Unity Basics Course: Project Creation

This course will cover how to create a new project in Unity. Unity is a popular game engine worldwide and a powerful tool that makes it easy to create 2D and 3D games. If you are using Unity for the first time, the project creation process may seem a bit complex, but I will guide you step by step to help everyone get started easily.

1. Installing Unity

Before creating a project, you need to install Unity. The latest version of Unity can be downloaded from the official Unity website. Before installation, please check the following:

  • Operating System: Supported on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Hardware Requirements: Must meet the minimum system requirements.
  • Install Unity Hub: Unity Hub is a useful tool for managing multiple versions of Unity.

Once the installation is complete, you can launch Unity Hub to manage your Unity projects.

Note: The Unity community and forums provide a wealth of resources and Q&A, so if you have any questions while using Unity, feel free to search!

2. Using Unity Hub

Unity Hub allows you to install multiple versions of Unity and easily manage your projects. The main screen of Unity Hub has the following tabs:

  • Projects: A list of currently open projects and recently worked-on projects.
  • Learn: Provides useful resources and tutorials for learning Unity.
  • Installs: Where you can install and uninstall Unity versions.

Now, let’s select the Projects tab to create a project.

3. Creating a New Project

The process of creating a new project is as follows:

  1. Go to the Projects tab: Select the Projects tab in Unity Hub.
  2. Click the New Project button: Click the New button in the top right corner.
  3. Select a project template: Unity provides several templates, so you can choose the one you want. This includes various options like 3D, 2D, VR, AR, etc. For example, the 2D template is optimized for 2D game development.
  4. Set the project name: Enter your desired project name. For example, you can try MyFirstGame.
  5. Select a save location: Choose the path where the project files will be saved. By default, Unity Hub creates projects in the UnityProjects folder within the Documents folder. If you want to change the path, click the Browse button to select your desired path.
  6. Create the project: After entering all the information, click the Create button to create the project. This process may take a few seconds to a few minutes.

3.1 Additional Explanation on Template Selection

Choosing a template is an important step that determines the direction of the project and the features needed. Each template provides basic settings necessary for a specific type of game development.

  • 3D: Includes resources and features needed for 3D game development.
  • 2D: Provides settings and features optimized for 2D games.
  • High Definition Render Pipeline: Suitable for projects utilizing high-resolution graphics.
  • Universal Render Pipeline: Offers graphics features available across various platforms.

4. Initial Project Settings

Once the project is created, the Unity Editor will open. Let’s check the basic settings now:

  • Scene: When a new project is created, the default scene is loaded. You can add and place game objects in this scene.
  • Hierarchy: Displays all game objects in the current scene. Right-clicking in this panel to add new objects will show various options.
  • Inspector: A panel where you can modify the properties of the selected game object. You can adjust the object’s position, rotation, size, etc.
  • Game View: A panel where you can preview the current scene as it would appear in the game. You can see how the game will look beforehand.
Tip: It is important to manage scenes well in Unity. When using various objects, understanding and managing the hierarchy efficiently is essential.

5. Adding Basic Objects

Now let’s add basic objects to the scene. At this stage, you can add basic 3D objects like cubes and spheres:

  1. Right-click in the Hierarchy panel: Select 3D Object and then choose the desired object. For example, select Cube.
  2. Adjust placement: Shift the position using the Inspector panel to place it in the scene.
  3. Adjust scale: Resize the object to create it to your desired dimensions.

6. Saving the Project

It is important to save the project after working on it. Unity does not automatically save your project, so you should save manually frequently. To save the project, follow these steps:

  1. Click File in the menu:
  2. Select Save or Save As: If you are saving the project for the first time, select Save As, and afterward, choose Save to save.

7. Adjusting Project Settings

In addition to the basic project settings, you can adjust various settings to suit your needs. This can help prevent potential issues in the later development process.

7.1 Player Settings

Player Settings manage basic project settings such as graphics, resolution, and orientation settings. This allows for optimization for specific platforms. To change the settings:

  1. Click Edit in the menu.
  2. Select Project Settings.
  3. Select Player from the left menu.

7.2 Quality Settings

With Quality Settings, you can adjust the graphical quality to improve the project’s performance. Here, you can set various resolutions and speeds to provide an optimized user experience.

8. Ending the Project

Once you are done working on the project, you can return to Unity Hub to close the project. After loading is complete, return to the Projects tab in Unity Hub to see the currently open project.

Conclusion

In this course, we have carefully looked at how to create a project in Unity. After completing the initial setup, you can start game development by utilizing various features. In the next chapter, we will explore how to add game objects and components in Unity to create a richer gaming experience. We will strive to provide the fundamental knowledge needed for using Unity. Keep learning!