3D Game Development

Principles for 3D game systems.

1. Rendering Pipeline

Stages

1. Vertex Processing → Transform geometry
2. Rasterization → Convert to pixels
3. Fragment Processing → Color pixels
4. Output → To screen

Optimization Principles

2. Shader Principles

Shader Types

When to Write Custom Shaders

• Special effects (water, fire, portals)
• Stylized rendering (toon, sketch)
• Performance optimization
• Unique visual identity

3. 3D Physics

Collision Shapes

Principles

• Simple colliders, complex visuals
• Layer-based filtering
• Raycasting for line-of-sight

4. Camera Systems

Camera Types

Camera Feel

• Smooth following (lerp)
• Collision avoidance
• Look-ahead for movement
• FOV changes for speed

5. Lighting

Light Types

Performance Consideration

• Real-time shadows are expensive
• Bake when possible
• Shadow cascades for large worlds

6. Level of Detail (LOD)

LOD Strategy

7. Anti-Patterns

Remember: 3D is about illusion. Create the impression of detail, not the detail itself.