Human Resources Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Resources Management - Assignment Example HRM is said to have evolved from personnel management and very little difference exists between the two as explained in literature; Hendry and Pettigrew viewed HRM as a different perspective of personnel management. However, a thorough study reveals that HRM essentially deals with strategic integration of personnel management functions in order to instil better accountability and ownership of human resources and to improve commitment between human resources and the firm. Personnel management can be traced back to industrial revolution, in firms such as Ford, which has eventually evolved to HRM even in these firms. Both, Tesco and McDonald’s operate as retail outlets and provide different services to their customers across the globe; while Tesco is a large supermarket with its major presence in the UK, McDonald’s is a fast-food restaurant operating throughout the world. Primarily, the functions of HRM include HR planning and acquisition, compensation and benefits, employ ee relations, safe working conditions, and human resources development; HRM’s secondary functions involve supportive activities such as job designing, performance management and performance appraisal systems, and research and information activities. (Sims, RR & Sims, SJ, 2007). For instance, at McDonald’s, HRM functions include activities related to maintaining employee relations and managing technology and processes; however, McDonald’s has customized these functions according to the country they operate through a team of HR directors that travel around the world to formulate and implement HR policies and procedures that match the local requirements and conform to legislation (Sims, 2002). Observations show McDonald’s typically comprises of working crew, supervisors/managers and probably some back-office personnel that work at locations other than their outlets. According to their website, HR function at McDonald’s focuses on acquiring and develop ing best talent suitable to their business through strong practices and by providing constant support and learning opportunities. Their main functions include job analysis, HR planning, recruitment, development, performance appraisal, and compensation (HRMS, n.d). Their corporate strategy is to provide an exceptional customer experience through people, products, place, price and promotion (Mission & Values, n.d). Their first step towards this is to hire the right people for the job followed by training and development. Tesco’s HR function takes credit for its diversified businesses and substantial growth (MacLachlan, 2009). According to MacLachlan’s (2009) report, their HR team was able to successfully blend technical excellence and expertise with customer needs through integrity, which led to their growth. Tesco’s business policies and procedures are strategically aligned to its core mission through identification of leaders, commitment, training and developmen t. Their HR function is involved in almost every aspect of these activities in order to achieve the desired outcomes. Considering the line managers’ perspective, generally, they own the responsibility of conducting business with the help of frontline staff. They manage routine business operations through planning, organising and controlling; and developing human resources through training,

Disintermediation and Reintermediation Assignment

Disintermediation and Reintermediation - Assignment Example Reintermediation however defines re-introduction of the intermediaries in the commercial cycle. A business that focuses on optimization and specialization and has resources for utilizing intermediaries may therefore apply reintermediation while a small-scale enterprise that lacks resources and requires closer touch with clients may apply disintermediation in the same market (Oliver, Livermore and Sudweeks 100-102). Last week is the last time that one of us used a travel agent. Such applications are however common with most people preferring online agencies for inquiries, applications, business transactions. Online sites exist in different industries to mediate interactions among the industries’ stakeholders. Examples of the sights are Mmonster.com, Trulia.com, and LegalZoom.com and they offer cost efficiency and convenience to stakeholders. Trulia.com, for example, offer information on real estate, associated environments, and therefore saves real estate agents the cost and time that could be spent to move to different properties. Monster.com and LegalZoom.com also has the cost efficiency and time convenience effects (Cruz-Cunha and Varajao 138). A better understanding of the business environment is one of the potential opportunities that disintermediation offer for my new business. Potential conflict of interest among agents explains this. In order to secure their agency, agents would offer limited and complicated information with the aim of promoting dependence on their services while elimination of such agency will allow for a direct link with consumers to offer unlimited information on the market environment. Profit maximization is another opportunity that disintermediation offers to the business because of limited administration costs. Intermediaries may also mislead a new business to create an entry barrier and disintermediation can manage this (Oliver, Livermore and Sudweeks 100). A business like eBay still

History of Exxon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History of Exxon - Essay Example The Standard Oil Company in 1899 became the holding company for all corporations listed under the trust, but was order by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1911 to separate from 33 American subsidiaries. In 1972, Standard Oil Company (New Jersey) changed its name to Exxon Corporation with other subsidiaries and affiliates, including Humble also adopting the name Exxon. Exxon had established itself in every phase of oil industry before merging with Mobil Company in 1999. Exxon dealt in oil transport via pipelines and also owns a largest fleet of tankers in relation to its peers. Exxon Mobil Corporation comes second after BP as the world largest integrated oil firm. The company runs oil and gas discovery, production, haulage as well as marketing in over 200 countries around the world (ExxonMobil, n.d). The company is also a major player in manufacturing of petrochemicals (Rienstra, Linsley & Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, 2003). In 2014 quarter 4, Exxon Mobil recorded a higher decrease in total revenue year on year by -22.22 percent, which was faster compared with its competitors’ overall decrease of -16.91 over the same period. Exxon Mobil also recorded a net margin of 7.64 percent, thus achieving higher profitability compared to its competitors, including Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and Chevron (CSIMarket,

