This is an archived copy of the 2016-2018 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/.

Center for Arts and Entertainment Technologies

Arts and Entertainment Technologies: AET

Lower-Division Courses

AET 101. Arts and Entertainment Technologies Colloquium I.

Restricted to students in the College of Fine Arts. Guest artists, scientists, developers, and corporate leaders present on subjects applicable to arts and entertainment technologies. The equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the pass/fail basis only.

AET 102. Arts and Entertainment Technologies Colloquium II.

AET 103. Arts and Entertainment Technologies Colloquium III.

Restricted to students in the College of Fine Arts. Guest artists, scientists, developers, and corporate leaders present on topics applicable to arts and entertainment technologies. The equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the pass/fail basis only.

AET 304. Foundations of Arts and Entertainment Technologies.

Exploration of the role of computation, algorithms, graphics, interactive devices, networks, and other technical aspects that are common to all media computing. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester.

AET 305. Foundations of Music Technology.

Restricted to students in the College of Fine Arts. Historical perspective of music technology with focus on modern digital technologies that comprise the world of electroacoustic music, including microphones and loudspeakers, digital audio systems, recording, compression, and Internet distribution. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required. Only one of the following may be counted: Arts and Entertainment Technologies 305, Fine Arts 310 (Topic: Foundations of Digital Music and Sound), Music 319D.

AET 306. Foundations of Digital Imaging and Visualization.

Restricted to students in the College of Fine Arts. Historical developments in raster and vector graphics and examination of techniques and technologies of 2-D, 3-D, moving image creation, manipulation, projection, and distribution. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 307. Gender, Feminism, Art, and Technology.

Restricted to College of Fine Arts students. Explores current issues in the intersection of gender, feminism, art, and technology in a variety of mediums both historically and in the current digital age. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Arts and Entertainment Technologies 304.

AET 317. Foundations of Interactive Software.

Introduction to graphical user interface (GUI), interactivity, real-time systems, data mapping, external devices and controllers, multi-computer installations, and the role of interactive systems in live performance. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 318. Foundations of Games and Playable Apps.

Introduction to concepts of game play, game narrative, user-interaction, modeling, and animation. Historical examination of game genres, systems, and games from a cultural and gender perspective. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 319. Topics in Arts and Entertainment Technologies.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

Upper-Division Courses

AET 320. Digital Audio Workstations.

Exploration of the concepts and operations of digital audio workstations, including tracking, software instruments, inserts, plugins, mixing, and mastering. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 321. Multitrack Recording, Mixing, and Mastering.

Exploration of sound recording of live performance, including microphone placement, equalizing (EQ), compression techniques, mixing, localization strategies, and final product mastering. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 322. Sound Design for Film and Games.

Exploration of techniques of sound design, including sound effects libraries and resources, picture synchronization, sound for games software packages, and the relationship of music, effects, and dialogue in the overall sound track. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 323. Film and Game Scoring.

Exploration of film and game play situations requiring music in the form of an instrumental score or created with virtual instruments. Comparative study of music tracks in popular film genres, documentary films, console game titles, and games as a reference for original works. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required. Arts and Entertainment Technologies 323 and Music 350S may not both be counted.

AET 325. Digital Production Art 2-D.

Two-dimensional digital drawing and painting techniques with computer software. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 326. Digital Production Art 3-D.

Basic principles of three-dimensional digital modeling and animation production, including modeling and texturing, basic character animation, project conception through digital production methodology, and technical language used in industry. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 327. Advanced 3-D Modeling.

Continued exploration of methods and procedures used in the professional production of 3-D modeling, animation, and visual effects, including advanced modeling techniques, advanced surfacing techniques, specularity, sequenced mapping, and 3-D digital printing. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 328. Animation and Rigging.

3-D character rigging, animation armatures of joints, forward and inverse kinematics, types of 3-D character deformations, facial animations, bipedal character rigging and animation, and exploration into 3-D production animation environments. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 329. Media for Live Performance.

Techniques for live performance environments such as theatre and dance, including media for live performance playback tools, approaches to the integration of sound, live music, and media as well as interactivity between performers, sound, and media. A basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects is required. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 330. Digital Rendering for Theatre.

Techniques in the rendering of light and shadow, space, and form in scene design. Projects include the development of scenery renderings, prop renderings, and paint elevations. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 331. Computer Music Programming I.

Concepts and principals of programming MIDI and audio signals using Max/MSP, MIDI, and audio IO systems, design and organization of Max/MSP programs, algorithms, and techniques to manipulate data and sound. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required. Arts and Entertainment Technologies 331 and Music 329J may not both be counted.

AET 332. Computer Music Programming II.

Exploration of algorithmic sound processing, signal processing techniques including filters, FFT, convolution, sound analysis/re-synthesis using Max/MSP. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required. Arts and Entertainment Technologies 332 and Music 329M may not both be counted.

AET 335. Game Aesthetics.

Examines different game genres and other playable applications from the viewpoint of design. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Arts and Entertainment Technologies 335, Fine Arts 310 (Topic: Aesthetics of Game Design), 312.

AET 336. Game History and Theory.

Introduction to critical and historiological approaches to video games and game design, including video game histories and archives, critical media theory in game development and contemporary social issues in gaming. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Arts and Entertainment Technologies 336 and Fine Arts 310 (Topic: Game History and Critical Theory) may not both be counted.

AET 337. Writing for Interactive Games.

