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Getting Started with Unity 2018
Getting Started with Unity 2018

Getting Started with Unity 2018: A Beginner's Guide to 2D and 3D game development with Unity , Third Edition

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Getting Started with Unity 2018

The Unity Interface

In Chapter 1, Downloading and Installing Unitywe explored game engines and took a quick look at four alternative game engines to help us appreciate Unity. We looked at the history of Unity and how it evolved from one release to the next. In addition, we discovered Unity's key capabilities and features. We covered Unity's system requirements for developing Unity games and the system requirements for running them. Finally, we downloaded and installed Unity.

In this chapter, we will examine Unity's primary views and windows; we will also cover layouts and the toolbar. The interface components covered in this chapter are the ones used most often. Additional interface components will be covered in subsequent chapters as new functionality and tools are introduced.

Specifically, we will cover the following components:

  • Screen Real Estate...

Screen real estate 

When we first launch Unity, we might be intimidated by all the areas, tabs, menus, and buttons on the interface. Unity is a complex game engine with a lot of functionality, so we should expect more components for us to interact with. If we break the interface down into separate components, we can examine each one independently to gain a thorough understanding of the entire interface.

As you can see here, we have identified six primary areas of the interface. We will examine each of these in subsequent sections. As you will quickly learn, this interface is customizable. The following screenshot shows the default configuration of the Unity user interface.

Overview of the Unity game engine user interface.

In the next sections, we will cover each of the following components indicated by the preceding screenshot:

  • Menu
  • Scene view
  • Game view
  • Project window
  • Hierarchy...

Menu

The Unity editor's main menu bar, as depicted here, consists of eight pull-down options. We will briefly review each menu option in this section. Additional details will be provided in subsequent chapters, as we start developing our Cucumber Beetle game:

Unity's menus are contextual. This means that only menu items pertinent to the currently selected object will be enabled. Other non-applicable menu items will appear as gray instead of black and not be selectable.

Starting with Unity 2018, an additional top menu is Mobile Input. This menu item allows you to toggle mobile input on and off.

Unity

The Unity menu item, shown here, gives us access to information about Unity, our software license, display options...

Scene view

Referring to the first screenshot in this chapter, the Scene view is typically in the center of the Unity editor and might be tabled alongside the Game view tab. 

The Scene view is where you will spend most of your time working on your game. You will build and manipulate your game levels here. Some of the actions you will take in this view are adding and modifying game characters, lights, cameras, and other objects related to your game. 

As shown in the following screenshot, the Scene view has a set of controls lining the top of the interface. This is referred to as the control bar:

An overview of these controls follows:

...
Icon Control Description
Render Mode Various drawing options that impact how things are seen in Scene view.
2D/3D This is a toggle between 2D and 3D views. 
Lighting Toggles lights on/off.
Audio Toggles audio on/off.

Game view

The Game view allows you to preview your game while you work on it in the editor. You do not manipulate your game in this view, but you can preview it. 

You can also play your game. To launch Game mode, you click the play button located in the top center of the toolbar:

You can make changes to your game while you are in Game mode. Any changes you make while in Game mode are temporary. Once you get out of Game mode, those changes will be automatically undone.

As shown in the following screenshot, the Game view has a set of controls lining the top of the interface. This is referred to as the control bar:

The following table includes each of the components of the aforementioned control bar. The image, name of control, and description are provided for each component:

Icon Control Description
Display If you have multiple cameras in your scene, you can change...

Project window

The Project window is one that you will use frequently and provides quick access to objects in your project. As you can see here, the Project window is organized in a hierarchical view on the left. Selecting a folder on the left reveals the contents in the panel on the right.

That panel displays breadcrumbs on top and has a slider in the bottom-right corner to control the size of the icons:

The Create drop-down menu in the top-left section of the Project window gives you quick access to creating a game asset in the current folder.

To the right of the Create drop-down menu is a search bar followed by three icons. The first two icons are Search by Type and Search by Label, respectively. The third icon allows you to save your search.

The contents of the Project window provided in this section are representative and not part of this book's game.
...

Hierarchy window

The Hierarchy window lists all GameObjects in the current scene. This is different than what is displayed in the Project window because a game project contains one or more scenes, and not every object in a project is in a scene. As you can see in the following screenshot, some items in the Hierarchy window have a triangle on the left. Clicking a triangle will expand the contents, showing child objects. Parenting, or subordinating GameObjects with one another, is important and something that you will gain exposure to as you start adding GameObjects to your game:

The Create drop-down menu in the top-left section of the Hierarchy window gives you quick access to creating game assets.

To the right of the Create drop-down menu is a search bar. Below the search bar and to the right is a menu icon. Clicking that icon reveals the following list of options:

As you can...

Inspector window 

The Inspector window is where we can inspect our GameObjects. You will remember that GameObjects are composed of more than one component, and those components are what make the GameObjects worth having in our games. 

This example screenshot shows a ThirdPersonController GameObject with 11 components. The gray triangles to the left of each component allow you to expand the component and make any desired changes to that component's properties:

When you select a GameObject in Scene view, the Hierarchy window, or the Project window, the Inspector window will display the selected GameObject's components and properties. Each component has a different set of properties.

At the bottom of the Inspector window, when a GameObject has been selected, you will see the Add Component button. Clicking this button allows you to add a component to the current...

Screen real estate 


When we first launch Unity, we might be intimidated by all the areas, tabs, menus, and buttons on the interface. Unity is a complex game engine with a lot of functionality, so we should expect more components for us to interact with. If we break the interface down into separate components, we can examine each one independently to gain a thorough understanding of the entire interface.

As you can see here, we have identified six primary areas of the interface. We will examine each of these in subsequent sections. As you will quickly learn, this interface is customizable. The following screenshot shows the default configuration of the Unity user interface.

