Basic Unity Course: Change Character Color

In game development, color plays an important role in distinguishing characters and environments, as well as evoking emotions from players. In this tutorial, we will explain in detail how to change the color of a character using the Unity engine. This process will also include basic C# scripting, so a fundamental understanding of how to use Unity is required.

1. Setting up the Unity Environment

To develop a game, you need to set up the Unity environment correctly. If you are new to Unity, prepare your development environment by following these steps.

1. Download and install Unity Hub. Create a ‘New Project’ in the Hub.
2. Select a 3D template to start the project. If you want to develop a 2D game, you can also choose the 2D template.
3. Once the project is ready, you will see the basic screen of the Unity editor. This is where all your development work will take place.

2. Preparing the Character Model

You need to prepare a character model to use in this tutorial. You can download a free model from the Unity Asset Store or use a model you created yourself. To add the model to the project, follow these steps.

1. Click on the ‘Assets’ folder in the Unity editor and drag-and-drop the character model you want to import.
2. Drag the model into the scene.

3. Creating the Script

To change the color of the character, we need to create a C# script. We will name the script ChangeColor. Please follow the steps below.

1. Right-click the Assets folder in the Project window and select Create > C# Script.
2. Name the script ChangeColor and double-click it to open it in Visual Studio or your preferred IDE.

3.1 Writing the ChangeColor Script

When you open the script, it contains basic code as shown below.

using UnityEngine;

public class ChangeColor : MonoBehaviour
{
    private Renderer rend;

    void Start()
    {
        rend = GetComponent();
    }

    void Update()
    {
        if (Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.Space))
        {
            ChangeCharacterColor();
        }
    }

    void ChangeCharacterColor()
    {
        Color newColor = new Color(Random.value, Random.value, Random.value);
        rend.material.color = newColor;
    }
}

The above code retrieves the character’s Renderer component and changes the character’s color to a random color each time the Space key is pressed.

4. Attaching the Script to the Character

To attach the script you created to the character model, do the following.

1. Select the character model in the scene.
2. In the Inspector panel, click the Add Component button, search for ChangeColor, and add it.

5. Testing the Game

Now that the color-changing feature is implemented, you can test the game. Click the Play button at the top to activate the mode. Press the Space key to see if the character’s color changes!

6. Improving

We have implemented a basic color-changing feature, but it can be improved to allow different colors for each character. Additionally, it is possible to add animation effects for smoother and more natural color changes.

1. Modify the code to set a lifespan for the color change so that it alters over time
2. Create animations for the color transitions
3. Add a UI for users to select colors

Conclusion

Through this tutorial, you learned the basic method of changing the color of a character in Unity. It is a great tool for diversifying the visuals of your game and enhancing the player’s immersion. We hope you continue to learn more features and effects, growing into an excellent game developer!