Developing and Transitional Economies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Developing and Transitional Economies - Essay Example Professionals, who have talents, transfer to developed nations in search of better living standards. To increase the standard of living in developing nations; proper infrastructure needs to be developed, literacy rate needs to be increased and investment rates need to elevate. Developing countries face the curse of low productivity due to low saving rate as there are very few attractive saving options. Even those who have the power to save, transfer their funds to developed nations to gain higher returns. Foreign aid is one of the best ways for developing underdeveloped nations, foreign aid is used to build infrastructure, develop educational and medical centers (Gravelle, 1992, p.300). Two countries having same size can have different living standards. Living standard is calculated by dividing national income with the number of people, this tells us the income earned by each individual at an average (World Bank, 2009, p.391). This measure does not helps in identifying what actually per house in a particular country is spending as certain households may be spending the highest percentage of the total national

Summary of Empire as a Way of Life Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary of Empire as a Way of Life - Assignment Example As a means of understanding such a concept from an economic standpoint, the author details how the United States has used its power of empire through the decades as a means of extracting valuable raw materials from less powerful nations and nations under its ultimate influence. However, the extraction of cheap raw materials in and of itself is not enough to understand the full extent of how empire affects the nation. Appleman notes that the ultimate reflection of economic power defined from empire is the way that the nation acts towards the markets with which it seeks to sell its goods. This of course can be seen in the way the United States has behaved historically and even currently.Similarly, the article goes on to discuss the way that empire fundamentally affects the world view of the citizens of the imperial power. Naturally, this is done in a number of ways. The author discusses the role that media and specifically television can play in helping to create what is ultimately a t ype of alter-reality in which the citizen lives; fully believing that all of the benefits of freedom, low cost consumer goods, and a litany of other factors are merely the result of good fortune and a good model of governance rather than the direct byproducts of a powerful.From an analysis of the article and a consideration of its main topics and discussion, it has been understood by this reviewer that the author has perfectly described the system as it has and continues to exist within the United States. Although it may not be comfortable to think of the extravagance, cheap goods, and ultimate freedom that the American lifestyle engenders within the context of imperial conquest and prowess, the fact of the matter is that there is no more appropriate way to view the system. Moreover, a greater understanding of the determinants to American power as well as the prime motivation and constructs for the culture as it has grown and continues to develop does not exist. In this particular w ay, the given piece has helped to open the eyes of this author with regards to the full level and extent to which the concept and applications of empire affect nearly each and every aspect of both material and cultural/societal life within the United States. Similarly, another powerful argument that the author raises is with regards to the way in which American imperialism did not ultimately start with the Mexican American War as so many others historians and political scientists have pointed to. Rather, it has been within the very fiber of the American consciousness since first settlement took place. This is an important construct due to the fact that the reader should note that such a concept ties in directly with the idea of conquest and domination of the territory. Manifest Destiny, the American Civil War, the attacks on the Barbary Coast, and the forcible opening of Japan by Admiral Perry all fall into place and make a much clearer and complete sense to the reader within the context of such an understanding. In this way, the author truly interjects a level of analysis in seeking to detail

Decision Making Stages Essay Example for Free

Decision Making Stages Essay Decision making (decision from Latin decidere to decide, determine, literally to cut off, from de- off and caedere to cut) can be regarded as the mental processes (cognitive process) resulting in the selection of a course of action among several alternative scenarios. Every decision making process produces a final choice.[1] The output can be an action or an opinion of choice. * | Decision making stages Developed by B. Aubrey Fisher, there are four stages that should be involved in all group decision making. These stages, or sometimes called phases, are important for the decision making process to begin Orientation stage – This phase is where members meet for the first time and start to get to know each other. Conflict stage – Once group members become familiar with each other, disputes, little fights and arguments occur. Group members eventually work it out. Emergence stage – The group begins to clear up vague opinions by talking about them. Reinforcement stage – Members finally make a decision, while justifying themselves that it was the right decision. It is said that critical norms in a group improves the quality of decisions, while the majority of opinions (called consensus norms) do not. This is due to collaboration between one another, and when group members get used to, and familiar with, each other, they will tend to argue and create more of a dispute to agree upon one decision. This does not mean that all group members fully agree — they may not want argue further just to be liked by other group members or to fit in.