虚幻引擎5来临之际游戏专业课程改革与探索

2020年5月,世界著名游戏引擎商家Epic官方揭开了“虚幻引擎5”的神秘面纱。在视频中提到的亿面级数实时渲染“黑科技”更是将这次重大升级提升到了一个前所未有的高度。这次技术的革新之于游戏开发行业的意义可以类比为手机从功能机到智能手机的跃迁。本文笔者将浅谈一些对于游戏引擎的功能介绍,阐述现在游戏引擎对于整个游戏开发行业的重要性,在教学上扩容引擎类软件的学习内容方向和课程安排的一些教学改革思路。     

GMS卫星红外云图数据压缩

介绍一种模拟仿真类实时三维图形应用开发工具ＲＧＢＧａｍｅＢｕｉｌｄｅｒ的设计,它的组成和应用结构、帝时引擎和使用的主要三维图形处理技术。     

VR-Rides: An object-oriented application framework for immersive virtual reality exergames

Exercise can improve health and well-being. With this in mind, immersive virtual reality (VR) games are being developed to promote physical activity, and are generally evaluated through user studies. However, building such applications is time consuming and expensive. This paper introduces VR-Rides, an object-oriented application framework focused on the development of experiment-oriented VR exergames. Following the modular programming pattern, this framework facilitates the integration of different hardware (such as VR devices, sensors, and physical activity devices) within immersive VR experiences that overlay game narratives on Google Street View panoramas. Combining software engineering and interaction patterns, modules of VR-Rides can be easily added and managed in the Unity game engine. We evaluate the code efficiency and development effort across our VR exergames developed using VR-Rides. The reliability, maintainability, and usability of our framework are also demonstrated via code metrics analysis and user studies. The results show that investing in a systematic approach to reusing code and design can be a worthwhile effort for researchers beyond software engineering.     

Intelligent virtual environments for virtual reality art

The development of virtual reality (VR) art installations is faced with considerable difficulties, especially when one wishes to explore complex notions related to user interaction. We describe the development of a VR platform, which supports the development of such installations, from an art+science perspective. The system is based on a CAVE™-like immersive display using a game engine to support visualisation and interaction, which has been adapted for stereoscopic visualisation and real-time tracking. In addition, some architectural elements of game engines, such as their reliance on event-based systems have been used to support the principled definition of alternative laws of Physics. We illustrate this research through the development of a fully implemented artistic brief that explores the notion of causality in a virtual environment. After describing the hardware architecture supporting immersive visualisation we show how causality can be redefined using artificial intelligence technologies inspired from action representation in planning and how this symbolic definition of behaviour can support new forms of user experience in VR.     

SpringBoard: game-agnostic tool for scenario editing with meta-programming support

Although we have recently seen an increase of good, free game engine editors, general purpose scenario (level) editors are still lagging behind in terms of functionalities and ease of use. Using them to create game scenarios can be difficult as they often expose general engine capabilities instead of limiting the toolset to fit game-specific requirements. They often require programming skills to use, which introduce additional user skill requirements, and configuring them for a specific game can be equally difficult. In this paper we have developed SpringBoard, an open source scenario editor for games using the SpringRTS engine. Extending it to support game and level requirements is achieved with multi-level meta-programming, while still providing a system that is integrated with the GUI editor and therefore intuitive to use. Our meta-programming system has support for trigger elements (events, functions and actions), custom (composite) data types, scoped data access, higher order functions and actions, and data synchronization mechanics. This novel approach allows us to have the full expressiveness of the underlying programming language, while exposing a user-friendly GUI that consists of terminology familiar to the domain expert.     

一个基于3D游戏引擎的虚拟展示方案

虚拟展示的发展代表了当今布展方式发展的趋势，而3D游戏引擎的发展代表了当今计算机技术发展的趋势。文中揭示了隐藏在游戏引擎中的一些技术细节，描述了基于游戏引擎的虚拟展示方案的主要特点，阐述了利用3D游戏引擎来实现虚拟展示的设计构想，并通过一个基于开放的游戏引擎Crystal Space的展示方案实例验证了这一构想的可行性。总之，基于3D游戏引擎的虚拟展示方案是一种行之有效的虚拟展示方案。     

Immersive Multiplayer Games With Tangible and Physical Interaction

In this paper, we present a new immersive multiplayer game system developed for two different environments, namely, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). To evaluate our system, we developed three game applications-a first-person-shooter game (for VR and AR environments, respectively) and a sword game (for the AR environment). Our immersive system provides an intuitive way for users to interact with the VR or AR world by physically moving around the real world and aiming freely with tangible objects. This encourages physical interaction between players as they compete or collaborate with other players. Evaluation of our system consists of users' subjective opinions and their objective performances. Our design principles and evaluation results can be applied to similar immersive game applications based on AR/VR.     

