First step in building your portfolio?

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Original post by Chocolate Milk Complete newb here. I'm interested in building 3D games someday, but I have no portfolio at all. Should I first fill it with something I can essentially do on my own (like a card game or simple mod)? Or is it reasonably possible to start with a design document, and hope that the idea attracts the attention of a programmer with the same mindset as you, building that portfolio. In the latter case, how far up the food chain can I step with just a good, fully detailed idea and no previous experience? 2D single player side scroller a place to start...?

A good place to start is Tom's website. That should give you a better idea of what you need to enter the industry.

Cho wrote:

>I'm interested in building 3D games someday, but I have no portfolio at all.

That's a silly statement. It's like saying "I want to make paintings someday, but I haven't made any paintings yet." The silly thing is putting the word "but" in there. If you want to do a thing someday, then of course (it's a given) that you haven't done that thing yet.

First you make stuff. You can't make a portfolio until after you've made stuff to put in it.

>Should I first fill it with

You're way ahead of yourself here, Cho. You need to make stuff first. It doesn't matter what you start making, and it doesn't matter which of several things you put into the portfolio first. Don't start by worrying about the portfolio.

> a card game or simple mod)? Or is it reasonably possible to start with a design document,

Which is it you want to do, do you want to program games or do you want to design them? I assume you're going to go to college -- what are you going to study? Computer science? Or other, design-related, creative subjects?

>and hope that the idea attracts the attention of a programmer

So I guess you're saying you'd rather be a game designer.

>how far up the food chain can I step with just a good, fully detailed idea and no previous experience?

Not very. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't write game designs. You definitely should.

>2D single player side scroller a place to start...?

Sure, why not. Doesn't much matter what you start with, as long as it's something reasonably manageable. (Not bigger than you can chew.)

Ok I reread some of Tom's website and feel a little better. I guess I was looking for someone that was in my shoes only a few years ago that could describe there experience... to serve as insight and, perhaps more importantly, as inspiration.

Tom, thanks for the pointers. To answer your questions, I'm at a community college almost ready to transfer to get a bachelor's in compsci. You asked if its programming or design I'm focused on... well I'm split. I'm a left brainer and feel that I'm inventive. As long as I can employ this I'm happy. However, remaining undecided or dividing my interests for too long I do recognize as an obstacle. It's an alternating tandem: I'm reading the best c++ book known to man (C++ primer) while also putting serious time into garage style design theory.

If you're going to be doing 3D graphics programming then you want to learn either OpenGL or Direct3D because they're the top two industry standard choices:

A good link to choose between the two:
DirectX or OpenGL


I'm studying OpenGL because it only took around ten minutes to get the simplest app to work. Also I read that OpenGL is used for other apps besides games.

To build a portfolio you first need to be able to build stuff. I'm trying to study as much as I possibly can about OpenGL before trying to attempt a project because I only know so many features and it would really be pointless to attempt such a task. I feel like if I start working on something like PacMan that I would be missing out on the experience of learning more graphics stuff.

An example of what I have done.

Some mistakes I have done:
(a) Having numerous 'projects' still in the works.
(b) Not having Java applets playable in the browser yet.

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Original post by openglJunkie If you're going to be doing 3D graphics programming then you want to learn either OpenGL or Direct3D because they're the top two industry standard choices:

I've decided to start with DirectX. I imagine it's never to soon to get my feet wet with DX even before learning my entire c++ book first. I'll probably focus on something with physics... like creating weapon projectiles. I've just come up with some unique ideas for action weapons and can't wait to show them to people so I can hear what they say about it. Weapon damage requires some good code and the concept of the weapon requires some good design too so it seems I have a pretty good, 2-4 month goal up ahead plus it can go on endlessly in refining and evolving new concepts and frameworks or so I presume.

Sollos, you've convinced me to getting a blog up of sorts so that I can show my work and communicate my experience to others. I'll at least give it a try, because I already write a ton.. even when most others would simply draw a concept, I find it easiest to just write a few keywords about it and then maybe return later on to detail it more thoroughly.

thanks for your help guys.