[12] Q2 A management information system (MIS) is a system that provides information needed to manage organizations effectively. Management information systems are regarded to be a subset of the overall internal controls procedures in a business, which cover the application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures used by management accountants to solve business problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide strategy. Applications of MIS With computers being as ubiquitous as they are today, theres hardly any large business that does not rely extensively on their IT systems. However, there are several specific fields in which MIS has become invaluable. Strategy Support While computers cannot create business strategies by themselves they can assist management in understanding the effects of their strategies, and help enable effective decision-making. ï  ¶ MIS systems can be used to transform data into information useful for decision making. Computers can provide fina ncial statements and performance reports to assist in the planning, monitoring and implementation of strategy. MIS systems provide a valuable function in that they can collate into coherent reports unmanageable volumes of data that would otherwise be broadly useless to decision makers. By studying these reports decision-makers can identify patterns and trends that would have remained unseen if the raw data were consulted manually. ï  ¶ MIS systems can also use these raw data to run simulations hypothetical scenarios that answer a range of ‘what if’ questions regarding alterations in strategy. For instance, MIS systems can provide predictions about the effect on sales that an alteration in price would have on a product. These Decision Support Systems (DSS) enable more informed decision making within an enterprise than would be possible without MIS systems. Q3 Information Resources Management (IRM) is an emerging discipline that helps managers assess and exploit their information assets for business development. It draws on the techniques of information science (libraries) and information systems (IT related). It an important foundation for knowledge management, in that deals systematically with explicit knowledge. Knowledge centres often play an important part in introducing IRM into an organization. Identification:- * Identifies gaps and duplication of information * Clarifies roles and responsibilities of owners and users of information * Provide costs saving in the procurement and handling of information * Identifies cost/benefits of different information resources * Actively supports management decision processes with quality information Development :- 1. Understand the role of Information. Information can add value to your products and services. Improved information flows can improve the quality of decision making and internal operations. Yet many managers do not fully understand the real impact of information the cost of a lost opportunity, of a poor product, of a strategic mistake all risks that can be reduced by using the appropriate information. 2. Assign Responsibility for Leading your IRM Initiative. Developing value from information resources is often a responsibility that falls between the cracks of several departments the user departments in different business units, and corporate planning, MIS units or librarians.. 3. Develop Clear Policies on Information Resources Policies for ascertaining information needs, acquiring and managing information throughout its life cycle. Pay particular attention to ownership, information integrity and sharing. Make the policies consistent with your organisational culture. 4. Conduct an Information Audit (Knowledge Inventory). Identify current knowledge and information resources (or entities), their users, usage and importance. Identify sources, cost and value. Classify information and knowledge by its key attributes. Develop knowledge maps. As knowledge management gains prominence, this is sometimes called a knowledge inventory knowing what you know. 5. Link to Management Processes. Make sure that key decision and business process are supported with high leverage information. Assess each process for its information needs. 6. Systematic scanning. Systematically scan your business environment. This includes the wider environment legal and regulatory, political, social, economic and technological as well as the inner environment of your industry, markets, customers and competitors. Provide selective and tailored dissemination of vital signs to key executives. This goes beyond the daily abstracting service provided by many suppliers. 7. Mix hard/soft, internal/external. True patterns and insights emerge when internal and external data is juxtaposed, when hard data is evaluated against qualitative analysis. Tweak your MkIS system to do these comparisons. 7. Optimize your information purchases. You dont have to control purchasing, but most organisations do not know how much they are really spending on external information. By treating consultancy, market research, library expenses, report and databases as separate categories, many organisations are confusing media with content. 8. Introduce mining and refining processes. Good information management involves data mining, information refining and knowledge editing. You can use technology such as intelligent agents, to help, but ultimately subject matter experts are needed to repackage relevant material in a user friendly format. One useful technique is content analysis, whose methods have been developed by Trend Monitor International in their Information Refinery, and are used in our analysis services. The classifying, synthesising and refining of information combines the crafts of the information scientist, librarian, business analyst and market researcher/analyst. Yet many organisations do not integrate these disciplines. 9. Develop Appropriate Technological Systems Continual advances in technology increase the opportunities available for competitive advantage through effective information management. In particular, intranets, groupware and other collaborative technologies make it possible for more widespread sharing and collaborative use of information. Advances in text retrieval, document management and a host of other trends in knowledge management technologies have all created new opportunities for providers and users alike. 10. Exploit technology convergence. Telecommunications, office systems, publishing, documentation are converging. Exploit this convergence through open networking, using facilities such as the World Wide Web, not just for external information dissemination but for sharing information internally. 11. Encourage a Sharing Culture Information acquires value when turned into intelligence. Market Intelligence Systems (MkIS) are human expert-centred. Raw information needs interpretation, discussing and analysing teams of experts, offering different perspectives. This know-how sharing is a hall-mark of successful organisations. Q4 Mis use in financial management: Management Information Systems (MIS) in Finance have been widely adopted both by corporations as well as governments. They are information systems with capacity to maintain large data bases enabling organizations to store, organize and access financial information easily. 