Autodesk Launches Student Training Program

Autodesk, creators of software such as the popular 3D modeling software Maya, has announced a free “Vehicle for Games” web-based curriculum that will teach post-secondary students the ins and outs of game development.

Created in conjunction with game developers NCSoft and Double Helix, the curriculum was developed to “mirror the requirements of real-world game development,” and is currently in testing at California’s Laguna College of Art & Design.

The curriculum provides “an art director's point of view for various steps of game development.” An additional description offered:

Students go through the process of modeling and texturing a vehicle for a video game, learning industry techniques. "Vehicle for Games" also provides a taste of what it's like to be an asset modeler working in production. It includes video tutorials, models, textures, concept art, and orthographic drawings that students can follow or use as guides to create their own vehicles with their own concepts.

The service is available on the Autodesk Education Community website, which requires an email address from a registered educational facility for access. The program includes a six-month trial version of Maya and a 30-day trial of the 3D sculpting and texture painting software Mudbox.

Laguna College's Game Art Department Chair Sandy Appleoff added, “Having this masterful curriculum has allowed our students to move faster. By the end of the semester they will have produced game engine-ready assets and have them loaded and functioning in the game engine.”