Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.
Required skills
analytical skills to evaluate technical requirements of environment design against resources and timeframes
communication skills to liaise with project team and clients
initiative and enterprise skills to:
devise efficient and innovative approaches to texturing and shading
provide practical support and give feedback to colleagues and management
literacy skills to read technical documents and specifications
planning and organisational skills to manage time and resources
technical skills to:
collect, interpret and communicate focus testing results objectively and effectively
create environment artwork within style and quality guidelines
design and run focus testing
exercise a high level of creative ingenuity in environment design and innovation
manage environment evolution and change with effective processes and procedures to mitigate risk and improve environment quality
use related computer graphics applications
visual research skills to source reference materials for the creation of unique environments.
Required knowledge
budgeting and scheduling considerations for environment creation in games, with consideration given to human resources
different environment requirements for different genres of game
how to interpret environment design briefs
role and position of interactive environments in commercial game development, game duration and quality
processes and procedures to facilitate quality and innovation of environment development
prototyping tools and techniques for commercial environment development in games
research methods used to stay abreast of the latest developments in game environment design.
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Brief may include: | background stories descriptions of desired look and feel, i.e. aesthetic style game design document game overview, including list of special features and selling points game walkthroughs illustrations or graphics that enhance the comprehension of the document intended audience list of buildings list of levels or missions list of non-player and player characters list of vehicles references to existing bodies of graphical user interface (GUI) artwork and styles references to existing game environments storyboards verbal instructions written instructions. |
Client may include: | 3-D artists animators art directors designers external clients modellers technical directors. |
Design and technical constraints may include: | budget design specifications file formats for output and end use genre and platform technical requirements technical specifications. |
Environments may include: | exteriors: alien fantasy historic natural underwater urban interiors: building confined spaces vehicle. |
Software may include: | 3-D Studio Max Animator Pro AutoCAD AutoCAD Revit 9 Blender Bodypaint Cinema 4D Combustion CorelDraw Deep paint Electric Image Form Z Houdini Illustrator Lightwave Maya Photoshop Pixie POV-Ray Renderman Rhino Shake Soft Image or XSI Z Brush. |
Concept illustration may include: | 2-D hand rendered drawing 2-D or 3-D digital illustration 2-D sketch collage or montage photograph storyboard. |
Game genre may include: | adventure alternative reality ancient casino cyberpunk educational edutainment fantasy first person shooter flight shooter flight simulation futuristic god simulation massively multi-player online game massively multi-player online role-playing game medieval modern multi-player post-apocalyptic puzzle racing shooter racing simulation real-time strategy role-playing game science fiction side-scrolling shooter single player sports strategy, including: action strategy turn-based strategy tactical combat. |
Focus testing may include: | documentation of high-level focus test objectives focus test implementation plan (test plan) document to realise focus test objectives and the procedures and processes to be followed test group members based on test plan, examples of criteria may include: age sex location other socioeconomic factors appropriate environment and facilities for focus testing based on test-plan requirements documentation of focus test results according to test plan. |
Environment prototype may include: | a modelled and textured environment in which characters and objects interact simulated game play, where the camera follows a game character through the environment demonstrating as many of the environment’s features as possible simulated fly through, where the camera follows a predetermined path through the environment demonstrating as many of the environment’s features as possible. |
Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.
Observation Checklist