because all logic is based on logic bricks.
The use of Python is part of it.
Without an understanding how the logic bricks work (within the game loop) it is difficult to set up the right logic regardless if Python is involved or not.
I suggest to explain how
when and how sensors are evaluated and what the result is (see sensors)- when controllers are evaluated/executed what the result of that is (check the wiki.blender.org)
and when and how long actuators are executed and what effects they produce.
Then you can go to the specific details of a Python controller. Keep in mind this is not just a controller as it acts as actuator as well (and breaks the whole Sensor-Controller-Actuator concept).
Yeah, like Monster said, you probably should start off with logic bricks. The first games they could make in Blender could be a simple ‘move the sphere around, grab a key, and open the door’ kind of game using logic bricks. After this, you could expand on the game by introducing concepts like teleportation or flipping a switch to send a message to another object, and then use the Python to realize these concepts. Then you could use meshes with armatures, or 2D sprites instead of just the cube, to help expand upon that Python, and so forth.
I did as you said, introduced then into the blender interface (made some house and random objects).
Then moved into the simple armatures to make basic animations.
After that gone to the logic bricks to achieve some basic goals (rotate objects, play animations and sounds, collect coins, open doors,…)
In python scripting made some basic AI (still did not reach a*star but i would really enjoy that ^^)
Here some examples of that result:
Ill will post here some the games they will create
Aha - that’s an interesting pacman game. Nice model and texturing - the Chain Chomps are well done, too. Did students make that, or is that the course?
The course is all about programming languages but after that we are free to choose the path, i sugested them BGE and show then some games to motivate them.
Till the end of July they have to make simple games using:
-create/import low poly meshes
-correct use of textures -> uv/unrap
-simple menus (to change between scenes)
-costumized mouses
-low poly mesh with armatures (for simple actions/animations - to use wih logicbricks)
-simple tasks (collect itens, open doors, paralyse objects (player-n-enemy), simple movements, …)
-use a simple AI
As well of develop a simple story for each game resulting in an objective
Show all the games to the local comunity, namely younger students, open their eyes into the open surce software.
