In modern game development, Unity is one of the most popular engines. Due to its powerful features and user-friendly interface, it is a tool chosen by many developers. In this tutorial, we will explore in detail how to build a basic system that allows the player character to move in the direction they are facing using Unity.
1. Project Setup
When starting with Unity, project setup is important. Here’s how to create a new Unity project.
- Open Unity Hub and click the ‘New’ button.
- Select the 2D or 3D template. In this tutorial, we will choose the 3D template.
- Enter a project name, set the save path, and then click the ‘Create’ button.
2. Setting up Character and Environment
Once the project is created, you need to set up a basic character and environment. Let’s use a cube, which is a basic model in Unity that is beginner-friendly.
2.1 Creating a Character
You can create a cube as a 3D object to use as a character. Follow these steps.
- Right-click in the Hierarchy panel and select
3D Object > Cube. - Rename the newly created cube to Player.
2.2 Setting up the Camera
Adjust the position of the camera so that it can look at where the player is located. Here’s how to set the camera to look at the player.
- Select the camera in the Hierarchy panel.
- In the Transform component, adjust its position to look at the cube (e.g., set Position to X: 0, Y: 5, Z: -10).
3. Implementing Movement via Script
Now we need to write a script that allows the player to move in the direction they are facing. This script will be written using Unity’s C# programming language.
3.1 Creating the Script
- Create a Scripts folder in the Project panel and then create a script named PlayerMovement.cs inside it.
- Double-click the script to open it in Visual Studio or MonoDevelop.
3.2 Writing the Script
Enter the following code in the PlayerMovement.cs script. This code supports player movement using the W, A, S, D keys.
using UnityEngine;
public class PlayerMovement : MonoBehaviour {
public float speed = 5.0f;
void Update() {
float moveHorizontal = Input.GetAxis("Horizontal");
float moveVertical = Input.GetAxis("Vertical");
Vector3 direction = new Vector3(moveHorizontal, 0.0f, moveVertical);
if (direction.magnitude > 1) {
direction.Normalize();
}
// Move considering the player's current rotation and direction
Vector3 movement = Camera.main.transform.TransformDirection(direction);
movement.y = 0; // Vertical movement is set to 0 by default
transform.position += movement * speed * Time.deltaTime;
// Rotate in the direction the player is facing
if (movement != Vector3.zero) {
Quaternion toRotation = Quaternion.LookRotation(movement, Vector3.up);
transform.rotation = Quaternion.RotateTowards(transform.rotation, toRotation, 720 * Time.deltaTime);
}
}
}
3.3 Attaching the Script
- Select the Player object in the Hierarchy panel.
- In the Inspector panel, click the Add Component button and search for PlayerMovement to add it.
4. Testing and Adjusting
After writing and attaching the script to the player object, let’s test the player’s movement.
- Click File > Save Scene from the top menu to save the current scene.
- Click the Play button at the top center to run the game.
Press the W, A, S, D keys to check if the player moves in the direction they are facing. If the movement does not work correctly or if the speed is too fast or slow, you can adjust the speed variable to find the desired feel.
5. Conclusion
In this tutorial, we created a basic system in Unity that allows the character to move in the direction they are facing. You can add more complex actions or animations in the future and expand projects based on this foundation. Enhance your understanding of Unity and C#, and learn various features and skills.
In the next post, we will explore how to add enemy NPCs to interact with the player. Keep learning and enjoy your game development journey!