1. General Ledger * The main use of a management information System (MIS) in finance is that it automatically updates all the transactions in the General Ledger. The General Ledger is the core component of all financial information systems. Financial transactions are simultaneously posted on the various accounts that comprise the organizations Chart of Accounts. Simultaneous updating of accounts such as sales, inventory and accounts receivable, reduces errors. It also provides an accurate and permanent record of all historical transactions. Cash Management * Cash flow management is an important use of MIS in Finance. Cash Management refers to the control, monitoring and forecasting of cash for financing needs. Use of MIS in Finance helps companies track the flow of cash through accounts receivable and accounts payable accurately. Accurate records also help in monitoring cost of goods sold. This can help pin point areas that eat up cash flow such as inventory costs, high raw material costs or unreliable sales. * Sponsored Links * CFP Certification course ICICIdirect experts help you become a Certified Financial Planner.Apply www.icicidirect.com/CFP Budget Planning * Financial budget planning uses proforma or projected financial statements that serve as as formal documents of managements expectations regarding sales, expenses and other financial transactions. Thus financial budgets are tools used both for planning as well as control. MIS in finance helps organizations evaluate what if scenarios. By modifying the financial ratios, management can foresee the effects of various scenarios on the financial statements. MIS thus serves as a decision making tool, helping in choosing appropriate financial goals. Financial Reporting * The use of MIS systems in Finance enables companies to generate multiple financial reports accurately and consistently. Generation of financial statements both for internal reports as well as for shareholder information takes less effort because of the automatic updating of the General Ledger. Compliance with Government regulations as well as auditing requirements is also easier because the records are accurate and provide a permanent historical map of transactions that can be verified. Financial Modeling * A financial model is a system that incorporates mathematics, logic and data in the form of a large database. The model is used to manipulate the financial variables that affect earnings thus enabling planners to view the implications of their planning decisions. MIS in Finance enables organizations to store a large amount of data. This helps managers develop accurate models of the external environment and thus incorporate realistic what if scenarios into their long-range planning goal. PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT: Production means transformation of Raw materials into finished products for sale. According to E. L. Brech, â€Å" Production Management is the process of effective planning and regulating the operations of that section of an enterprise which is responsible for the actual transformation of materials into finished products†. 1.Statergic planning 2 tactical planning 3 operational procedure. Q5 computer programs that are derived from a branch of computer science research called Artificial Intelligence (AI). AIs scientific goal is to understand intelligence by building computer programs that exhibit intelligent behavior. It is concerned with the concepts and methods of symbolic inference, or reasoning, by a computer, and how the knowledge used to make those inferences will be represented inside the machine. Of course, the term intelligence covers many cognitive skills, including the ability to solve problems, learn, and understand language; AI addresses all of those. The Building Blocks of Expert Systems Every expert system consists of two principal parts: the knowledge base; and the reasoning, or inference, engine. The knowledge base of expert systems contains both factual and heuristic knowledge. Factual knowledge is that knowledge of the task domain that is widely shared, typically found in textbooks or journals, and commonly agreed upon by those knowledgeable in the particular field. Heuristic knowledge is the less rigorous, more experiential, more judgmental knowledge of performance. In contrast to factual knowledge, heuristic knowledge is rarely discussed, and is largely individualistic. It is the knowledge of good practice, good judgment, and plausible reasoning in the field. It is the knowledge that underlies the art of good guessing. Knowledge representation formalizes and organizes the knowledge. One widely used representation is the production rule, or simply rule. A rule consists of an IF part and a THEN part (also called a condition and an action). Example: Robotics Use of robots: for example, in industry, health, warfare, airlines, space, underwater exploration Q6 An integral part of any eBusiness system is its database. However, an advanced study of implementing databases is beyond the scope of this course. Here, for now, we are concerned with understanding the role that a database plays in an ebusiness system and in gaining an appreciation for the relational approach to managing data. A relational database turns raw data into persistent structured collections of information. In addition to managing information a database defines the relationships within an ebusiness system. The MIS is supported by database in its endeavor to support the management in decision making. The database models be it the NDBM, the HDBM or the RDBM, play the same role in the MIS. With the latest computer hardware and software capabilities the RDBMS have become popular. The concept of the end user computing can be implemented easily with the database approach to the information system. With the database approach, considerable data processing efforts, which were spent in the approach of the conventional system, are saved. The data is made independent of its application. The MIS designs have become more dependable due to the database and the SQL. The rigidity of the design is replaced by the flexibility of the design. It is now possible to review the applications more frequently from the point of view of utility and have them modified, if necessary. The database has strengthened the foundations of the MIS due to the following: * The database can be evolved to the new needs of the MIS. * The multiple needs can be met with easily. * The data design and the output design is flexible * Open system design of the MIS is possible. * The query handling becomes easier due to the Standard SQL. * User-friendly end user computing is possible. * The data is freed from its ownership and its use has become universal. * The Information Technology provides tools to handle distributed multiple databases making the MIS richer.

