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Game Development (old)

Game Development

Skills we Cover

Unreal4 Engine, Blender animation, Photoshop creation and more…

Experience

Beginners welcome

For those who want to

Go into create a portfolio of games & animations for future employers

Earn

Certificate of Completion

Start building your portfolio of game development skills

There are 2.7 billion gamers out there, and growing exponentially every year.  This is an industry that’s growing at 13%.  

Game industry leaders say it’s all about showing what you can build. And using the cutting edge game and animation software. We’ve created exactly this opportunity for you. 

To start this Skill Path, sign up for Techways

Try for free

Unreal4 Engine

What will you learn?

Here are just a few things you’ll be able to do

Learn to create worlds, actors, players, characters, collisions and more in Unreal4

How to create an Unreal4 Engine game from start to finish

You'll get a certificate of completion for your Unreal4 game

What We Cover?

  • Creating, saving and managing your project in Unreal
  • Creating actors, meshes and brushes
  • Understand different modes
  • Create and texturise your own landscape
  • Create your own room with lighting and objects
  • Learn how to work with blueprints and scripting
  • Learn about game modes and characters
  • Understanding game design principles

Fun Facts:

What will you build?

Your own Unreal4 game

Time to complete

20 – 30 Hours

Average Salary for game developer

$60,000-$100,000 per year

Exam Certification Available

No exam certification – only a certificate of completion

Real World Project

Design your own
Unreal 4 game

Blender 3D

What will you learn?

Here are just a few things you’ll be able to do

Learn to use Blender to create stunning 3D models and animations

How to build a 3D model for your Unreal4 game

You'll receive a certificate of completion for Blender

What We Cover?

  • Learn how to use and manage the Blender software
  • Create 3D models for your Unreal4 game
  • Learn how to design and enhance your characters in Blender
  • Build texture and details to your character using sculpt and other tools
  • Understand animation and how to use in your game
  • Add animation to your character
  • Learn how to add your character to your Unreal4 game

Fun Facts:

What will you build?

A 3D character for your Unreal game

Time to complete

20 – 30 Hours

Average Salary for game developer

$60-100,000 per year

Exam Certification Available

No exam – certificate of completion only

Real World Project

Develop a 3D
character for your game

Adobe Photoshop

What will you learn?

Here are just a few things you’ll be able to do

Learn to create, edit and manage images in Adobe Photoshop

How to create textured images for your Unreal4 game

You'll qualify to write the Adobe Photoshop exam certification

What We Cover?

  • Understanding your audience to optimise your designs
  • Managing the Photoshop software and interface
  • Manage colors, swatches, and gradients
  • Manage brushes, symbols, styles, and patterns
  • Use layers to manage design elements
  • Use core tools and features to create visual elements
  • Prepare images to publish to web or your Unreal4 game

Fun Facts:

What will you build?

Textured images for your Unreal game

Time to complete

20 – 30 Hours

Average Salary for game developer

$60-100,000 per year

Exam Certification Available

Adobe Photoshop certification

**

** External exam voucher fee not included

Real World Project

Create detailed
textured images for your game

Microsoft Excel

What will you learn?

Here are just a few things you’ll be able to do

Learn to create, analyse and visualise data in Excel using charts, graphs and dashboards

How to create a database, analyse for trends and build a stunning dashboard

You'll qualify to write the Microsoft Data Visualisation in Excel exam certification

What We Cover?

  • Learn the basic Excel navigation
  • Learn how to enter and structure data
  • Learn how to style and format your sheet
  • Learn how to perform basic calculations on the spreadsheet
  • Use some of Excel built in functions
  • Create charts and infographics
  • Import data from other sources
  • Analyze data

Fun Facts:

What will you build?

A dashboard with amazing charts and infographics

Time to complete

20 – 30 Hours

Average Salary for data science analyst

$145,000 per year

Exam Certification Available

Microsoft Excel Associate

**

** External exam voucher fee not included

Real World Project

Make a Dashboard sheet for sales

Power BI

What will you learn?

Here are just a few things you’ll be able to do

Learn to clean, manage and manipulate data in Microsoft's Power BI tool

How to build a data model that predicts the future based on current trends

You'll qualify to write the Microsoft Power BI exam certification

What We Cover?

  • Importing data from different data sources
  • Cleaning, transforming and analysing the data
  • Designing and developing a data model
  • Creating measures by using DAX
  • Optimising performance of your data model
  • Creating meaningful reports and dashboards
  • Performing advanced analysis
  • Managing datasets

Fun Facts:

What will you build?

