Interactive 360-degree Lab Tour
Click on the image and use your mouse or trackpad to rotate and look around the lab.
- Use a mouse wheel, trackpad or mobile touch screen to zoom in and out of the image.
- View the image full-screen by clicking on the frame icon in the upper right corner.
- Click on Hotspots (white circle) or the bottom thumbnails to see other labs in the tour.
- To stop the image's auto-rotation click on the image and hold.
Animation Studio
The Animation Studio (first image) is specifically for students in the Animation and Digital Media and Game Design programs. Software available for free in the Game Lab includes Maya for 3D modeling and animation, Z-Brush for high-detailed digital game art, and the Adobe Suite, including Photoshop and Illustrator. Receiving an expansion and revamp in summer 2018, the Animation Studio gives students a sense of home.
"I kind of live here," said Animation and Digital Media student, Rachel Rohe. "My teammates and I spend the whole weekend here sometimes. Having the lab open outside of class is so necessary. We have access to all of our software."
With approximately 24 stations, students comfortably design individually and in teams. Two teaching monitors and AirMedia wifi projection allows for easy instruction presentation and group discussion.
Game Design Studio
The Game Design studio (second image) is home to the Intro to Game Design and 2D Digital Imaging courses. Students create graphic design content for various projects, including building physical prototypes of their games. They have access to a vast library of tabletop games for play and analysis.
“In the lab, we study ludology through the process of breaking down the mechanics of a game," said Michael Troness, a junior in Game Design and Development. "Examples can include how far a game piece can move, why the board is designed the way it is, does the game require dice or cards, etc. We grasp the basics of what we need to do to make a game and incorporate the mechanics we like into a whole new game.”
Troness and his team are developing a game called "Forest Fighters." Finished games are presented at the Stout Game Expo (SGX) at the end of each semester.