The Structure and Use of 3D Models

The Structure and Use of 3D Models Guide showing the structure and use of 3D Models Topic 1 Structure of 3D models 3D coordinate systems Explain There are two types of coordinate systems that are commonly used in 3D graphics, either left or right handed, in both coordinate systems both the positive X and Y axis are the same with the Z axis being the only main difference. Analyse World The world coordinate system also known as universe or model coordinate system is the base reference for the overall model, all other models relate to. Local The local coordinate system relates specifically to a selected object when the object moves the local axis will move with is making it easier to animate. The local space has a completely separate xyz from the world/global xyz. Z-up Is one of the ground axis and is used to say how far a model is moved left or right depending on the number given. Y-up Is the up/elevation axis and is used to determined where a model is placed when moved either up or down depending on the number that is given. Evaluate the 3D coordinate system is extremely helpful as it gives us a visual reference on where an object/model would be in the 3d world. This allows us to position models exactly where we need them. Views of 3D models Explain There are two ways we can look at 3d models either perspective or orthographic, they are used to see the 3d model in either the view of the user (perspective) or as a flat 2d image (orthographic). Analyse Perspective Perspective is an approximate representation of an image as seen by the users eye, the most characteristic feature of perspective viewing are that objects appear smaller the further away as the distance from the object and observer increases. Orthographic Orthographic view has a fixed depth in which you cannot zoom in or out, and is used when checking if different models at different depths are the same size, this is done by making the models appear 2d. Evaluate both views have their advantages and disadvantages, where the perspective view can help you view the models/objects in a way that is natural to the human eye it doesnt help when youre trying to match the height of distant objects, whereas using the orthographic view allows you to see all objects as a 2D image allowing you to scale objects to the correct size. The Geometric Structure of Models Explain -ÂÂ   3D models are mathematical representations of an object, they can be compared to sculpting as a 3D artist would build or mold the object by taking into account all the sides and angles. The elements that make a 3D model consist of vertices, edges, faces and polygons, all of which can be manipulated individually in whichever software you choose such as blender, Maya or 3D studio Max. Analyse Vertex Vertices are the smallest point of a 3D model, they are made when two or more edges meet therefore corners of the polygons fuse together to make a vertex. The vertex is shared between all edges, faces and polygons and would affect all of these if the vertex is transformed. Edge The edge in a 3D model is a line which connects two vertices and borders faces and polygons, transforming these will affect all vertices faces and polygons which are connected to the edge. Polygon/face Face is a triangular surface connected by three surrounding edges and three corner vertices where as a polygon is an even four surface made up of four or more corners and two or more faces, high quality 3D characters are usually made of four sided polygons as ones with five or more sides can cause issues. Element the elements of a model are as follows tets, bricks, prisms, and pyramids these can be used to mesh any 3D model, with the 2D equivalents being triangular and quadrilateral elements. Surface normal modifying the orientation of surface normals affects the polygons appearance, when the surface normals are at right angles to a face light appears to bounce off the surface, this sharply defines the polygon face creating crisp edges, when set at different angles this allows light to roll off, which creates a smoother look. Evaluate knowing the structure of a model can help in deciding which shapes to start from and also to help manipulate the shape into the desired model/ object that you are looking for. The Structure of Different Polygons Explain There are three different ways of creating a mesh either using triangles quads or n-gons, tris and quads are more preferable than and n-gons are just avoided at all cost as they can cause issues. Analyse Triangles Triangles are a simple three sided polygon,made of three vertices connectingÂÂ   three edges, it is the smallest configuration needed to make a polygonal face. Also referred to as a tri. Quads Quads are the most desired type of polygon and most artist would use only quads as it makes their work more appealing to customers. They are made up of exactly four sides and four vertices, quads can also be referred to as quadrilateral polygons. N-gons N-gons are made up of more than four edges and vertices, n-gons can usually be divided into either quads or triangles or sometimes both which makes them easy to replace. They are usually avoided as they often create unwanted topology. Evaluate Using tris quads is very well sought after as theses are what computers can render them a lot faster especially quads, ngons on the other hand are usually avoided as they tend to cause distortion and deformation, tris can also cause this issue but not as much. Different methods of creating models Explain There are two different ways of creating models either with polygonal modeling or spline/curve based modeling, these are both used to create models with polygonal being the most used as it is more flexible but curve-based will make smoother curves. Analyse Polygonal modeling Polygons are created by using points in a 3d space called vertices, when they are connected together they form a mesh, which is used mainly for 3d models as they can easily be manipulated and rendered by computers quickly. On the downside they are planar and can only estimate a curved edge based on many polygons.