Rectifying Common Physics Problem in Your Game Development

There are games that use physics engines to help things in the game move and react. The use of a physics engine can add immersion as well as emergent game play, but at the same time, if not used appropriately, can result in game-breaking issues. This blog discusses about the ways to determine and rectify the common physics problems in 3D game development with Unity 3D.

Common Mistakes and Ways to Fix Them

Following are the common physics mistakes often seen in game development. The ways used for fixing these issues have also been discussed:

• Inappropriate Scale:

In majority of the games, players assume that the scale of the world is related to Earth’s scale. Suppose, in a game, an enemy is falling from a height. The players would expect the foe to come down at the same rate as he would if he falls in reality on earth. If the speed of falling is too slow or fast, it may detract from the immersion, specifically if the one falling is human-sized. 

• Use a RigidBody As Well As a Character Controller:

The game developer assumes that a Character Controller is required for controlling their avatar. But the players want the avatar to be influenced by gravity and similar things in the environment. The issue is that a Character Controller is created for more traditional controls as seen in first person shooter. Gravity and certain physical forces affect a RigidBody. You need to select a Character Controller if you wish to have complete control over the way a player moves. Again, if you wish your character to be moved by a Physics engine, you need to use a RigidBody. In including a RigidBody to a character, you may wish to restrict rotation so that the player does not tumble. 

• Objects Rolling Constantly:

Suppose, you are developing a golf game. In this instance, you may find that the golf ball is not stopping and rolling constantly until it finds a hole. In reality, the glass blades on a golf course offers rolling resistance and slow down the ball. However, in Unity, you need to use artificial stopping forces to stop the ball. Using angular drag may be helpful in this case.

• Objects with No Bounciness:

All the objects bounce following an impact. However, the internal, default physics material of Unity does not have bounce. There will be no bounce until you apply physics material to the things showcased in your scene with a bounciness value more than 0. This problem can be rectified with the creation and assignment of your own default physics material in the Physics Manager.

Keep in mind the above mentioned suggestions during 3D game development with Unity 3D.

Creating Motion Graphic Projects on a Budget

When there is talk of motion graphics or videos in any media project, clients immediately begin to worry about escalating budgets. However, if you are able to channel some of your learnings from your student days when you pursued your motion graphic design diploma in Singapore you already know that there are a number of ways to create great animation and videos for your clients without having to burn a hole in their pockets.

 

Processing is an extensive part of creating a good motion graphics design and perhaps the costliest aspect of the project. Here are a few ways in which you can help your client save money and deliver great results on a shoestring.

·         Keeping it Simple

The simpler your motion graphics design, the faster and cheaper it will be to create, and more often than not, the better it will look. Leverage your creative sense to come up with great ideas on how to make the simplest of iterations as against doodling on your PC. Doodling often adds to the complexity of the project, and before you know it, you will have crossed your client’s budget.

·         Repurposing from your Library

As a motion graphics designer it is always beneficial to create a library of some of your best ideas, illustration techniques and designs. So when you are working on a budget or working against a strict deadline all you need to do is repurpose something you have already invested significant time on. There will hundreds if not thousands of amazing designs, concepts and treatments that may have been discarded by other clients but work extremely well for your current project. It is always good to save all your experiments and versions.

·         Rely on your Inspirations

While plagiarising is a strict no-no in the world of design or any other creative field, there is nothing wrong in going back to some of your top inspirations every once in a while. This means that you save time in experimenting with concepts, giving you a chance to start on a strong and already successful foundation. Most often you will find that your end project will be completely different from the one you were inspired from in the first place. However, you saved significant time and thus money for your client.

·         Mixing Media

You will find that some elements are easier to create in real life than on a PC. If you feel that it is going to be cheaper to simply photograph or film certain aspects of your motion graphic design projects, go for it. You will also be able to bring a touch of realism into your assignment enhancing its overall quality.

Before you make any big decisions regarding the project in question, make sure you work closely with your client to understand his or her capacity to spend, the extent to which they are willing to push their budgets and their quality expectations. It will be your job to find the right balance between quality and cost to deliver what your client truly likes.

Specialized Graphic Design Jobs You Should Consider

Technological advancements, the growth of digital media and how audiences consume information has significantly transformed the graphic design industry. With a number of specialized job opportunities emerging, there is a lot you can do once you have graduated from your graphic design institute in Singapore.

 

While choosing to be a jack of all trades continues to be a viable career option, some additional study can make you a specialized designer that tends to earn more money and experience more professional growth. Here are some of the specialized design jobs you may want to consider –

 

·         Creative Services Manager

With about 3 years of experience under your belt, you will be able to get to this position. Here, you are primarily in-charge of being the middle person between the senior management and the creative department for the brand or company you work with. You will essentially be in charge of overseeing the entire project, making sure deadlines are met and budgets are not overshot. You are the one responsible in making sure the senior management team get quality results from an efficient creative team.

