Game Asset Design

Overview

Course description

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of designing game assets used in virtual environments. Students learn how to create assets in computer-aided design software for modeling, texturing, and animating. Students use a hands-on approach to build custom game assets and environments used in a variety of interactive digital experiences including games. Topics include modelling techniques for object design, meshing, and optimization, lighting, texturing, basics of animating, and the use of physical materials.

Course content

Foundations of computer-aided modelling

Overview of the game asset design pipeline

Introduction to computer-aided modelling software
Object creation and manipulation
Creating scenes from primitives
Additive vs. subtractive modelling
Polygonal meshes

Advanced modelling techniques

Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) in curve-based modelling
High-poly vs. low-poly modelling
Mesh optimization techniques for real-time rendering

Materials, texturing, and UV mapping

UV coordinate space for texturing
Materials and shading groups
Introduction to physically based rendering

Lighting and rendering

Local and global illumination models
Simulating shadows
Rendering workflows and output formats

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for pipeline efficiency

Overview of AI-assisted tools and techniques

Automating repetitive tasks
Ethical considerations in AI-assisted content creation

Learning activities

The topics are covered through in-class lectures, laboratory assignments, projects, readings, and research.

Means of assessment

Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. Evaluation will be based on the following:

Labs	5-25%
Assignments	0-20%
Projects	0-30%
Term Test(s)	20-35%
Final Exam	25-40%
Total	100%

In order to receive a D grade (or higher) in the course, students must receive an overall course grade of at least 50% and a grade of at least 50% on the combined weighted examination components (Term Test(s) and the Final Exam).

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

create and optimize game assets for real-time applications using industry-standard modeling, texturing, and rendering techniques;
apply lighting, shading, and material workflows to enhance realism and interactivity in virtual environments;
utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to streamline and automate repetitive asset creation tasks;
compare and evaluate traditional vs. AI-enhanced pipelines for efficiency, quality, and scalability;
collaborate effectively in group projects, using shared workflows and version control systems;
develop a professional portfolio showcasing individual and group work, demonstrating technical and creative proficiency;
critically assess the ethical and creative implications of AI in digital content creation;
communicate design decisions and receive feedback through structured peer reviews.

Textbook materials

Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials.

Sample textbooks and materials may include:

Francisco Barros. (Current Edition). Advanced 3D Asset Creation in Unreal Engine 5: Leverage Unreal Engine 5's geometry tools for professional game development and artistry. Packt Publishing.

Requisites

Prerequisites

CMPT 2167 (with a grade of C or better)

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

September 2026 (Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution	Transfer details for CMPT 3167
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.