Validated by Amaya
This is the Syllabus for classroom sections and Open Campus (PCM) sections taught by Professor Baldwin.
Revised 02/27/10
The official web page for this course is GAME 1343
Instructor: Richard G.
Baldwin
Office Telephone:
512-223-4758
Office: NRG room 4238
Office Hours: Click here for an
online listing of office hours. Other times by appointment. Call the above
number or E-mail at any time.
Email address:
Baldwin@DickBaldwin.com
Schedule: See the published schedule for the beginning and ending dates of the semester.
Topics for the course:
This course will cover the following five chapters in the
textbook:
1. Getting Started
2. Fun with Sprites
3. User Input and Collision Detection
4. Applying Some Object-Oriented Design
5. Sound Effects and Audio (excluding XACT)
In addition, the course will cover 19 of the XNA Programming Tutorials that will be published by Prof. Baldwin here as the semester progresses.
Although the material from the five chapters of the textbook listed above will be covered in the course, the first chapter of the textbook assumes that you already have "a basic knowledge of the .NET Framework and C#."
While some of you may already have that knowledge, such knowledge is not a prerequisite for this course. Therefore, this course will need to help you attain that basic knowledge of C# and object-oriented programming (OOP) before we can apply that knowledge to the use of the XNA Game studio.
An understanding of OOP using C# is a necessary prerequisite for understanding the XNA Game Studio.
In case you have been wondering, that is the reason why we will only cover the first five chapters in the textbook.
The topics will be covered in the order given in the following list, which begins at a more fundamental level than the textbook.
Estimated Lecture and Lab Schedule
The following table shows the estimated lecture and lab schedule.
This schedule is subject to change as the semester progresses. The lecture and the lab are in the same room during the same time period. Time not spent on lecture will be dedicated to students completing their lab assignments.
| Week | Tutorial Number | Comments |
| 01 - 01/23/10 | 100 102 104 |
Getting Started What is C# and Why Should You Care? What is OOP and Why Should You Care? |
| 02 - 01/30/10 | 106 108 |
Encapsulation in C# Inheritance in C# |
| 03 - 02/06/10 | 110 | Polymorphism Based on Overloaded Methods in C# Lab Project # 1 due |
| 04 - 02/13/10 | 112 | Type Conversion, Casting, and Assignment Compatibility
in C# Lab Project # 2 due |
| 05 - 02/20/10 | 114 | Runtime Polymorphism Through Class Inheritance in C# |
| 06 - 02/27/10 | 116 | Runtime Polymorphism and the Object Class in C# Lab Project # 3 due |
| 07 - 03/06/10 | 118 | The XNA Framework and the Game Class |
| 08 - 03/13/10 | 120 | Moving Your Sprite and using the Debug Class Lab Project # 4 due |
| Spring Break | ||
| 09 - 03/27/10 | 122 | Frame Animation using a SpriteSheet |
| 10 - 04/03/10 | 124 | Using Background Images and Color Key Transparency Lab Project # 5 due |
| 11 - 04/10/10 | 126 | Using OOP - A Simple Sprite Class |
| 12 - 04/17/10 | 128 | Improving the Sprite Class Lab Project # 6 due |
| 13 - 04/24/10 | 130 | Collision Detection |
| 14 - 05/01/10 | 132 | A Simple Game Program with On-Screen Text Lab Project # 7 due |
| 15 - 05/08/10 | 134 | Adding Sound to the Game |
| 16 - 05/15/10 | 136 | Putting It All Together - A 2D Arcade-Style Game Exam Lab Project # 8 due |
Lab Project Schedule:
The lab projects must be completed and demonstrated to Professor
Baldwin's satisfaction in the lab not later than the end of the class/lab
period shown in the table above.
Exam Schedule:
The written exam must be completed not later than the end of the
class/lab period shown in the table above.
Course Description:
WECM: Game and simulation programming. Includes advanced
pointer manipulation techniques and pointer applications, points and vectors,
sound, and graphics.
ACC: Uses Microsoft C#/XNA Game Studio.
Prerequisite: COSC 1315 and GAME 1303 or departmental approval.
Course Text: See Materials and Facilities below.
Instructional Methodology: The course will have both lab and lecture.
Course Rationale:
Requirements: See the Requirements page.
Grade Policy: Your grade will be based both on concepts and practical application.
Grading Scale: Letter grades will be assigned as follows:Depending on the final scores of all the students taking the course, it is possible that a curve may be applied to the final grades before they are submitted for recording.
C#/XNA textbook:
Title: Learning XNA 3.0
By: Aaron Reed
Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Formats:
Print ISBN: 978-0-596-52195-0 | ISBN 10:0-596-52195-2
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-596-15691-6 | ISBN 10:0-596-15691-X
C#/XNA Game Studio online
resources:
In addition, you may need to consult various online resources for the XNA Game
Studio. (Various resources can be located using Google and I also have a
large list of useful resources on my website.)
