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Course Outline

SGD230 Game Art: Virtual Environments

Course Coordinator:Jake Fitzakerley (jfitzakerley@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2026Trimester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

This course provides a strong foundation in the concepts and practices associated with the creation of immersive 3D worlds for games, virtual production, virtual reality and augmented reality. Creating 3D virtual environments requires an understanding of the skills and knowledge associated with real-time production and asset creation for use in real-time 3D engines. You will design, develop and critique a 3D virtual environment, acquiring both the theoretical and the practical knowledge and skills required.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled face to face workshops. 2hrs Week 1 12 times
Online
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled online workshops (Recorded). 2hrs Week 1 12 times

Course Topics

  • Ideation - Concept Development
  • Level Planning and Design
  • 3D Modelling for Real-Time
  • Texturing for Real-Time
  • Terrain Creation
  • Environment Detail
  • Environment Lighting and Sound
  • Particles and Post Processing
  • Optimsation and Future Environments

What level is this course?

200 Level (Developing)

Building on and expanding the scope of introductory knowledge and skills, developing breadth or depth and applying knowledge and skills in a new context. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally, undertaken in the second or third full-time year of an undergraduate programs.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Describe and explain the technical, creative and aesthetic decision making processes associated with the design process to a technical audience. Creative and critical thinker
2 Reflect on how an audience would perceive the assets in a real-time application, in terms of ethical issues. Ethical
3 Critically reflect on practice during the design and creation of an immersive virtual environment Empowered
4 Apply 2D or 3D design skills to create assets useful in 3D digital environments. Empowered

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Not applicable

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

It is assumed that a student will know how to Polygon Model in Blender, Maya, or 3D Studio Max.

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

In each workshop, feedback is given to each student when they show their progress of their assessments to the tutor.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece Individual 30% 
1,000 words
 Week 4 Online Submission
All 2 Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece Individual 30% 
1,000 words
 Week 9 Online Submission
All 3 Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece Individual 40% 
1,000 words
 Week 12 Online Submission
All - Assessment Task 1:Virtual Environment preparation A
Goal: 
This task is designed to model the industry practice of the production of virtual environments and assets. You will produce an environment style guide, design blueprint, and library of assets used within the environment.
Product: Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
This task has 3 key parts: 
a) You will create a blueprint and prototype of the "master map" of your entire Virtual Environment. 
b) You will plan, model (3D) or draw (2D) a Library of Assets used in the Virtual Environment.
c) You will write a reflective report that discusses your design and thinking processes. The report template can be found on Canvas.

Across all our Creative Industries undergraduate programs, we are collecting data for assurance of learning purposes. This task is being used for measurement. The following program competency will be assessed: Sustainable, future-focussed careers.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Quality of design.
 1 4
2 
Creative and aesthetic choices.
 1 4
3 
Consistency - all assets of equal quality.
 4
4 
Description of decision making processes.
 1 3
5 
Technical language used and clarity of writing.
 1 2 3 4
6 
Ethical considerations on audience.
 2
Generic Skills: 

                        

                    

                

                

                    

                        

                            
                                All - Assessment Task 2:Virtual Environment preparation B
                            
                        

                        

                            Goal:
                            
This task further develops your environment that you designed for preparation A. You will design and develop assets for use within your environment.

                        

                        

                            Product:
                            Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece
                        

                        

                            Authorship Statement:
                            
                        

                        

                            Format:
                            
This task has 3 parts: a) You will design create and UV map/texture assets. b) You will prepare and export your Library of Assets for game-engine use. c) You will write a reflective report that discusses your design and thinking processes. The report template can be found on Canvas.

                        

                        

                            Criteria:
                            
                                

                                    
                                        

                                            No.
                                            
                                            Learning Outcome assessed
                                        

                                    
                                    
                                            

                                                1
                                                
Creative and aesthetic choices

                                                
                                                        1
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                2
                                                
Consistency - all assets of equal quality

                                                
                                                        4
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                3
                                                
All assets prepared to technical specifications

                                                
                                                        4
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                4
                                                
Description of decision making processes

                                                
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                5
                                                
Technical language used and clarity of writing.

                                                
                                                        1
                                                        2
                                                        3
                                                        4
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                6
                                                
Ethical considerations on audience

                                                
                                                        2
                                                
                                            

                                    
                                

                            		
                        

                        

                            Generic Skills:
                            
Problem solving

                        

                    

                

                

                    

                        

                            
                                All - Assessment Task 3:Virtual Environment Assembly
                            
                        

                        

                            Goal:
                            
This is a culminating task. You will bring the learning from Task 1 and 2 and then create a compilation of the library of assets into a virtual environment. This is a professional level project and will allow you to demonstrate both your skills and knowledge of the development of virtual environments.

                        

                        

                            Product:
                            Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece
                        

                        

                            Authorship Statement:
                            
                        

                        

                            Format:
                            
This task has 2 parts: a) You will assemble your Library of assets into an approved Real-time Game Engine. b) You will write a reflective report discussing your design and thinking processes. The report template can be found on Canvas.

Across all our Creative Industries undergraduate programs, we are collecting data for assurance of learning purposes. This task is being used for measurement. The following program competency will be assessed: Critical and creative thinkers and practitioners.

                        

                        

                            Criteria:
                            
                                

                                    
                                        

                                            No.
                                            
                                            Learning Outcome assessed
                                        

                                    
                                    
                                            

                                                1
                                                
Creative and aesthetic choices.

                                                
                                                        1
                                                        2
                                                        3
                                                        4
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                2
                                                
Assembly of individual Assets in the Library into a cohesive finished product.

                                                
                                                        1
                                                        4
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                3
                                                
Adherence to the original Environment map's layout and design.

                                                
                                                        1
                                                        2
                                                        3
                                                        4
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                4
                                                
Description of decision making processes.

                                                
                                                        1
                                                        3
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                5
                                                
Technical language used and clarity of writing.

                                                
                                                        1
                                                        2
                                                        3
                                                        4
                                                
                                            

                                            

                                                6
                                                
Ethical considerations on audience.

                                                
                                                        2
                                                
                                            

                                    
                                

                            		
                        

                        

                            Generic Skills:
                            

                        

                    

                

        

    

    

        

            

                
Directed study hours

                
A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

            

        

    


    

        

            

                
What resources do I need to undertake this course?

                

                    Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
                

            


            

                
Prescribed text(s) or course reader

                    
There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

            

        


        

            

                
Specific requirements

                    
This course requires some commercial software or hardware which is provided at USC campuses for student use. If you elect to do this course online, you may either; attend a campus at which it is available, discuss alternative open source solutions with your course coordinator that would enable you to demonstrate the learning outcomes, or if you prefer you may acquire this software and / or hardware at your own expense. It is highly recommended you have 3D modelling skills.

            

        

    


    

        

            
How are risks managed in this course?

            
Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

        

    


    

        
What administrative information is relevant to this course?


        

            

                
Assessment: Academic Integrity

                
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

            

        


        

            

                
Assessment: Additional Requirements

                
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

            

        


        

            

                
Assessment: Submission penalties

                
Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

            

        


        

            

                
Links to relevant University policy and procedures

                
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

            

        


        

            

                
Student Charter

                
UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful.  The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

            

        


        

            

                
General Enquiries

                
For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  
For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: 

            

        

    







    

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