Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter
1
The Unity Editor
The most exciting part of learning a new application is getting it installed and firing it up for the
first time. Following that, the most frustrating part can be the process of becoming familiar with its
editing environment. Unity is no exception, especially if you are already familiar with DCC (digital
content creation) applications. In this chapter, you will be introduced to the Unity editor and many
of its key concepts. As this will serve as a light overview for the rest of the topic, don't stress over
trying to remember it all.
Installing Unity
The first order of business is to download and install Unity if you have not already done so.
Unity has two license types: free and Pro. When you download and install Unity for the first time,
you will have the option of using a free 30-day trial of the Pro version. It can be selected as a third
option right in the license dialog upon installing Unity or upon returning the currently active license
(an option that allows you to move Pro licenses to different machines). With a few exceptions,
most of the Pro features are aimed at the optimization of your projects and are beyond the scope
of this topic. If you are considering the purchase of Unity Pro, you should be aware that, with
the exception of Windows Mobile, it will require a separate license for each of the mobile target
platforms you wish to author for.
Unity User Account
Currently, after you download and install Unity, if you don't already have one, you will be required
to create a Unity user account during the installation. Your user account will provide access to the
downloads, Unity Forum, Unity Answers, and the Unity Asset Store. The forum provides a place for
discussion of all things Unity. Answers is where you can go to get quick solutions to your queries,
and the Unity Asset Store is where you can find assets of all kinds (3D models, animated characters,
textures, scripts, complete game environments, etc.) to help you with your project. Once Unity is
installed, you will find a direct link to each of these resources through the editor.
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