Software:
It should not be necessary for you to purchase any software in order
to complete this course successfully. All of the software that you need should
either be available in the ACC lab at NRG, or is freely available for downloading
via the web.
Course Objectives/ Learning Outcomes:
WECM: Incorporate sound and graphics in
programs; develop programs that utilize 2D graphics; develop a basic 2D game;
and write programs using advanced pointer techniques and applications.
ACC: Learn how to write Object-Oriented Programs using C# and how to apply that knowledge to the Microsoft XNA Game Studio.
In addition, the student will either be introduced to, or will use the following concepts, which are important workforce activities:
Transfers:
Although it is technically possible for a student to transfer from one section
to another section of the same course, this process has caused many problems in
the past, and is not allowed unless the reasons for the transfer are
compelling. Students desiring to transfer between CIS/CSC courses must first
obtain permission from an Assistant Dean for CIS/CSC who will initiate the
paperwork. (Note, however, that I will allow you to informally transfer
between my in-class section and my distance-learning section of the same course
at any time during the semester in those semesters where both are
available.)
1 – Concept
2 – Application
3 – Advanced
Competencies not covered by this course are not listed.
| C1 | Time: Selects goal-relevant activities, ranks them, allocates time, and prepares and follows schedules. | 1 |
| C5 | Acquires and evaluates information. | 1 |
| C6 | Organizes and maintains information. | 1 |
| C7 | Interprets and communicates information. | 1 |
| C8 | Uses computers to process information. | 2 |
| C15 | Understands Systems: Knows how social, organizational, and technological systems work and operates effectively with them. | 1 |
| C16 | Monitors and Corrects Performance: Distinguishes trends, predicts impacts on system operations, diagnoses systems performance, and corrects malfunctions. | 1 |
| C18 | Selects Technology: Chooses procedures, tools, or equipment, including computers and related technologies. | 1 |
| C19 | Applies Technology to Task: Understands overall intent and proper procedures for setup and operation of equipment. | 2 |
| F1 | Reading: Locates, understands, and interprets written information in prose and in documents such as manuals, graphs, and schedules. | 2 |
| F3 | Arithmetic: Performs basic computations; uses basic numerical concepts such as whole numbers, etc. | 2 |
| F4 | Mathematics: Approaches practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical techniques. | 1 |
| F5 | Listening: Receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages and other cues. | 1 |
| F9 | Problem Solving: Recognizes problems and devises and implements plan of action. | 1 |
| F10 | Seeing Things in the Mind’s Eye: Organizes and processes symbols, pictures, graphs, objects, and other information. | 1 |
| F12 | Reasoning: Discovers a rule or principle underlying the relationship between two or more objects and applies it when solving a problem. | 1 |
| F13 | Responsibility: Exerts a high level of effort and perseveres towards goal attainment. | 1 |
Incomplete:
Here is the official information that I have received regarding Incomplete
grades:
A student may receive a temporary grade of "I" (Incomplete) at the end of the semester only if ALL the following conditions are satisfied:
To give you an idea of the gravity of the situation, I don't recall ever having given a student a temporary grade of "I" during my entire teaching career at ACC.
Freedom of Expression Policy:
It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views
of others when expressed in classroom discussions.
“Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their own thought, research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework”.
The penalty accessed for violations will be in accordance with the current ACC Student Handbook policy. See http://www.austincc.edu/ for more information.Attendance Policy:
The college policy states that students are expected to attend classes and will
be held responsible for all material covered in class. Regular attendance helps
ensure satisfactory progress towards completion of the course.
(Students enrolled in Open Campus classes are not expected to attend class. Prof. Baldwin does not call the roll and does not maintain an official record of attendance.)
Withdrawal Policy:
It is the student's responsibility to complete a Withdrawal Form in the
Admissions Office if they wish to withdraw from this class. The instructor may
withdraw students from this class if their absences exceed 10% of the total
number of class meetings. The last date to withdraw for this semester is
provided in the ACC Academic calendar for the semester in which the student is
enrolled. It is not the responsibility of the instructor to withdraw students
from the class even though the instructor has the prerogative to do so under
the above listed circumstances.
A grade of "W" will be automatically assigned if the student initiates a withdrawal through the Admissions and Records office, in accordance with the requirements of that office. If the student fails to complete the work and also fails to properly withdraw, a grade of A, B, C, D, or F will be assigned in accordance with the work that was completed.
ALERT: New state law for new
students:
No more than six course withdrawals throughout your undergraduate
education, regardless of how many colleges you attend. Apparently,
students who entered college before fall 2007 are not affected. Ask a
counselor for details.
Students with Disabilities
Policy:
“Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented
physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request
reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on
the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students
are encouraged to make this request three weeks before the start of the
semester. (Refer to the Current ACC Student Handbook)”
Testing Center Policy (Open Campus Sections
Only):
Visit the ACC web site at http://www.austincc.edu/. Select Search,
and then search for the keywords testing center.
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File: GAME1343Syl.htm