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July 27th, 2010 by: Ryan
Future game-makers test their skills at Ann Arbor summer camp
By Michael H. Hodges
Remember this: In a world where computers run everything, nerds rule.
So you might think the 31 kids glued to glowing screens last week at the Ann Arbor summer camp run by iD Tech, a company out of California’s Silicon Valley, were just a bunch of campers who prefer computers to campfires. But you would be wrong.
These are future masters of the universe, acquiring sophisticated programming skills in video-game design with Flash and Maya animation and other programs that most adults who design games don’t get under their belts until they hit college or the professional world.
The campers wore their nerdiness with a cheerful swagger.
“Oh yeah, I’m definitely a nerd,” said Alex Eichner, 15, a camper from Alexandria, Va. “No doubt about it.”
The week-long program was one of seven iD Tech sponsored this summer at the University of Michigan, as well as at other universities around the country. The last U-M session begins Sunday and winds up Aug. 8. Spots are still available. (See box, 2C.)
Last week, all the campers happened to be boys. Camp officials say most courses generally attract a few girls, at least, though they concede — video games being something of a male province — that they’re outnumbered.
This digital world comes with its own rarefied geek vocabulary — anyone over 30 might want to bring a translator. “Modders” modify existing games to their specifications, “actionscripting” or coding the landscape with “doodads” or “static mesh” — both terms for the physical details like cars, lamps or rocks that make a virtual world look realistic, all of which has to be painstakingly programmed.
For his part, Eichner was mapping the layout and geography for a “Warcraft 3″ video game he’s adapting to loosely resemble Capture the Flag.
“I’m making the heroes,” he said, while two of his teenage colleagues nearby worked on other details.
“It’s a lot of work,” Eichner said. “I have to tell the program how strong the heroes are and define aspects of their power. Are they fast? Do they fight up front with a sword? Do they have magic abilities?
“Then I have to balance them,” he added, “so they’re evenly matched.”
Lead instructor Finn Haverkamp, 23, said he majored in creative writing in college and acquired most of his computer skills on his own.
But he stressed the similarity between game design and the writing process — a lesson he passed along to the campers.
“Writing,” he said, with a nod to Eichner’s labors, “is all about revision. And game design is like that.”
Camp director Micki Woodford, 35, said this year iD Tech leaned on kids to come up with strong plots for their games and characters.
“The writing was really emphasized in our training,” she said. “Every camper has to submit a storyline in writing before we start making characters.”
Eichner was working in a 2-D universe — essentially designing games that bear some resemblance to the old Mario Brothers, where two characters compete or duke it out on screen.
In a nearby room, 13-year-old Adam Alpert from Farmington Hills was busy modifying “Half-Life,” a hugely popular 3-D game that puts the player right in the middle of the action.
It’s a “first-person shooter” game — meaning the player appears to move around just like in real life, seeing the world through his eyes. (That’s what they mean by “3-D.” No funny glasses are involved, and the computer images themselves are not three-dimensional.)
But as in real life, you don’t see your whole body because your eyes can’t take all of it in. Instead, in Alpert’s game, the shooter’s arms and hands are visible at the start, just as they would be when we look down.
It is, as he acknowledged with a grin full of braces, a “blood-and-guts game” where bad guys’ heads explode in a shower of red when you hit them. So it’s no surprise that iD Tech restricts enrollment in 3-D design to 13 years old and older.
In Alpert’s virtual universe, the player starts in a house.
“You want to get out the door,” he said, “but it’s blocked. So you get a crowbar, break the window, and from there you pretty much go into the city, passing downed houses, wrecked cars and burnt-out stuff.
“But, I haven’t got that far.”
He’d have to hurry. He had only three more days before the end of camp.
iD Tech camps
Got a computer whiz who’d like to polish her or his skills? There are still openings for the last week of high-tech computer design camp at the University of Michigan run by iD Tech.
Ages: 7 to 17; 3-D design classes limited to 13 and older
Cost: $779: one-week day camper; $1,249: one-week overnight camper
More information: Call (888) 709-8324 or visit www.internaldrive.com
mhodges@detnews.com (313) 222-6021
July 27th, 2010
Posted in: iD In The News, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin- Madison
July 25th, 2010 by: Elise
They sure don’t make summer camps like they used to
by Erich Schwartzel
Matthew Kowalyk spent last week at camp, sleeping in a Carnegie Mellon dorm that’s nice but “not ventilated well.” He walked down the hall — and not the hill — to take a shower, and his days were spent in front of the computer, developing a video game he calls “P.O.W. Panic”…
Click here to read the full article about our summer camps in PA
July 25th, 2010
Posted in: Carnegie Mellon University, iD In The News
July 24th, 2010 by: Ryan
Tech is Tops at Summer Camp
By George Ma
Ray gun-wielding aliens from a distant planet unleash a barrage of blaster fire on gargantuan, varicolored jellyfish on a two-dimensional cosmic battlefield – all driven by a series of rapid mouse clicks and spacebar taps.