Exploration of game creation as a multi-threaded narrative story. Students create, write, edit, and refine game stories and game dialogue and build small game scenarios using a variety of game design software platforms. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

AET 338. Principles of Interactive Design.

Advanced design in arts and entertainment technologies; principles and theories on interaction and user experience in gaming and mobile media applications. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Arts and Entertainment Technologies 338 and Arts and Entertainment Technologies 339 (Topic: Principles of Interactive Design) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

AET 339. Advanced Topics in Arts and Entertainment Technologies.

Advanced topics in arts and entertainment technologies. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

AET 340. Interactive Game and Media Development.

Advanced digital production in arts and entertainment technologies in regards to the development process of gaming and mobile media applications. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Arts and Entertainment Technologies 339 (Topic: Interactive Media and Game Development) and Arts and Entertainment Technologies 340 may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

AET 341. Sound Synthesis and Audio Processing.

Physics and mathematics of audio signal processing, including filter design, reverberation algorithms, direct synthesis technologies, analysis/synthesis technologies, waveguide systems, compression, and limiting. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 342. Audio-Visual Programming.

Audio and visual synthesis and processing, exploring techniques to synchronize audio and visual data to create unified real-time presentations. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 344. Vectorworks.

2-D and 3-D drawing with an industry standard digital drafting program. Familiarization with the Vectorworks interface, drawing conventions of traditional 2-D paperwork, and 3-D scene designs. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 345. Designing Virtual Worlds.

Exploration of architectural concepts and 3-D world building. Students create and model virtual and multi-level worlds from the viewpoint of game play, object, and character movement. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

AET 346. Game Scripting and Modding.

Introduction to operations, modifications and coding of game engines. Exploration of "modding" of existing games and scripting of Unity using Java and/or C#. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

AET 347. Projection Design.

Introduction to projection design in live performance, including workflow, skills and techniques required to design projections. Students design productions based on their own analysis and concept, realized in miniature with pico projectors in scaled theatre models. Basic knowledge of Autocad or Vectorworks is required. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 348. Concert and Event Lighting.

Exploration of styles and techniques of concert and event lighting production in large-scale music concerts, outdoor, and theatrical events. Using current production systems and techniques, students design and program lighting control systems and fixtures. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 349. Augmented Reality.

Examination of current augmented reality techniques including 3-D projection and virtual object/world creation using a variety of software systems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required.

AET 350. Computer Music Project.

Project in advanced sound processing and synthesis and audio-visual systems. Hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit.

AET 351. Live Audio Mixing.

Project in live audio for concerts, performances, theatre, or other productions. Includes setup, engineering, live-capture, and mixing of live productions in the field. Hours to be arranged.

AET 352. Sound Design Project.

Project developing and creating a complete sound design project for film, video, or games. Hours to be arranged.

AET 355. Advanced Game Programming.

Creation of advanced game scripts to control game play, character behaviors, physics, and world modifications. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

AET 356. Technical Art Production.

Production processes to merge game assets and game code and management of these functions within the game production process. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with studio hours as required. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

AET 360. Physical Computing I.

Introduction to the concepts and methods of physical computing, including the creation, building, and programming of small devices and the integration of external devices and objects. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

AET 361. Physical Computing II.

Continuation of Arts and Entertainment Technologies 360. Creation of larger, more complex projects involving computer-human interaction and new interactive devices. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

AET 362. Visual Computing I.

Introduction to language and methodologies of visual computing. Creation of dynamic geometries, objects, and procedures. A working knowledge of Java programming language is required. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

AET 363. Visual Computing II.

Continued exploration of dynamic, real-time visual computing toward the production of a large final project. External device input/output and interaction with MIDI and OSC for applications in interactive performance settings. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.

AET 364. Advanced Production Design.

Collaborative work on large-scale productions in the Department of Theatre and Dance and the Butler School of Music. Includes design, implementation, and performance of multimedia works. Hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

AET 365. Collaborative Installation Design.

Collaborative work on large-scale installation projects combining visual processing, projection, sound, human interaction, and live performance. Hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

AET 367. The Entrepreneurial Artist.

Same as Fine Arts 369. Exploration of new modes of online and social arts marketing and self promotion. Use of established models to create materials and prototype marketing resources. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Arts and Entertainment Technologies 367, Fine Arts 360 (Topic: The Entrepreneurial Artist), Fine Arts 369.

AET 368. Internship I.

Internship with an external company or institution, supervised by arts and entertainment technologies faculty. Requires completion of 150 hours of satisfactory on-site work. Hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing, a University grade point average of at least 2.50, and consent of instructor.

AET 369. Internship II.

AET 374. Independent Study.

Independent study or research in arts and entertainment technologies. Hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, a grade point of average of at least 3.00, consent of instructor, and consent of the director of the Center for Arts and Entertainment Technologies.

AET 376. Game Capstone: 2-D.

Group project developing a working 2-D game. Hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Senior standing and consent of instructor based on portfolio submission.

AET 377. Game Capstone: 3-D.

Group project developing a working 3-D game. Hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Senior standing, Arts and Entertainment Technologies 376, and consent of instructor based on portfolio submission.

AET 378. Senior Thesis I.

Large scale senior project. Hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Senior standing and consent of instructor based on thesis proposal.

AET 379. Senior Thesis II.

Continuation of large scale senior project in Arts and Entertainment Technologies 378. Hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Arts and Entertainment Technologies 378.