ÂÂ   Spline/ curve-based modeling Curves are based off weighted control points, which when increased influences the curve closer to that point. The curve follows but does not always enter the points. Curve types include splines, nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS), patches and geometric primitives. Evaluate The different methods in modeling be it polygonal or curved based both have different advantages and uses depending on what is needed, polygonal modeling is best used for 3D models as they can be rendered quickly by computers but the downside is that they are planar and can only make rough curves. Curve Based on the other hand is best used in a situation where curves and edges must be as smooth as possible such as in engineering, although manipulating it can be a lot harder. Pivot points Explain Pivot points are used to represent the location of a model in space, they are also used to control how models rotate and scale and move. All changes to a model are relative to the pivot point. Analyse -ÂÂ   Move moves the pivot point bringing the object that is connected to the pivot point with it. Scale increases or decreases the size of the object from the point of the pivot origin. Rotation rotates the object/model around the pivot point depending on the postion of the pivot point. Evaluate Having a movable pivot point is advantageous as it allows the object to be moved, rotated and scaled from different points allowing you to manipulate the object in many ways. UV coordinates Explain Are 2D coordinates used on a 3D model and are basically a textures x and y coordinates which always range from 0 to 1. With the V value going from bottom left to top left and the U value going from bottom left to bottom right, each vertex will have a uv coordinate value. Analyse -ÂÂ   UV mapping is usually done by unfolding a model, a pyramid for example, at the seams laying the model image onto a flat page once unwrapped the artist can then paint a texture onto each side triangle individually. Evaluate Allows for more detailed texturing and painting on 3D models by assigning pixels in the image to surface mappings on the polygon, this can then be easily exported to other 3d programs and then further adjusted. Mapping methods Explain -ÂÂ   Mapping methods are ways in which textures are applied to different models and objects, they are mainly used to quickly apply a texture to different shaped models depending on what the model shape is as some work better than others. Analyse Planar planar is used to apply a texture onto a flat model such as basic terrain and walls, when trying to place a texture on an uneven or complex surface it can often stretch and distort polygons that are not facing the projected map directly. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130484/uv_mapping_tips_and_tricks.php Box box mapping is done by placing a texture onto a model from six different sides, which is mainly used when you need quick mapping for less important of a model, and also used on technical or architectural objects. It is however not as useful for texturing more natural models where more accurate mapping is required. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130484/uv_mapping_tips_and_tricks.php Cylinder Cylindrical mapping is used for mapping more cylindrical models such as arms, cans and trees, it is one of the most used type of mapping but still needs tweaking afterwards in the uv editor. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130484/uv_mapping_tips_and_tricks.php Spherical Spherical mapping is mainly used to map out asteroids and planets, one downside is that it causes pixels to compact at the poles of the sphere. It can be used to block out mapping on human heads but loses its usefulness on models with multiple overlapping parts. Requires significant work afterwards. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130484/uv_mapping_tips_and_tricks.php Unwrapping unwrapping is done by creating uv coordinates which is generated for each vertex. One way is for the 3d modeler to unfold the mesh at the seams laying the model on a flat page, once unwrapped you can then paint a texture on each individual polygon. Pelt pelt mapping is used to map more natural models like animals and characters, pelt mapping allows you to pull a detailed uvw map flat allowing you to make a more accurate shape of the model which makes it easier to produce a more convincing texture. Evaluate Most mapping methods are extremely useful as they allow you to map a texture onto the different surfaces of a model as there are multiple choices to pick from there is usually one to fit the model you are working on, theses can save a great deal of time by quickly mapping the texture onto oddly shaped models which would be time consuming otherwise. The materials used on 3D models. Explain Adding textures to models is a lot more than just adding colours, you are also able to use different techniques and mpas to add more detail to the model letting you add effects such as shadows textures height etc. Analyse Base Colour, Albedo, Diffuse -ÂÂ   is the most common texture map, it specifies the pattern and colour of the object. It basically paints an image onto the surface. Normal Maps a normal map is a map which defines the direction your geometry normals are facing, with this info you can create a fakeÂÂ   the illusion of height to how the model is affected by light. Height Maps / Displacement Maps displacement maps are used when you need to add more detail to affect your model, this is a very powerful option as it actually affects the geometry.