From his seat in front of a 19-inch computer monitor, a young boy turns, a look of glee painted clearly across his face. He motions his instructor over to witness the success of his new video game, which he had programmed just hours before.
At iD Tech Camps, kids ages 7 to 17 study gaming, film, and graphic design. Weeklong sessions at UC Irvine began June 27 and run through Aug. 20.
During the course, students use cutting edge equipment and software to create 2D and 3D video games, design websites with Flash, edit digital movies, write computer coding with C++ and Java, and turn their creative ideas into iPhone apps. The curriculum is hands-on and project-based.
“This camp is too good to be true,” said Kanishka Vatsa, 9. “I get to make my own game.”
Vatsa’s games, “Link the Hero of Dreams” and “World of Wonder,” feature a hero who battles through fiery, lava-filled landscapes while jumping over obstacles and other things that a 9-year-old would find exciting.
“We try not to walk them through every step, but to let them create things on their own,” director Greg Hulet said.
Each student works on his or her own computer and an average of six students are assigned to each instructor. iD Tech Camps also expose students to university life, as courses are held on campus and meals are served in the cafeteria. Those who are overnight campers sleep in on-campus dorms.
Most of the students hail from Orange County. Some, however, flew in from as far as Shanghai. Students Linde Wang and Yue Yue “Sapphire” Hou, both 15, came from China to attend iD Tech Camp.
“We came to learn how to use Photoshop and improve our English,” Hou said.
No matter where a student is from, attending iD Tech Camp keeps the mind mentally engaged – a concern that many parents have for their kids during the summer months.
“We’ll teach you how to make a box, then how to program that box to do other things,” Hulet said. “You can come in knowing nothing and still produce something good by the end of the week.”
Pasha Dastmalchi, 11, will be camping with iD Tech for five straight weeks.
“I’m taking different courses each week. This week, I’m doing graphic design. I’m doing Java and C++ next, then game editing, and probably iPhone app development as well,” Dastmalchi said.
iD Tech Camps is in its 12th season at UCI. The camp is part of a nationwide summer camp program that has hosted more than 100,000 students and one of many different types of summer camps offered in Orange County.
For more information visit www.internalDrive.com.
Contact the writer: gma@ocregister.com
Original CA summer camps article can be found here: ocregister.com
July 24th, 2010
Posted in: iD In The News, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara
July 23rd, 2010 by: Josh
Hi All! Summer is in full swing and I’ve been super busy touring iD Tech Camps all over the nation! I’d like to take this time to share with you one of my favorite iD Tech Camp traditions, one that is unique to our Princeton location, in fact, one that I helped to start!
In 2005 I was an instructor iD Princeton teaching Web Design & Flash Animation. The bottom floor of our dorm had a lot of free space and it occurred to me that having a dance party is a great way to end a day of hard work at a computer! Several trips to a party store later, we had outfitted the space as a nightclub, rigged a laptop into a modest DJ booth and iDisco Tech was born. I was excited to see that the tradition is still going STRONG and campers and staff are still having a blast! Enjoy these pics!
Keep partying Princeton!
The fun doesn’t stop there! Make sure to check out all the cool photos from our Summer camps in New York, our Computer camps in Massachusetts, our Illinois summer camps and our Canadian Film School!
July 23rd, 2010 | Tags: iDisco Tech, Party, Princeton
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, Princeton University
July 22nd, 2010 by: Ryan
Summer computer camp gives kids hands-on learning experience
By Deia de Brito
Amanda Maurer has found a way to make endangered species come alive on her computer screen.
In her second week at iD Tech Camp, a private computer technology course at California State University, Sacramento, the 13-year-old is building an interactive website about endangered marine creatures like the Maui dolphin.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/22/2906835/summer-computer-camp-gives-kids.html#ixzz0uSKqMLms
July 22nd, 2010
Posted in: California State University, Sacramento, iD In The News, Uncategorized
July 19th, 2010 by: Marta
Now that camp is in session all over the nation (and in Canada too!) in places like our California Film Classes or our Boston summer camps, I thought it would be nice to show you all how to create your very own autograph/memory book to take to camp or anywhere else you travel this summer and capture memories and autographs of old and new friends that you meet along the way.
SUPPLES YOU’LL NEED & WHAT YOU’LL CREATE
For those of you attending iD summer camp, I’ve created this tutorial so that almost everything you need can be found at camp. If you’re not attending iD this summer, most of the materials are easy and inexpensive to find at any craft store.
Here’s a rundown of the list of supplies that you’ll need to create this super-cool autograph/memory book:
- Cardboard: Cut to the size of 8.5” wide x 5.5” tall
- Colored Paper: 2 sheets cut to the size of about 8.5” wide x 11” tall to cover your book.
- Colored Paper: 5 sheets cut to the size of 8.5” wide x 5.5” tall
- Illustrator, Photoshop or Microsoft Word: To create your cover image and inside page designs
- Scissors
- Hole Punch
- Glue
- String (to tie the book together)
- Green Tape (optional)
- Mod Podge & paint brush (optional—and not found at camp.)