Cybersickness during VR gaming undermines game enjoyment: A mediation model

Recent advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have ushered in a new era of VR gaming. While VR gaming experience represents a burgeoning area of research within human-computer interaction circles, the role of cybersickness, physiological repercussions of VR exposure to users characterized by a multitude of symptoms, such as nausea, lightheadedness, and dizziness, in the effect of VR gaming on game enjoyment remains understudied. In two experiments, the current study proposed and tested a causal mediation model in which the effect of VR gaming on game enjoyment was mediated by the level of cybersickness experienced during the gameplay. Results from both experiments supported the proposed model and showed that increased cybersickness levels during VR gaming led to decreases in game enjoyment, indicating that cybersickness experienced during VR gaming undermines the enjoyment of the gaming experience. Results also revealed that compared to traditional desktop gaming, VR gaming invoked greater levels of cybersickness, but VR gaming did not lead to greater levels of game enjoyment. When the effect of cybersickness on game enjoyment was statistically removed, however, VR gaming was found to be more enjoyable. The current experiments provide preliminary evidence that cybersickness may hinder the enjoyment of VR gaming experience.     

基于VR技术的三维射击游戏开发研究

目前三维游戏中利用了虚拟场景,以便捷的人机交互,为游戏者提供最佳的游戏体验.三维游戏的衍生在很大程度上推动了虚拟现实(VR)技术的更新优化,其涵盖了虚拟现实所有技术.本文基于VR技术设计开发三维射击游戏.首先分析游戏开发需求,其次设计三维VR系统结构与游戏开发流程,再次详细规划三维射击游戏功能模块,最后进行游戏人物、场...     

Acceptability of a custom-designed game,CityQuest, aimed at improving balance confidence and spatial cognition in fall-prone and healthy older adults

Virtual reality or video games show great potential as low-cost and effective interventions for improving balance and cognitive function in older adults. This research describes the design and acceptability of a serious game (CityQuest) aimed at improving balance confidence, spatial navigation, and perceptual function in older adults with the use of a virtual environment and a balance board. Community-dwelling healthy (N?=?28) and fall-prone (N?=?28) older adults were pseudo-randomly assigned to train with CityQuest or one of two control games developed to evaluate the specific effects of the CityQuest game. Following completion of 10 training sessions, participants completed questionnaires measuring their acceptability of the game as a falls-related intervention, game experience, and subjective cognitive or balance confidence changes associated with the game. The results revealed high acceptance scores of the game and positive game experiences for all three game conditions. Older adults prone to falls reported a greater reduction in fear of falling and greater improvement in vigilance following training, compared to healthy older adults. These findings suggest that a serious game based on VR technology that trains both motor and cognitive processes is perceived to be beneficial and acceptable to healthy and fall-prone older adults.     

Integrated BIM,game engine and VR technologies for healthcare design: A case study in cancer hospital

The results of healthcare design should meet the requirements of design teams as well as healthcare stakeholders. However, misunderstandings that occur between the design teams and healthcare stakeholders when using 2D illustrations leads to the need for re-design and rework during the design phase. To overcome this problem, this study develops a Database-supported VR/BIM-based Communication and Simulation (DVBCS) system integrated with BIM, game engine and VR technologies for healthcare design special in the Semi-immersed VR environment. The DVBCS system is applied in a case study of a design project of a cancer center in Taiwan to verify the system and demonstrate its effectiveness in practice. The results demonstrate that a DVBCS system is an effective visual communication and simulation platform for healthcare design. The advantage of the DVBCS system lies not only in improving the communication efficiency between the design teams and healthcare stakeholders, but also in facilitating visual interactions and easing the decision-making process while communicating in the 3D VR/BIM environment. The effective use of the proposed DVBCS system will assist design teams and stakeholders significantly in systematically handling healthcare design work in future healthcare design.     

A mobile VR-based respiratory biofeedback game to foster diaphragmatic breathing

Virtual reality (VR) has become popular in mental health research. Several studies have explored the use of VR in the context of biofeedback protocols. In the present paper, we report on the development and evaluation of a VR-based respiratory biofeedback game to foster diaphragmatic breathing. The game integrates respiratory biofeedback, restorative VR and gamification. The game is designed to run on a mobile, all-in-one VR headset. Notably, an integrated VR hand controller is utilized as a sensor to detect respiration-induced movements of the diaphragm. In a longitudinal within-subjects study, we explored the feasibility of the game and tested the effectiveness of six training sessions. Participants reported a pleasant user experience. Moreover, the results show that the brief VR-based breathing training increased perceived breath awareness, improved diaphragmatic breathing, increased relaxation, decreased perceived stress, reduced symptoms of burnout and boosted relaxation-related self-efficacy. Future studies need to address the generalizability and long-term stability of the results, compare the approach with existing treatments and fine-tune the training components.