Overview of the Unity game engine user interface.

In the next sections, we will cover each of the following components indicated by the preceding screenshot:

  • Menu
  • Scene view
  • Game view
  • Project window
  • Hierarchy window
  • Inspector window
  • Toolbar
  • Layouts

Note

Unity 2017 was the latest release when this book was published, so the screenshots...

Menu


The Unity editor's main menu bar, as depicted here, consists of eight pull-down options. We will briefly review each menu option in this section. Additional details will be provided in subsequent chapters, as we start developing our Cucumber Beetle game:

Unity's menus are contextual. This means that only menu items pertinent to the currently selected object will be enabled. Other non-applicable menu items will appear as gray instead of black and not be selectable.

Note

Starting with Unity 2018, an additional top menu is Mobile Input. This menu item allows you to toggle mobile input on and off.

Unity

The Unity menu item, shown here, gives us access to information about Unity, our software license, display options, module information, and access to preferences:

Accessing the UnityAbout Unity... menu option gives you access to the version of the engine you are running. There is additional information as well, but you would probably only use this menu option to check your Unity version.

The...

Scene view


Referring to the first screenshot in this chapter, the Scene view is typically in the center of the Unity editor and might be tabled alongside the Game view tab. 

The Scene view is where you will spend most of your time working on your game. You will build and manipulate your game levels here. Some of the actions you will take in this view are adding and modifying game characters, lights, cameras, and other objects related to your game. 

As shown in the following screenshot, the Scene view has a set of controls lining the top of the interface. This is referred to as the control bar:

An overview of these controls follows:

Icon

Control

Description

Render Mode

Various drawing options that impact how things are seen in Scene view.

2D/3D

This is a toggle between 2D and 3D views. 

Lighting

Toggles lights on/off.

Audio

Toggles audio on/off.

Effects

This control contains toggles for Skybox, Fog, Flares, Animated Materials, and Image Effects.

Gizmos

This control provides a large number of options for how...

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Download code icon Download Code

Key benefits

  • Learn to create immersive 3D games and Virtual Reality experiences with Unity 2018
  • Build custom scripts to make your game characters interactive
  • Explore and implement AritificiaI Intelligence techniques to bring your game to life

Description

The Unity game engine has revolutionized the gaming industry with its complete set of intuitive tools and rapid workflows, which can be used to create interactive 3D content. With Unity, you can scaffold your way from the basics and make make stunning interactive games. This book will guide you through the entire process of creating a 3D game, from downloading the Unity game engine to publishing your game. It not only gives you a strong foundation, but puts you on the path to game development. Beginning with an overview of the Unity engine and its interface, you will walk through the process of creating a game environment and learn how to use built-in assets, as well as assets created with third-party 3D modeling tools such as Blender. Moving on, you will create custom scripts to control non-player character behaviors and gameplay. You will master exciting concepts such as Heads-Up-Displays, mini-maps, game navigation, sound effects, and lighting effects. Next, you’ll learn how to create your first VR experience, right from setting up the project to image effects. You'll be familiarized with all the tools that Unity has to offer to create your own immersive VR experiences. Each section is a stepping stone toward the completion of the final game. By the end of the book, you'll have learned advanced topics such as cross-platform considerations which enable your games to run on multiple platforms.

Who is this book for?

If you are an aspiring game developer interested in learning Unity 2018 and becoming familiar with its core features, then this book is for you. No prior knowledge of Unity is required.

What you will learn

  • Set up your Unity development environment and navigate its tools
  • Import and use custom assets and asset packages to add characters to your game
  • Build a 3D game world with a custom terrain, water, sky, mountains, and trees
  • Animate game characters, using animation controllers, and scripting
  • Apply audio and particle effects to the game
  • Create intuitive game menus and interface elements
  • Customize your game with sound effects, shadows, lighting effects, and rendering options
  • Debug code and provide smooth error handling
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Publication date : Mar 22, 2018
Length: 336 pages
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Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788830102
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Unity Technologies
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ISBN-13 : 9781788830102
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Tools :

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Table of Contents

15 Chapters
Downloading and Installing Unity Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
The Unity Interface Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Designing the Game Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Creating Our Terrain Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Lights, Cameras, and Shadows Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Creating and Importing 3D Objects for Our Game Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Implementing Our Player Character Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Implementing Our Non-Player Characters Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Adding a Heads-Up Display Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Scripting Our Points System Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Scripting Victory and Defeat Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Adding Audio and Visual Effects to Our Game Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Optimizing Our Game for Deployment Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Virtual Reality Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

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Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 2.7
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5 star 42.9%
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1 star 57.1%
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darcsider Feb 21, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Good book on Unity.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Robert Wilkinson Sep 03, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Just what my son needed for school on Tuesday following the Labor Day weekend....ordered on late Friday and arrived as promised on Sunday.
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Dr. Q Apr 21, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Dr. Lavieri works and expertise on Unity is right on! His expertise is genuine and provides a great deal of knowledge and hard work. I enjoy using Unity to design and play games with. I find it very thorough and descriptive as to what happens when using Unity and how to master it. This is my only go to Unity book that I prefer and is #1 on my Unity read list!
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D. Cotting Nov 06, 2018
Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 1
The scripts in this book are completely broken and unusable. Like another reviewer mentioned, I made it through around chapter 8, and it became completely unusable. Buyer beware.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
DC Aug 25, 2018
Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 1
A lot of this tutorial is broken in Unity 2018, plus some of the associated media/files referenced in the chapters were missing. The resulting product is virtually unplayable. A lot is skipped and glossed over, but yet there's a lot of filler and repetition to increase the page count. Rife with typos and inconsistencies, the author clearly phoned this in. It gets worse as you progress. One would expect more from someone with a PhD.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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