ÂÂ   Ambient Occlusion The occlusion map is used to define the areas of a model which should receive low or high indirect lighting. It is a grayscale image with white marking areas which should get full indirect light, and black for areas receiving no indirect light. An example would be a stone wall texture which is uneven. Specular Maps Specular mapping is used to define how well an area reflects light, the colour and bumpiness may be the same but using either dark or light tones you are able to change how reflective the surface is. An example would be a characters eyes compared to the skin or how a material reacts when wet or dry. Lightmaps are data structures used in light mapping, it works by pre-calculating the brightness of a surface and storing it in texture maps for later use. They are more used on static items so as the light does not need to be recalculated every frame. Evaluate using these can be extremely helpful in creating the models you desire without having to form the whole thing as some can help create the effects of textures, shadows height, and even make them seem more detailed which saves you adding more polygons to a model and increasing the count. http://blog.digitaltutors.com/understanding-difference-texture-maps/ The creation and use of convex collision hulls. Explain A convex collision hull is a simplified low poly count meshes that encases more complex objects, this is used to determine where a collision will occur on the object as well as other physic based interactions. Analyse It is an invisible mesh that stops the player and other models falling through each other, this can be costly on the graphics and processor power as the model triangles have to be calculated twice, once for the 3d model and once for the mesh collider. Each object must have a collision shape. Simpler shapes such as boxes, spheres and capsules are used as they are much faster to test but are less precise. Evaluate the collision hull helps make objects and models seem more to life by not letting you fall through walls and floors but can also affect how some objects are effected depending on how simple or complex the hull is compared to the model it is covering. Level of detail models (LODs) Explain LODs or level of detail are used to help render times by reducing the amount of polygons that show on models which are further away from the character, this is used to help rendering times and helps performance. Analyse LODs limit the amount of polygons on a model to help reduce rendering times whenever the character is at a distance, this helps keep focus on the immediate area and less at background scenery. Evaluate LODs can help increase frame render time by reducing the amount of polygons and detail that is on screen at any one time by determining whats more important or whats being focused on more and only giving that the proper amount of detail. Although this can help render time it may also cause some lag or drop in frames when too much detail is trying to load in at once. Vertex colour information Explain Vertex colour is a RGBA value that is traditionally used to add diffuse or emissive colour to the geometry of the model, this can be added to any vertex on the model. With more powerful games engines this can be used to do amazing things. Analyse Vertex colouring is used to colour foliage animations, baking inexpensive AO and lighting info, it can also be used to blend different materials on terrain or other meshes, but can be used for a lot more things Evaluate Vertex coloring can be used easily as it requires no UVs, although it is geometry dependant and not suited for high detail. Model constraints Explain When creating content such as 3D art for games and other real time applications there is constrictions which need to be applied to help increase performance and reduce render time. These constraints include polygon count, texture size and file size. Analyse Polygon Count The constraint on polygons count is that the more polygons or faces that appear within the render view the longer it takes for the frame to render, this limits polygons count to help with rendering time. This applies to games as well as non real time animations or special effects, this is all linked to the hardware available. Texture size textures need to be done effectively as the bigger and more complex the texture the longer the game will take to load it, this can cause the textures to take time to render and ruin the experience of the player. File Size The two main constraints that file size has is that 3D graphics need to be stored somewhere, either on disc a hard drive or in the cloud waiting for digital download. For this reason file size needs to be efficient to make sure they fit onto the the media that they are designed for, if the 3D art is too large for one disc it must be split onto two or more discs or may require an extremely long time to download especially for those with slow internet speeds. Evaluate Model constraints help with loading and rendering times by limiting the amount polygons and textures the artist is allowed to use, although this seems bad if there was no constraints the game would not load well and have constant drops with the frame rate, the downside to this is that the game will unfortunately not have everything that the developers wanted as some things may need to be cut due to file size restrictions. Topic 2 Uses of 3D models Decorative meshes Explain Decorative meshes are used to decorate a blank 3D world and make it more interesting, theses decorative meshes can range from indoor items such as chairs tables etc, to outdoor objects such as cars, trees and wells for example. Decorative meshes also help to make the 3D world seem a lot more interesting and also help make itÂÂ   more true to life and improve the players experience. Analyse these consist of multiple objects such as cars, trees, bushes etc which is placed around the 3D world so as its not blank and more interesting. Evaluate The advantage of using decorative meshes is that it increases the realism of the world theyre placed, they also improve the players experience as they are not walking around a bland world. Environment meshes Explain Environments are what a 3D world is made from, every environment also