A data model to predict the future 

Time to complete

20 -30 Hours

Average Salary for data science analyst

$145,000 per year

Exam Certification Available

Microsoft Power BI

**

** External exam voucher fee not included

Real World Project

Develop a data model to
predict where crime will happen

Microsoft Python

What will you learn?

Here are just a few things you’ll be able to do

Learn to recognize and write Python code that will logically solve a given problem

How to create a binary search algorithm to validate ID numbers

You'll qualify to write the Microsoft Python MTA exam certification

What We Cover?

  • Perform data and data type operations
  • Determine the sequence of execution based on operator precedence
  • Construct and analyze code segments that use branching and iteration statements
  • Perform Input and Output Operations
  • Document and Structure Code
  • Perform Troubleshooting and Error Handling

Fun Facts:

What will you build?

A binary search algorithm

Time to complete

20 – 30 Hours

Average Salary for data science analyst

$145,000 per year

Exam Certification Available

Microsoft Python MTA exam

**

** External exam voucher fee not included

Real World Project

Create a binary search
algorithm to validate
treasures

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Whitespace – basically empty space (like spaces, tabs, or enter button) that makes the code look neat and organized, but the computer doesn’t care about it.

 A User – is any person that interacts (by inputs) with a program without having to write the code directly. For example, you are the user to the code that makes your browser/website run. When you clicked on this pop-up, that was the input that made this explanation come up when the code detected it.

To book your spot – click here

All learners who are aspiring web developers will have an opportunity to build a website for a live NGO or charity client as part of their community service hours. This project will be run jointly with Community Hours – so all your time spent counts towards your LO credits. This event is suitable for learners, parents and their teachers.

TechWays will be providing the WordPress course and web dev resources for free to any learner wanting to participate. 

Besides the amazing community service you’ll be doing for a charity in need – you’ll also be building your portfolio of web dev skills. Who knows – web dev could become a side hustle for extra income?

Book your spot HERE

Indentation – In the written form of many languages, an indentation or indent is an empty space at the beginning of a line to signal the start of a new paragraph.

Text editor – is the part of the IDE where you write the code. Most text editors highlight words with different properties like functions to help you distinguish them from one another. 

Homogeneous – of the same kind; alike throughout.

Heterogeneous – diverse in character or content; containing different things

Prompt – to  cause or bring about; to make something happen. For example making someone to say or write something.

Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again.

String Built-in Functions/Methods

There are a lot of strings functions/methods in Python. Find full list in course manual. Here’s are some that you find useful in this course:

Functions

  • len(varName) – Returns the length of a list, string
  • join(varName) – Converts the elements of an iterable into a string.

Methods 

  • varName.capitalize() – Converts the first character to upper case.
  • varName.center(length) – Returns a centered string
  • varName.count(“?”) – Returns the number of times a specified value (?) occurs in a string (varName).
  • varName.endswith(“?”) – Returns true if the string ends with the specified value.
  • varName.find(“?”) – Searches the string for a specified value and returns the position of where it was found.
  • varName.format(placeholder = value) – Formats specified values in a string.
  • varName.index(“?”) – Searches the string for a specified value and returns the position of where it was found.
  • varName.isalnum() – Returns True if all characters in the string are alphanumeric.
  • varName.isalpha() – Returns True if all characters in the string are in the alphabet.
  • varName.isascii() – Returns True if all characters in the string are ascii characters.
  • varName.isdecimal() – Returns True if all characters in the string are decimals.
  • varName.isdigit() – Returns True if all characters in the string are digits.
  • varName.isidentifier() – Returns True if the string is an identifier.
  • varName.islower() – Returns True if all characters in the string are lower case.
  • varName.isupper() – Returns True if all characters in the string are upper case.
  • varName.isnumeric() – Returns True if all characters in the string are numeric.
  • varName.isprintable() – Returns True if all characters in the string are printable.
  • varName.isspace() – Returns True if all characters in the string are whitespaces.
  • varName.istitle() – Returns True if the string follows the rules of a title.
  • varName.ljust(value) – Returns a left justified version of the string.
  • varName.rjust() Returns a right justified version of the string.
  • varName.lower() – Converts a string into lower case.
  • varName.upper() – Converts a string into upper case.
  • varName.strip() – Returns a trimmed version of the string.
  • varName.lstrip() – Returns a left trim version of the string.
  • varName.rstrip() Returns a right trim version of the string.
  • varName.partition() – Returns a tuple where the string is parted into three parts.
  • varName.replace(“old”, “new”) – Returns a string where a specified value is replaced with a specified value.
  • varName.rfind() – Searches the string for a specified value and returns the last position of where it was found.
  • varName.rindex() – Searches the string for a specified value and returns the last position of where it was found.
  • varName.rpartition() – Returns a tuple where the string is parted into three parts.
  • varName.rsplit() – Splits the string at the specified separator, and returns a list.
  • varName.split() – Splits the string at the specified separator, and returns a list.
  • varName.splitlines() – Splits the string at line breaks and returns a list.
  • varName.startswith() – Returns true if the string starts with the specified value.
  • varName.swapcase() – Swaps cases, lower case becomes upper case and vice versa.