 

·         Email Marketing Designer

In this position, you will be responsible to design and execute highly engaging email communications for the promotion of the brands you work with and their offerings. You will be working closely with other designers, writers, marketing managers and user interface experts to make sure that the brands marketing communication objectives are met with. In addition to understanding the principles of design, you will also need to have sufficient knowledge in UX/UI, HTML and CSS.

 

·         Flash Developer/Designer

As a Flash Developer, you will be creative interactive online content including games, advertisements, websites and other web based applications. You will also be in-charge of testing, implementing and maintaining dynamic website elements using tools such as Action script and Flash. As a Flash Developer you will need proficiency with JavaScript, CSS, HTML, XML and other web languages and software.

 

·         Information Architect

As an information architect, you will help clients define their website content and design strategy. You will need to analyse your target audience and assess their needs to improve the overall user experience on any website. You will be expected to make use of process maps, wire frames and mock-ups to define the intended user experience to the decision makers who could be your employers or clients.

 

·         Mobile Designers

As a mobile designer, you will be designing content and functionality for smartphones and tablets. By working closely with cross functional teams, you should be able to create effective, compelling and interactive experiences for mobile users. In addition to aesthetics, you will also have to account for the functional aspects of design. You will need to develop proficiency for various programming languages used across various mobile OS.

 

In addition to this, you can also consider developing the skill-sets required to being a presentation specialist. Designers with an interest in marketing strategy find this career option to be rather promising. Other great design jobs include UX and UI designers, who are responsible to create easy to use, captivating experiences for audiences. These jobs require in-depth understanding of graphic design among other things.

How to Get Over a Designer’s Block and Brainstorm Creative Ideas?

Creative block is not something uncommon. It affects even the best of the creative persons like writers, music composers and designers at some point of their life. Even Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his thirties had been affected by writer’s block. Do fret if you are going through a designer’s block. Inspire yourself and endeavour to wake up your creative spirit.

If you have done a graphic design diploma or any other corresponding course, you must have been taught how to explore creativity and come up with innovative designs. Try to recapitulate the instructions provided during the course and see if it helps you to come out of your creative block in any way. You may also try out the tips provided in this blog get over your problem and brainstorm new ideas.

Getting Over a Designer’s Block is Easy Now

An array of tips have been put together below to enable you brainstorm more effectively:

l  Try to Pick Up Ideas from the World Around You:

Often the graphic designers get stuck in the internet realm while they look for ideas. As a designer, you should also look around the real world to find inspiration that you could use in your design. The mind needs various stimulation. You should not hover around the same websites and expect to find innovative concepts. You can go to an art gallery or a sculpture centre or take a walk through the nature and talk to your creative colleagues to see if you can gather inspiration and ideas.

l  Take a Break:

Taking a break is important. During the break, you will be able to lend some rest to your mind and let the stress go out. A stress less mind is able to think clearly and create ideas. Thus, consider counterbalancing stress with a short break from work.

l  Visiting a Design Forum May Help:

You may benefit by interacting with other designers in a design forum. By visiting the forum, you will be able to share your issues and may get someone who has gone through the same creative block phase and overcame it. The first-hand story from such an artist may show you a path to get out of your problem.

l  Mind Map Can Be a Saviour:

Try to create a mind map and jot down your ideas in a paper. This will help you to develop the ‘snowball effect’ where a single idea will give birth to another and so forth, thus giving rise to a constant stream of innovative concepts.

Remember that only your knowledge acquired through graphic design diploma will not help you to come up with new designs. It is creativity and its proper application which will help you produce mind-boggling graphic design concepts.

How to Create an Effective Infographic?

Infographics are all the rage right now among businesses trying to convey specific messages in an interesting and easy to read format in the digital world. However, how effective your infographic significantly depends on the graphic designer’s ability to understand execute the concept in the right way. Here are some key elements to consider when designing an effective infographic –

• The Data 

The world infographic itself is testimony to how important your data is to the design. Even if you may not be a decision maker with regards to what information goes into the graphic, you want to make sure that you study the data in detail instead of just skimming through it. This will help you make sure that all the important information is given its due in your layout.

Work closely with the decision makers to get a basic hierarchy of information. Understand what facts need to jump off the page and what information can be left out in case of a space constraint. You may be able to spot something from a fresh perspective that the marketing team may have otherwise missed.

•  Placement of the Information 

Make sure that all the important information and the newsworthy facts are placed on the top. Understand the narrative, identify the common thread in the facts and findings and use this information to tell a compelling story. Channel all your learnings from your diploma in graphic design Singapore course to use your aesthetic sensibilities towards presenting relevant information in an appealing manner.

•      Do not Repeat Yourself 

With the focus remaining on telling a compelling story, try to show what you can with graphics without having to rely on the written word. Also avoid repeating what you are showing by spelling it out separately in writing. Use your design skills to clearly get the message across.