needs to be filled with 3D meshes, a balance of quantity and quality must be found as this needs to be as good looking as possible but also needs to be done efficiently. Analyse Environment meshes are used to create the 3D worlds invitroment, be in be buildings or other structures, this needs to be able to be done effectively and quickly as its a main part of the world but not all the focus will be on it. Evaluate Allows for a more immersive world as it adds character to the area and can also set the mood depending on the art style used. Modular meshes Explain Modular meshes for 3D environments are used to create fast environments using small tiling models and maximum flexibility, to make this as effective as possible you should first make sure that the grid for the 3D package is the exact same as the grid that the engine youre going to make the model for. Modular meshes can be reused to save time on developing multiple models. Analyse modular meshes can be made into kits, for example piping for walls, so that the developers and artists can reuse them to speed up the process without putting in as much work for areas that require less attention. Evaluate the advantage of using modular meshes are that you are able to quickly create game environments with maximum flexibility to change when needed, they are also reusable meaning you can keep a certain art style no matter the size. The downside to this is that the reused art style can quickly become repetitive. Meshes used for non-skeletal animation Explain Games can have a number of models which can be used for non skeletal animation these tend to be models which are not rigged (i.e with a skeleton) examples of these can be doors, boxes with lids that open, shop signs and even platforms can be animated to move. Analyse non skeletal animation works by the object or model not having a rigged skeleton allowing it to move or swing freely, for example a door may swing on its hinge, to create this the pivot point of the door must be placed at the point in which you want the door to swing. Evaluate the advantages of non skeletal animation are that it allows the game world to flow more freely using swinging doors, and makes the game seem more life like having signs and lids able to open. Skyboxes and skydomes Explain A skybox is made from a cube with six images that inclose the player, they can also be known as environment maps. The player is placed in the middle of the box so that no matter which way they look they just see different parts of the box. The game engine makes sure that whichever part of the box is visible to the player the proper pixels are shown. Sky domes work in similar ways but is a 3D sphere or hemisphere, and can be animated to improve realism. Both the skybox and skydome usually has a texture of the sky on it depending on the game and whats needed. Analyse skyboxes are simple cubes which consist of fewer polygons than the skydome, no matter where the player is they will always see the relevant part of the skybox. Skydomes are more detailed as they contain more polygons and allow the maker to animate it to improve the realism of the 3D world. Evaluate the advantage of using a skybox is that it uses up less polygons and if easier to texture, although it does not look as good as a skydome. The skydome on the other hand allows you to use vertex colour you adjust the hue in a smoother way, this allows you to animate the sky depending on the time of day. Rigid bodies Explain Rigid bodies allow your models and objects to act under the control of physics, the rigid body can be given forces and torque to make it move in a more realistic way. Any objects you wish to be influenced by physics or other added forces must have a rigidbody.ÂÂ   Analyse rigid bodies can be affected by different physics such as: Mass This determines the weight of the object usually in kilograms by default Drag Drag determines how air resistance affects the object while moving (from 0 air resistance to infinity meaning it stops immediately) Gravity Determines if the object is affected by gravity if dropped for example. Evaluate Rigid bodies are extremely useful when wanting to make a game which either has real to life physics or if you want to make the game with wacky physics as you are able to mess with the properties of each. Fracture/breakable meshes Explain Fracture or breakable meshes are used to make in game objects breakable for example doors, walls and in some cases building can also be destroyed, this can help the game feel more realistic as it adds real world physics to the game, it can also add new things for players to try out and in general make the game more fun. This can be broken down into more points such as chunk count and modify points. Analyse Chunk count determines how many chunks the tool will cut the original mesh into, a large amount of pieces means theres more triangles in the final object and more pieces that will be left behind after. A smaller amount means there are fewer triangles and less pieces after the object is destroyed. The modify points tool can be used to move the selected or all the chunk origins towards the bounds of the object or perturb some or all of the chunks in the slice pattern moving the pieces towards the bounds is useful as it helps avoid chunks being discarded because they dont slice the surface of the mesh. Evaluate -ÂÂ   Breakable meshes are used to help make games more realistic by letting you destroy some of the environment or some objects/models like you could in a real world situation. This however can have drawbacks on render time and frames as it requires more polygons to make the broken pieces. References () 3D Modeling: Creating 3D Objects, Available at: https://www.sculpteo.com/en/glossary/3d-modeling-definition/(Accessed: 6th October 2016). () Collision Meshes Game Models, Available at: http://www.katsbits.com/tutorials/blender/collision-models.php(Accessed: 8th October 2016). 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