Remember, if you want to make one of these books at camp to always double check with your instructor before grabbing these supplies. In fact, if you’re at home, I bet your parents would appreciate it if you asked too.
And here’s what your final project will look similar to:
CREATING THE COVER
For the cover of the autograph book, I simply found some old cardboard boxes that I didn’t need and cut them down to the size of 8.5” wide x 5.5” tall. Sometimes cardboard can be tricky to cut, so make sure that you’re extremely careful when you do this step (always cut away from your body) and that you ask for help from an adult if you need it.
Next, you’ll want to use a hole punch to punch out three holes, which we’ll use later to tie the book together.
Now grab two sheets of colored or decorative paper that are at least 10” wide x 7” long. (Letter-sized paper works well for this). These two sheets will be our cover for our book. I bought some decorative paper from a craft store for my cover. If you’re at camp, the neon construction paper that your Camp Director has will work great as a cover. Or if you want, you can leave the cardboard uncovered…it’s up to you!
If you choose to cover your cardboard pieces you’ll want to print and cut out this template.
Download: Cover Template
Once you have this cutout, glue the paper to the cover of each piece of cardboard (don’t worry about covering your hole punches…you’ll be re-punching them later.)
Then turn the cardboard pieces over, fold over the tabs and glue them to that side of the cardboard.
Use your hole punch and and re-punch the holes that you punched before. Set your two cover pieces aside for now, as we’ll be coming back to them later.
CREATING THE INSIDE PAGES
The inside pages are simple to create. Take 5 pieces (or more if you want) of any type of construction or decorative paper and cut it to the size of 8.5” wide x 5.5” tall. Use a hole punch to punch holes in the same spots as you did for your two cover pieces.
Set these pages aside for later for when you assemble your book.
DESIGNING YOUR GRAPHICS
Now it’s time to power up that computer and start digitally designing! For these graphics, I used both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop; you can even Microsoft Word to create your graphics.
First up is the cover artwork. In Photoshop I opened up a new print document (CMYK color mode at 300 dpi) with an artboard size of 5.5” wide x 4” tall.
Then I created a summertime cover graphic. You can choose anything for your graphic. If you need any help thinking of design ideas or styles, check out on some my previous posts on how to create a certain type of style.
After that, I added in a title for my book.
After you’re satisfied with your cover design, print it out and glue it on the top cover of your book.
Next up, you’ll want to create your inside page graphics. This is where you can really let your creative freedom go, since you can choose any type of subject for the inside of your pages.
Using Adobe Illustrator, I created a new print document that was 8.5” wide x 11” tall. Then I created two rectangles with 7”wide x 4” tall. After we print our artwork, these lines will help us know where to cut so that they fit on the colored paper that we prepped earlier.
Then, I created designs on four of the boxes that included fun things that I could fill in about my summer and added in a title and a graphic on each page.
The remaining four pages, I kept as autograph pages, so I anyone I meet can sign my book. Once again I added in a title and a graphic for each page.
After I designed all my inside pages, I printed them out on a color printer and cut them out to size. Once each page was cut out, I glued one on each side of the paper that was prepped earlier and set them aside to dry.
OPTIONAL MOD-PODGE
This step is optional, but if you’re able, get a hold of some Mod Podge (found at any craft store). Mod Podge is a glue-like substance that will give a nice, glossy coat to your book. It will also make your cover water-proof and more durable.
You’ll need some sort of brush to apply the Mod Podge to your book covers and then just brush a thick coat on. When you apply it, it will look white and filmy. Not to worry, as it will dry clear.
ASSEMBLING YOUR BOOK
Assembling your book is easy. Just take your two covers (if you used Mod Podge, be sure that they’re dry) and all of the pages that you created and put them in the order that you want them to appear in your book. Each of the holes that your punched should line up if you measured them out each time. Take three pieces of string and string them through the holes in your book and tie them in a tight knot (but just slightly loose enough so you can turn the pages).
CAN I GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH PLEASE?
Now that your book is ready to use, be sure to bring it along to all the places you go this summer. How cool would it be, if you attended one of our summer camps or teen gaming camps and were able to get every camper and instructor’s signature in your book? Very cool! If you manage to do that, be sure to let us know on our iD Tech Camps facebook page, because that is one tough feat…but one that I know any iD camper is capable of achieving!
July 19th, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
July 16th, 2010 by: Ryan
July 16th, 2010
Posted in: iD In The News, Wesleyan University
July 16th, 2010 by: Elise
Tech Camps teach kids to create video games
By Salvador Rodriguez
They laugh and giggle as they make their characters jump from platform to platform, avoid traps and shoot bad guys, but don’t mistake what these kids are doing for play time.
They’re actually working — testing each other’s video game designs.
Thirty-seven children ages seven to 17 are in a weeklong session at the University of Houston learning to make websites and create and modify video games at a technology camp put on by InternalDrive, a California company that hosts similar summer computer camps around the country….
Click here to read the full article about our Houston summer camps
July 16th, 2010
Posted in: iD In The News, Southern Methodist University, St. Edward’s University, Trinity University, University of Houston, University of the Incarnate Word
