Thoughts on graphics education

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    • Thoughts on graphics education

      I was wondering what the general feel was for graduates of game development/graphics education programs. Is this kind of thing looked for by people hiring for the industry, or does it lend too much of an air of "Ivory tower intellectual" to a candidate?

      I'm currently pursuing a masters in computer graphics and animation (purely out of love for the subject material), and as my dream, like that of many others, is to get a job in the games development industry, I'm doing my best while I have some "free time" on absorbing all the knowledge and advice I can find, so as to build a bulletproof portfolio upon graduation.

      Also, I've heard that if you're trying to get into the games industry, taking any job other than a job with a game development company is likely to push you farther away from a game development job. I've been working in an entry level developer position for a large insurance company for the past 8 months, and I was wondering what strengths I should focus on/emphasize from that work when applying for jobs in the game industry.

      Thanks for your time and input!
      [Insert clever, witty, and strangely relevant quote here]

    • I think you are definitely on a good track towards becoming a graphics programmer or animator in the gaming industry.

      Graphics skills to be proficient at for the new generation of game developers would be...
      • Shader Programming
      • High Dynamic Range Floating Point Color Representation - This buzzword is getting louder


      Animation skills to be proficient with might be...
      • Blending technologies
      • Lip Synching Technologies
      • Facial Animations
      • Inverse Kinematics
      • Interfacing with standard 3D modeling tools such as 3DS Max or Maya via their plug-ins... there is a chance that knowing Max or Maya script will come in handy for an animation programmer.
      • Having an understanding of how A.I. code works and how it interfaces with animation code can be helpful


      General skills to be proficient with:
      • Knowing how to use the 3D modeling tools is a big plus for animation and graphics programmers, as you may have great influence on the evolution of the art pipeline.
      • Being able to write tools in general is a good skill to have... MFC and C# are two things that might be worth learning.
      • Good Software Engineering Practices for Large Scale Applications - Definitely important, and a lot of companies will screen their applicants for candidates who write stable code that others can understand and even work on.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Kain ().

    • Thanks for the input! I'll make sure to keep those skills in mind as I develop as a graphics programmer (literally and figuratively).
      [Insert clever, witty, and strangely relevant quote here]