String Special Characters

There a number of special string characters that have different functions when used inside ” “. Here’re some useful and common ones:

  • \n – Newline – Everything after it goes to next line.
  • \t – Horizontal tab – creates a tab space, similar to when you use ‘tab’ on keyboard.
  • \b – backspace – deletes the character before the it.
  • \r – carriage return – same as \n

In programming Concatenation is a process of appending one string to another. 

\ – escape character is a string character that tell Python that the next character after it should be taken as a string and not as an instruction.

str ( ) is a built-in function that converts and sequence of characters (numbers especially) in to text. 

Mad Libs is a phrasal template word game created by Leonard Stern and Roger Price. It consists of one player prompting others for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story before reading aloud.

type ( ) is a built-in function (still to cover what built-in functions are later) that determines the Data Type of any data presented. 

input ( ) is a built-in function (still to cover what built-in functions are later) allows a user to insert info into a program/the code. 

print ( ) is a built-in function (still to cover what built-in functions are later) that executes data inside the brackets. The results get printed out on the console/results section.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE) – A digital environment used to develop games, software, hardware, that offers integration from debugging to compiling. Essentially where you write, edit, and run to test your code. 

Variables

More about variables

Info about variables

To book your spot – click here

#WOW – What Outstanding Work – Awards: join us to learn from our students. 

Our top 20 learners are from St Andrews for Girls, Reddam Umhlanga, Evolve Online, Nova Pioneer and Sutherland High. 

Learners will be presenting their final projects. Come celebrate their successes and lessons learnt with us at our TechWays #WOW Awards.

This event is suitable for learners, parents and their teachers. Book your spot HERE

To book your spot – click here

 

Calling on all high schoolers interested in tech as a career. Join us on Thursday 22 September at 5:30pm.

 

We will be sharing:

  • Some “hot button/in-demand” career pathways – including Automation
  • the skills needed to access these careers
  • some of the job realities in these careers

There are only 100 spaces – so book your spot now – please RSVP here Book

To access the recording – click here

Calling on all high schoolers interested in tech as a career to join us on 16 September at 5:30pm. If you missed it, we’ll host another one on 18 November. 

We covered the following:

  • general tech career tips
  • a few “hot button/in-demand” career pathways and jobs
  • the skills needed to access these careers
  • some of the job realities in these careers

To access the recording – click here

To book your spot – click here

We will be talking to Noelene Kinsley from GC Network. Noelene has been specialised in the exciting career of Genetic Counseling and wants to share her passion for making the world a healthier place using genetics….and data science technology. 

Let’s hear more about the trends in the health/genetics industries, where jobs are moving to and what kind of skills you’ll need in this exciting world of opportunities out there. 

This event is suitable for learners, parents and their teachers. Book your spot HERE

To book your spot – click here

We will be talking to Jason Suttie from Devson. Jason has been in the tech world since he was six years old. He headed IT innovation unit at RMB and has since left to start up his own software consulting company – solving problems and building solutions for clients around the world. 

Let’s hear more about the trends in the software and programming industries, where jobs are moving to and what kind of skills you’ll need in this exciting world of opportunities out there. 

Book your spot HERE

Linux Essentials

Introduces Linux as an operating system, the basic open source concepts and an understanding of the Linux commands. Linux is crucial for cybersecurity.

Comptia
Security+

Gives you the baseline skills you need to secure a company’s systems, software and hardware. This certificate gives practical hands-on skills to pursue a career in cyber security

Certified Ethical Hacker

Will give you skills in Information Security Threats and Attack Vectors, Attack Detection, Attack Prevention, Procedures, Methodologies and more.

Learn More