Virtual Reality Game Design with Unreal Engine 4

Virtual Reality Game Development

Virtual Reality Game Design Course

Course Description

Join the next video gaming phenomenon of Virtual Reality (VR) in video games – a fully immersive, and interactive experience made possible by the HTC Vive and Unreal Engine 4, the industry-standard engine developed by Epic Games. 

Using Unreal Engine, you will learn to develop environments that will complement the Virtual Reality experience. You will create models, textures, terrain, and more, all while understanding how Virtual Reality affects those components. Using the Unreal Blueprint Visual Scripting system, you will learn to rapidly develop game logic with the easy to use programming system. Using the Blueprint system, you can experience the roles of programmer, game designer, and technical artists within a single system. You will also learn to design levels using Unreal’s level editing tools that will complement the VR experience.

At the end of the week, students will take home their impressive VR-enabled games, project files, and art assets on a portfolio on their flash drive. Note: To continue using the VR segments of their games at home, students will need a VR headset at home. 

The HTC Vive, a virtual reality headset developed by HTC and Valve, the creators of Steam, allows players to completely immerse themselves a new experience that makes you feel like you are actually in the game.

Camp Information
Information

Genre:
Game Design

Ages:
13-17

Skill Level:

Software & Hardware:

Hours:
9 AM - 5 PM

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Minecraft Skills Learned

Campers learn to:

  • Understand game development from a virtual reality perspective
  • Learn about three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate systems
  • Build a 3D Level from concept to creation
  • Use the Unreal Blueprint Visual Scripting System
  • Utilizing an advanced physics engine
  • Optimization of game resources to maximize render speeds
  • About promoting a sense of exploration in a 3D environment
  • Understanding how different types of gameplay adapt to 3D gaming
  • Learn about programming using Unreal Engine 4’s programming engine
  • Build Virtual Reality worlds
Game Design Camp - iOS Game
Video Game Design - 3D Game Level in Unreal

Prior Game Design Understanding

This camp requires no previous experience in Virtual reality game development except an interest in learning in developing games for Virtual Reality environment. Vision Tech Camps offers computer science camps courses in a variety of technology fields. Check out our programming summer courses for high school students. Each student will be provided their own computer and equipment.

Equipment and Software Used

In this camp, each camper will have access to a custom built, high end computer and a large monitor. Students will be using a variety of tools to help them learn game development, including the Unreal Engine and Autodesk Maya, as well as the HTC Vive and Virtual Reality software. As these are high-end game development tools, if students wish to continue using these programs for game development purposes at home, they will require a fairly powerful gaming computer, though an average computer can play the games created at camp.

Sample Day

Each day at Vision Tech Camps is carefully planned to ensure a personalized learning experience and to ensure that each student meets their individual goals. Our flexible schedule provides time for group instruction, one on one attention, project completion, and teamwork exercises.

7:30 am: Extended Care Check In 

Early check-in for campers who have chosen the AM Extended Care Option – students can choose from a variety of pre-camp activities.

8:30 am – 9:00 am: Rolling Drop off

Check-in and pre-camp activities, including introductions & hardware & computer distribution

9:00 am – 9:15 am: Welcome and review of daily schedule

Students connect with instructors, ask questions, and instructors go over the course outline

9:15 am – 10:30 am: Core Tech Modules

This hour is reserved for work on course skills and may include small group learning, individual learning, or class-wide instruction depending on the particular tech modules being taught

10:30 am – 11:00 am: Break

Students can spend their free time having snacks, drinks, continue working independently, play, reading, or relax on the sofa

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Core Tech Modules

This hour is reserved for work on course skills and may include small group learning, individual learning, or class-wide instruction depending on the particular tech modules being taught

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Lunch Break

Kids & teens who have ordered our Meal Plan will be provided their hot lunch. Other students may bring their own bag lunch and eat outside under the supervision of camp staff. Students may utilize nearby parks to play and experience the outdoors.

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Core Tech Modules

This period is reserved for work on course skills and may include small group learning, individual learning, or class-wide instruction depending on the particular tech modules being taught

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Break

Students can spend their free time having snacks, drinks, continue working independently, play, reading, or relax on the sofa

3:30 pm – 5:00 am: Core Tech Modules & Wrap Up

This period is reserved for work on course skills and may include small group learning, individual learning, or class-wide instruction depending on the particular tech modules being taught. Kids & teens wrap up the day’s projects.

5:00 pm – 5:15pm : Pick up Time

Parents pick up kids & teens who are not enrolled in extended care. 

5:15pm – 6:15pm: Extended Care Pick Up Time

Students in extended care are picked up

Vision Tech Camps Instruction

Real Instruction. Quality STEM Summer Tech Projects

We believe that learning technology should be part of kids & teens summer camp experiences. Summer tech camps offer kids a relaxed and fun way to explore their tech interests and gain an edge for college or university. At Vision Tech Camps, we pride ourselves on building STEM curriculum with concrete learning goals, where teachers initially lead students through lessons with a projector, followed by students doing their own projects on their computers. This way, kids & teens learn the basics and go on to explore their interests, resulting in tech projects that students are proud to call their own at the end of the course.

Beginner through Advanced Students

Our STEM summer camps are designed to accommodate a wide skill range, challenging the most advanced students, while encouraging beginners to take that first step into the field. We achieve that through hiring instructors who are tech savvy, and a technology curriculum that is adjustable for all skill levels. In addition, our low student-to-instructor ratio, which is kept at 8:1 instructor to student ratio – *not* a staff ratio, allows plenty of personalized one-on-one attention during the summer course.

Comfortable & Private Facilities

Since we own our two tech camp facilities at Danville & Saratoga, students feel comfortable and at ease at our facilities. As these are our permanent summer camp locations, we are able to minimize technical difficulties ahead of time and provide the most advanced tech hardware, custom-built computers, and professional grade software to our campers for a more enjoyable summer tech camp.

The Best Computer Camp Instructors

Vision Tech only hires the most passionate and caring instructors who are also experienced in the individual course material they are hired to teach. We train each instructor personally and instill them with Vision Tech teaching practices and values, ensuring that all students have fun in our summer camps, learn skills, and most importantly are inspired to continue their journey long after they have left our summer tech camps.

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