3D Heat Map generation using Maya 2011
Eric Baker
My research is to create a Mel script in Maya 2011 to generate a 3D heat map of gameplay metrics collected during playtesting. The goal is to determine if 3D heat maps is a better approach compared to a 2D heat map version of the same data.
The Application of Epidemiology Models to Non-Disease Vectors in Games
Dan Wilson II
My research will focus on applying techniques and ideas traditionally applied to modeling disease spread to other topics and exploring how it could be applied to games. Examples include fear spreading through a crowd, eventually causing a panic, and rumors spreading in a community.
Analyzing Multithreading Frameworks for Use in Game Engine Design
Bradley Blankenship
My research focuses on analyzing the performance of multiple multithreading frameworks in direct comparison to OpenMP. This includes analyzing the actual performance of multiple tasks, and comparing the results. The end goal is to integrate OpenMP into a working game engine.
Accessibility Feature for Low-Vision or Blind Players
Mohamed-Farhan Abd-Rahman
My research is to add an accessibility feature for low-vision or blind players within this game. The study of sound perception or "Psychoacoustics" will be used for designing this accessibility feature. The goal of this research is to enable the low-vision or blind players play the game successfully.
Adjusting Level of Detail for Models Using Tessellation/De-tessellation
Brian Murphy
In order to allow for massive amounts of people to populate a given level efficiently while still providing a high level of detail when viewed close up, a level of detail needs to be handled based on the distance view as well as the field of view of the camera. Before this could be done with a series of models of varying quality, however this offers two problems: one, it creates more work for the artists, and two, there are often "jumps" of quality in the level of detail. To avoid these issues, geometry shaders utilizing tessellation and de-tessellation will be used to give a smooth change in quality from a single model.
