Syllabus for SSE 643

Advanced Graphic Interfaces

Fall Semester 2013 (13F)

Early version, changes are possible.

YOU WILL NEED A "GAME ENGINE" FOR THIS COURSE. CHOOSE YOUR OWN GAME ENGINE CAREFULLY. JMONKEYENGINE, DARK GDK, AND XNA HAVE ALL BEEN USED SUCCESSFULLY IN THIS COURSE BEFORE, BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE THEM RIGHT FOR YOU NOW. PLEASE DO PUT SOME CARE INTO CHOOSING YOUR GAME ENGINE. You will need one for which you can find appropriate tutorial materials, and plan your use of them.

Instructor: Dr. Paul E. MacNeil

Office:       Suite 223a, School of Engineering

Phone:       478-301-2185

Email:        macneil_pe@mercer.edu

Textbooks and Supplies:

Texts (including web sites):

• No textbook for this course.
• Tutorial material will depend on the interface framework you choose. (Required)

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Software (including web sites):

• A software development environment for your language of choice (C++, C#, Java) (Required, but your choice.)
• TBD - more information will be forthcoming
  
• An Internet ftp client of your choice.  Core FTP LE is free and works well http://www.coreftp.com/ .  (Required, but your choice)

Other Useful Resources (including web sites):

• JMonkeyEngine for Java development.
• Microsoft XNA Development Center for C++ or C#.

Look into the technology before you select it or select an alternative. This technology is volatile.

C# may be more practical that C++ for this course.

Catalog Description (Course Purpose):

The development of graphic user interfaces more sophisticated than those covered in the prerequisite course. Development environments and application libraries specifically designed for interface development may be included. Topics may vary significantly depending on the student's choice of game engine and programming language (e.g., C#, C++, or Java).

The course begins on August 20, 2013.

Course Objectives:

Breadth and Depth in Defining, Analyzing, and Solving Complex Problems:

• After successfully completing this course, you should be able to demonstrate a basic capability to apply advanced graphic interface development techniques to solve complex problems.

Communicate Technical Aspects of the Solution for Complex Software Engineering Problems to a Technical Audience:

• After successfully completing this course, you should be able to demonstrate a basic ability to communicate regarding the application of advanced graphic interface development techniques to a technical audience.

Prerequisites:

SSE 550 or permission of the program director.

Class Location:

• The Distance Learning asynchronous "meetings" take place in Cyberspace; i.e., on the Internet.

Grading:

Credit will be given only for original work.

More information about grading is contained in the General Project Rubric.

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Assignments:

• Purpose of projects:
• Use the projects to develop your capabilities, and
• Use the projects to demonstrate your capabilities.
• Study the assigned book(s) and other assigned documentation/tutorials, and try out some of the examples from them; this work is _not_ part of any project. Then grow your capabilities by doing projects that build on these capabilities.
• Deliverables for all projects:
• Your report should be a single, standalone document in .html or .doc format.
• Your report should be organized in such a way as to make the topics that you want credit for covering easy to find, and demonstrate your capabilities clearly and convincingly. Everything you want considered for credit, including code and tests (including test results), should be included in the report.
• Project reports should focus on the development and/or maintenance that you actually do. Reports should not focus on summarizing or explaining the text or other materials.
• Inclusion of screenshots demonstrating your work, and code you actually wrote for the project, are appropriate. Long code listings can be placed in appendices if doing so does not interfere with you presenting your work on that code in the body of the text.
• Each project can be a single, integrated project that tries to actually do something, or a collection of exercises that demonstrate your capabilities but don't accomplish anything else, or any combination of these two alternatives that you find convenient.
• You may include other material outside of the report, if you wish, but this material may or may not be considered in evaluating your work.
• For each capability that you demonstrate within a report or major section of that report, you may present only the final result of your work; you need not demonstrate every step in the development of that result.
• Some suggestions for doing a project are contained in the One Way to Do a Project page.
• Project 1 (solo):
• Develop your plan for working your way through the tutorial material you selected, and for extending your work beyond the tutorial. You may update your plan as appropriate through the semester.
• Carry out the first of the three steps of your plan.
• Java Option: Develop and demonstrate your capabilities in the topics covered in Chapters 1 through 13 of the (Java) text.
• C++ or C# Option: Develop and demonstrate your capabilities in topics covered in the XNA Game Studio Express Documentation. Use the course listserv and /or threaded discussion capability to report your intended project scope, and to help to manage that scope.
• TBD.
• Project 2 (solo):
• Carry out the second of the three steps of your plan.
• TBD.
• Project 3 (team):
• Carry out the third of the three steps of your plan.
• Use the course listserv and /or threaded discussion capability to report your intended project scope, and to help to manage that scope.
• You may form your own teams. Announce your team's composition via the course listserv.
• Two person teams are strongly prefered; three person teams require the prior written (email is okay) approval of the professor.
• TBD
• TBD

Additional Information:

• Asynchronous Learning Nets (ALNs)
• Self Study: You study the texts and any other course study material on your own.
• Collaborative Projects: After your self-study, you collaborate (via the Internet [email, ftp]) with your partner(s) to produce a team product. Your collaborative work is substantial, asynchronous, and rapid.
• This course is a distance learning course with 100% optional face-to-face class meetings Please read this Distance Learning web page regarding distance learning in this course and this program.

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• Subscribe to the course email listserv and be able to access our FTP server; your professor can tell you how to do this.
• Study the assigned material.
• Write and read email messages about ideas, problems and solutions to do with the assigned study material.
• Do the assigned exercises.
• Write and read email messages (to/from the listserv) about ideas, problems and solutions to do with the assigned homework.
• Review the exercises done by other people, as assigned by the professor.

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Changes to this Syllabus:

There will be changes to this syllabus, so check back frequently, and don't forget to hit "Reload" or "Refresh".

Schedule of Events and Assignments:

Notes:

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Contact Information

• My Name: Dr. Paul E. MacNeil
• My E-mail: macneil_pe@mercer.edu .
• My Office Phone: 478 301-2185
• US Mail:
 
• Dr. Paul E. MacNeil
• School of Engineering
• Mercer University
• 1400 Coleman Ave.
• Macon, GA 31207

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Important Additional Information:

“Students requiring accommodations or modifications for a disability should inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting or as soon as possible. The instructor will refer you to the ACCESS and Accommodation Office to document your disability, determine eligibility for accommodations under the ADAAA/Section 504 and to request a Faculty Accommodation Form. Disability accommodations or status will not be indicated on academic transcripts. In order to receive accommodations in a class, students with sensory, learning, psychological, physical or medical disabilities must provide their instructor with a Faculty Accommodation Form to sign. Students must return the signed form to the ACCESS Coordinator. A new form must be requested each semester. Students with a history of a disability perceived as having a disability or with a current disability who does not wish to use academic accommodations are also strongly encouraged to register with the ACCESS and Accommodation Office and request a Faculty Accommodation Form each semester. For further information, please contact Carole Burrowbridge, Director and ADA/504 Coordinator, at 301-2778 or visit the ACCESS and Accommodation Office website at http://www.mercer.edu/disabilityservices.

Accreditation: Mercer University is accredited by SACS.