     

基于Visual C#.NET与3DSTATE实现虚拟现实

虚拟现实技术在军事、航空航天、数字博物馆、虚拟人等领域得到了广泛的应用。但是,由于虚拟现实技术本身的复杂性,使得实现虚拟现实一直以来都是一项较为困难的工作。3DSTATE引擎是一种较新的虚拟现实开发工具,能快速和简便的实现基本的虚拟现实功能,在介绍3DSTATE引擎及3DWoddBuilder的基础上,着重讨论了Visual C#．NET与3DSTATE引擎相结合实现虚拟现实的方法和步骤。     

Head-mounted display versus desktop for 3D navigation in virtual reality: a user study

Virtual Reality (VR) has been constantly evolving since its early days, and is now a fundamental technology in different application areas. User evaluation is a crucial step in the design and development of VR systems that do respond to users’ needs, as well as for identifying applications that indeed gain from the use of such technology. Yet, there is not much work reported concerning usability evaluation and validation of VR systems, when compared with the traditional desktop setup. The paper presents a user study performed, as a first step, for the evaluation of a low-cost VR system using a Head-Mounted Display (HMD). That system was compared to a traditional desktop setup through an experiment that assessed user performance, when carrying out navigation tasks in a game scenario for a short period. The results show that, although users were generally satisfied with the VR system, and found the HMD interaction intuitive and natural, most performed better with the desktop setup.

古建筑室内空间的虚拟现实关键技术研究

以虚幻引擎为制作平台,实现一种古建筑室内空间的虚拟现实交互系统,展示虚拟现实技术在古建筑室内设计领域的应用可能性。提出一套系统、高效的设计方法:利用三维建模创建室内空间场景,设置模型的材质纹理与UV坐标;依据虚幻引擎的特点对场景进行必要的综合优化;将模型导入虚幻引擎,完善材质及灯光的属性,通过蓝图事件编辑动态交互脚本,绑定物理碰撞模式,并配合头显实现动画功能。上述系统不仅能够真实呈现古建筑室内空间的各个细节、符合交互运动感知的实际需求,而且也能够有效促进虚拟现实体验的真实性。     

Skill acquisition through program-level imitation in a real-time domain.

This paper presents an imitation learning system capable of learning tasks in a complex dynamic real-time environment. In this paper, we argue that social learning should be thought of as a special case of general skill learning, and that the biases it presents to the skill learning problem radically simplify learning for species with sufficient innate predisposition to harness this power. We decompose skill learning into four subproblems, then show how a modification of Roy's CELL system can address all these problems simultaneously. Our system is demonstrated working in the domain of a real-time virtual-reality game, Unreal Tournament.     

虚拟现实技术教学中的案例设计探讨

At present, many high vocational colleges set up a major of Virtual Reality Technology , and the professional direction of digital media technology major is adjusted to VR interior design or game design and production in some university. Due to the ad- vantages of real-time rendering effect, realistic physical properties and blueprint programming, the mainstream engine of virtual re- ality technology UE4 has been popularized and applied in many industries and has been praised. Based on the current teaching situa- tion of virtual reality technique, this paper designs teaching cases that conform to the learning rules of middle and high vocational students to help teachers to achieve learning objectives effectively.     

基于DirectX的3D游戏引擎研究与实现

游戏引擎在游戏开发中起着至关重要的作用,如同汽车发动机在汽车制造中的作用一样。一款性能优越兼容性强的汽车发动机不仅可以极大提升一辆汽车性能,而且可以极其方便的用于组装生产其它汽车。同样一款好的游戏都有一款强大的游戏引擎作支撑,游戏引擎是游戏开发中最核心最重要的部分,其具有很强的重用性、独立性、通用性。     

简单计算机视频游戏引擎的设计及应用

由于传统的计算机游戏设计方法在维护与更新上有很大的局限性，而计算机游戏引擎是将具有共性的游戏功能抽象、独立出采，形成一个通用的、独立于具体游戏逻辑的框架，是一个游戏的心脏．可以驱动游戏的运行。同时设计了一个简单计算机视频游戏引擎，包括图形引擎、声音引擎、交互引擎、网络引擎等。该游戏引擎依附于一个宿主游戏主程序，可以设计游戏基本对象以度游戏环境所需的对象管理器、资源管理器、系统对象等。该游戏引擎具有很好的可扩展性，可以添加新组件，支持更丰富、更实用的功能。