Beginning My Journey
Almost 3 years ago, I began my attendance at DigiPen: Institute of Technology to earn my Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation. Prior to going to DigiPen I had no experience with C/C++, OpenGL, or most other programming languages. In Middle School I took a robotics class that gave me a chance to learn a bit of Python to program Scribblers with. I also learned the very basics of computer logic using the Lego Mindstorms NXT set. The drag and drop programming made it very easy to learn the mechanics of loops, pseudo-random numbers, and conditional statements. I enjoyed building the robots and programming it to be able to do what I wanted it to do. My best NXT program allowed my tank-like robot to explore the environment in a seemingly random way.
Since I started studying at DigiPen, I have learned a lot about C/C++, OpenGL, and programming in general. Everything I have learned has helped me to program my team's games with whatever we wanted. Currently I am focusing on learning graphics programming, and enjoying doing it. The challenge only makes the reward of seeing what I wanted displayed better when I finally make it happen. In the near future I'd like to try out more programming disciplines, such as Gameplay Programming, to see what I enjoy. My first team, False Protocol, made a space Shoot 'em up named Terrestrial Border Defense, for which I handled the color shading and created a simple text writing system that allowed the use of custom fonts. The two major drawbacks to my text system were that each character was a game object, which is inefficient, and the font was required to be made of more uniform letters, similar to a digital font where each character has the same space around it, similar to a typewriter.
For Supernova Softworks', my current team, current game I am developing a lighting system that I hope to be simple to use so that our designers and artists can create the best levels they can. I am looking forward to learning more and more about Programming and expanding my skill set to include as many disciplines as I can handle.
Timothey Goodwin
RTIS Student
General Programmer (Currently Specializing in Graphics)
DigiPen
Since I started studying at DigiPen, I have learned a lot about C/C++, OpenGL, and programming in general. Everything I have learned has helped me to program my team's games with whatever we wanted. Currently I am focusing on learning graphics programming, and enjoying doing it. The challenge only makes the reward of seeing what I wanted displayed better when I finally make it happen. In the near future I'd like to try out more programming disciplines, such as Gameplay Programming, to see what I enjoy. My first team, False Protocol, made a space Shoot 'em up named Terrestrial Border Defense, for which I handled the color shading and created a simple text writing system that allowed the use of custom fonts. The two major drawbacks to my text system were that each character was a game object, which is inefficient, and the font was required to be made of more uniform letters, similar to a digital font where each character has the same space around it, similar to a typewriter.
For Supernova Softworks', my current team, current game I am developing a lighting system that I hope to be simple to use so that our designers and artists can create the best levels they can. I am looking forward to learning more and more about Programming and expanding my skill set to include as many disciplines as I can handle.
Timothey Goodwin
RTIS Student
General Programmer (Currently Specializing in Graphics)
DigiPen
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