Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
avatar can wear these scripted objects, examples are scripted hair, scripted clothing, and scripted
interface tools. These scripts are interpreted and executed by the server running the virtual world
environment, and seen by the user through the client viewer when they are logged into a virtual
world.
Material:
in the 3ds Max modeling system and in virtual worlds, a composite of the shader code and the
texture maps. It is used on the surface of a 3D object to create its unique look. In some cases,
“material” is used interchangeably with “shader.” See also shaders and textures.
Mesh:
a common term for the geometric forms made in modeling programs such as 3dsMax and imported
into a virtual environment.
Mimesis:
to tell a story by acting it out, as opposed to Diegesis, which is to tell a story with vocal narrative.
MMORPG:
an abbreviation for Massive Multiuser Online Role Playing Game, which in its simplest form
is a virtual environment that allows for a number of people to log in remotely and take the roles of
various characters in order to play the game.
NPC (Non-player character):
a character in the virtual world who is not controlled by a person during the
game and may be interacting with the players by utilizing artiicial intelligence code.
OAR (Opensimulator ARchive):
like the IAR, a ile saving process that allows for the collection of all the
elements on a sim; the terrain, objects contained on it, the scripts, textures, and all parcel and region
data into one ile for distribution and reconstitution of the build on another system.
OpenSim:
also called Open Simulator, an open source computer based platform that creates a virtual world
or virtual environment. It is the 3D web, where instead of web pages, there are 3D regions linked
together through servers on the internet.
OSSL (OpenSim Scripting Language):
an extension of the LSL or Linden Scripting Language used
in Second Life, also provides for extra functions that an Open Simulator based virtual world
understands.
PCM (Pulse-code modulation):
the uncompressed audio format usually found with a .wav audio ile, com-
monly used in virtual worlds.
Per Pixel Lighting:
a technique used by the computer to render out lighting effects based on the illumination
calculation for each pixel in the scene. While this requires more graphics processing, it can be used
to create much more visual detail in the scene.
Per Vertex Lighting:
a technique used by the computer to render out lighting effects by calculating the
illumination at the vertices of a 3D object in the scene, and interpolating the lighting across the
surface of its faces.
Phasing:
a selective display of environmental qualities, objects, and non-player characters utilized in various
MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play Games) to enhance the game, and keep the
environment changing for the players.
Point Light:
a light source that emanates from one central point, such as a hanging light bulb would in a
dark room.
Poseball:
a 3D object in a virtual world, often a sphere, that contains an LSL script and animations or poses.
This enables the avatar to take up positions, or poses on such things as furniture, and vehicles.
Prim (or primitive):
a simple 3D shape created in a virtual world. Also called “objects” (when rezzed in
Second Life), these are used by the residents to build houses, roads, and other content that creates
the world. The basic collection includes cube, cylinder, sphere, torus, prism, ring and tube.
Quaternion rotation:
one of the two methods of rotational representations used in LSL scripts to deine how
an object will rotate in space. Consists of x,y,z variables to represent the axes of rotation and the
s variable to represent the angle of rotation. The other method used is Euler rotation, which employs
yaw, pitch and roll as vectors.