• How Legible is the Infographic? 

With lowering attention spans, most audience members tend to skim through an infographic rather than read it in detail. Make sure that your design allows your audience to digest as much information as possible at a glance. Avoid making the reader work hard to find the story or the message in your infographic. It should be easily spottable, screaming out to the reader.

• Using the Right Colour Schemes

To be able to make your infographic more appealing looking and also more legible, you want to make sure that you use the right colour schemes. Choose contrasting hues that make the font easy to read without taking the focus off your images, graphs and pictorial elements.

Finally, you want to make sure you understand the clear difference between a quintessential infographic and a press add. Other than making sure the logo is clearly visible. Conventional brand guidelines do not apply to infographic design. The objective of this project is to lay out facts and figures to your audience. Understand the core objective of the infographic before you start working on it and you will be able to create a design that is effective. 

Your Guide to Breaking into the Graphic Design Industry

Planning to start a career in graphic designing? Though a wonderful thought, know that it is not easy to get into the industry, survive and succeed. The world of graphic designing is highly competitive with all the professionals putting their creative endeavor to come up with something unique and highly marketable, apt for their clients’ needs.

Simply being creative would not make you a great designer, you should also have the required training and certification in the subject and know how to apply the knowledge and skills acquired through training in real workplace. Apart from getting a degree from one of the premier graphic design colleges in Singapore, you need to know how to present yourself before the employers and impress them to hire you in their firm.

How to Win the Recruiters?

Do you know what the companies looking for graphic designers wish to see in a candidate? Do have any idea about how to turn your portfolio stand out from the rest? Do you know how to act during an interview? Read on to get the answers.

Get Acquainted with the Basic Portfolio Rules:

The more interesting your portfolio, the higher is your chances to get a job. In order to make your portfolio interesting, you should have a clear knowledge about how your portfolio should be. Do not overload your portfolio with unnecessary details. Just highlight the brightest and important details and keep the portfolio short. Narration of the story behind each achievement would be appreciated if presented in a unique and interesting style.

Showcase Multi-Medium Work:

If you have the knowledge of working across varied mediums, do not hesitate to show it. If you only include in print work, those who are examining your portfolio will assume that it is the single thing you are capable of. Your need to show that you have the ability to work in various mediums, print, digital and many more. If the employers are convinced about your ability to work on multiple medium, you will stand higher chances of grabbing your dream job.

Keep Work Detailed and Appropriate:

While you touch upon all the amazing skills you possess in your portfolio, do not forget to highlight upon your area of expertise in graphic design. A descriptive account of the specialized skill would enable your employer to get an idea of the direction you would want your career to go in.

A Research Would Be Great Before an Interview:

An in-depth research on the company that has called for an interview would be wise. Before going for the interview, you should make sure that whoever would interview has a glimpse of your work and ability through your portfolio. Be confident during the interview and express yourself in the best possible way to show the employer that you are the right person to work with and you are passionate about the work.

A certification from one of the celebrated graphic design colleges in Singapore would enhance your chance of getting selected as a graphic designer in a good company

How to Be Good at your Graphic Design Work in Branding?

Brand identity is important for the success of a business. Whether you wish to enjoy visibility in today’s competitive business world, having a corporate trademark will definitely help you stand out from your competitors. Seeking the service of a graphic designer can be of immense help when it comes to branding a business.

As a graphic designer, you need to have a clear idea of the mission of the company you are working for and also the industry as a whole. Having a diploma in graphic design will not only teach you the basic of designing but will help you understand how to create a design that will be exclusive enough to catch the eyes of the targeted audience. Also make sure that the graphic design you create establishes an instant association with the excellent services that the company you are working for offers.

In order to be excellent at your graphic design work, you need to keep the following points in mind:

• Use Apt Colors:

As a professional with a diploma in graphic design, you should have a clear understanding of the use of colors. You should know what colors convey which emotions. While deciding about what colors to use in a company logo or business card, consider the colors that your competitors have used in their logos. To cite an example, if you are designing for an eco-friendly company that is into recycling, green use of different shades of green in the logo would be apt.

• Use your Creativity:

As already stated, you should come up with a unique design if you want to ensure successful branding of a business. As a designer, you can definitely refer to the top logo designs to get an idea of how a successful logo should be. Finally, you should use your creativity and concepts of graphic designing to come up with an eye-catching pattern that would best represent your client company. 

• Maintaining Consistency is Important:

Make sure that the graphic design you create maintain consistency in policy as well as style in all platforms. Try to conceive of the business’s presence in the social media world and accordingly it with branding. This will enable the targeted audience to recognize the brand with ease. 

Keeping the aforementioned tips in mind would help you come up with attention-grabbing graphic designs leading to excellent branding of the company they represent.