Computer Games Design | Computer Games Programming

UNITY PRACTICAL

Applicant Day Taster Session | Contact: ct@glos.ac.uk

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

1 Start Unity and create a new

project.

Select Game Object > Create

Other >Terrain

Make sure the terrain is

selected.

Press F to focus the terrain in

the scene

2 Click and change the

default width and length of
2000 to 200 and set the
height to 50
3 Select and set the
height to 50 – click Flatten
This will set the base height
so that the bottom of the
terrain will be below sea level
4 Go the Inspector and select
the raise/lower terrain tool –
note the different types of
brushes available.

5 Note that the opacity slider

equates to the strength of the
brush, lower the value for the
brush to have less an effect
on the terrain
6 Experiment with the terrain
creation tools – draw terrains
around the edge to start

If a hill gets too high hold

down the shift key and paint
over it

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

7 Progressively add more detail

use different types of brushes,
sizes and opacity levels

8 Hold the shift key and paint to

push the ground down below
sea level

9 Select the paint height tool –

note the height setting

This tool is useful for painting

pathways through mountains
at a set height. Either
manually set a height or shift
click an area to set it

10 Paint a path through the

mountains

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

11 Select the smooth height tool

paint over any jagged edges
that are too harsh to smooth
them. Look at the base of
slopes in particular.

12 Go to Assets > Import

Package > Terrain Package
and click Import

13 Click the paint texture button

then choose Edit

Texture and click select –
browse for Grass Hill and
click Add
The terrain will now have this
material applied to it.

14 Add several more textures to

the terrain

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

15 Using various brushes, sizes

and opacity settings paint
your terrain

16 Got to Assets > Import

Package > Tree Creator, click
import.

Select the Place Trees button,

click Edit Trees and choose
Add Tree.
Browse for the default palm
and select Add

17 Paint trees onto your

landscape

Hint: zoom in close to the

terrain before painting.

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

18 In the hierarchy select the

Main Camera, choose Game
Object > Align with View

19 The scene appears too dark –

go to Game Object > Create
Other and choose Directional
Light

Rotate/position light so that

the scene looks better

20 Go to Assets > Import

Package > Skyboxes and
click import.

Add a sky to the scene by

selecting Edit > Render
Settings

Browse for a
Skybox
material
and select
Sunny 3

21 Your scene should look

something like this

Save your project

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

22 With the terrain selected

choose the Paint Details icon

Click Edit Details > Add Grass

Texture and browse for Grass

23 Zoom close into a flat area

and paint the grass texture
onto the terrain

24 Press play – the grass

probably moves too fast
Stop the game and select the
terrain settings
Dial down the wind
speed and size
25 To improve performance it is
possible to bake shadows into
the scene

Go to Window > Light

Mapping

Choose Bake and set the

Mode to Single then click
Bake Selected

Save the scene if prompted

The bake will take sometime

– a thumbnail preview will
appear when it is completed –
this one took 20seconds

26 Go to Assets > Import

Package > Water Basics and
click import.

In the Project tab expand the

stand assets > Water and
drag a Daytime Simple Water
to the scene

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

27 Position and size as required

28 Go to Assets > Import

Package > Character
Controllers. Drag a first
person controller to the scene

Position your view of the

scene using ALT and mouse
then select Game Object >
Align with View (make sure
you do not deselect the
controller

29 Press play and navigate the

level you have created.

Expand the Movement

parameter and increase the
max forward speed to 12 –
you will be able to run faster

Save your scene.

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

30 Once you have a terrain

extend the level by adding
some assets using the Asset
Store
Select Window > Asset Store
(CTRL + 9)

Pressing it will launch the In-

Built Unity Explorer for the
Asset Store. This may take a
few seconds to load.

31 Once launched – maximise

the window

This Asset Store front page

will be different each day.

32 In order to download FREE

Assets from the store, you
must register and using the
Log In button at the top right.
33 An account has already been Username: ct@glos.ac.uk
set up for you – use the
Password: Asset123
details on the right to log in.
34 Go back to Unity and you
should find that you are now
signed into the Asset Store.

In the search field, type

“Simple Medieval House”

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

35 The Search Results should

bring up a list of assets
available to download.
Click the Simple Medieval
House, by Achonux

36 On clicking the asset, more

details will appear including
the package contents.
Click Download / Import to
begin downloading the asset
and importing it into your
current project.

37 After downloading, Unity will

present the Importing
package dialogue box.

Ensure All the assets are

ticked and click Import.

Once the Unity has finished

importing, close the Asset
Store window.

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

38 After importing navigate to the

SimpleMedievalHouse folder
and drag a copy of the Model
on to the terrain and near
your character

39 Select the House and add a

Mesh Collider to stop the
player from walking through
the building

Select House > Component > Physics > Mesh

Collider

40 Click GameObject > Create

Other > Cube

Resize the cube so that it

resembles a platform.

Add a material to it.

Name the platform Lift.

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

41 Click GameObject > Create

Other > Cube

Place near the House

Resize the cube so that it

resembles a support column.

Add a material to it.

Name the cube stand.

42 Click GameObject > Create

Other > Sphere

Resize and position the sphere

so that it resembles a simple
button.

Add a material to it.

Name the sphere button.

43 In the hierarchy drag button

and stand onto Lift.

Click Window > Animation.

Ensure Lift is selected in the

hierarchy

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

44 Press the record button and at

the prompt save the new
animation as UP

45 Click Add Curve > Transform

> Position

Click on Transform Position.y

46 Ensure there is a key frame at

0

47 Position the play head at 1

second and drag the lift
upwards in the scene to 5 units
high (or change the value y
position in the inspector)

Note – use CTRL or CMD 6

to bring back the animation
window.

48 Click on the UP label and

select create new clip – save
as DOWN
49 Press record and set a key
frame a 0 – move the Lift in
the Y axis to 5.

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts

50 Move the play head to 1

second and move the lift in the
Y axis to the ground level.

Close the animation window.

51 Remove the Animator

component from the Lift

52 Add an Animation component

to the Lift

Component > Misc >

Animation

Ensure the inspector matches

the image
53 Create a new JavaScript file
called Lift and add this code
private var pressedButton : boolean = false;
private var isLiftUp : boolean = false;

to it and attach it to the button var target :GameObject;

(remember to add comments
to the script). function OnMouseOver()
{
pressedButton = true;
(Note: this file is already }
included in the project)
function OnMouseExit()
{
pressedButton = false;
}

function OnMouseDown()
{
if (isLiftUp == false)
{
target = GameObject.Find("Lift");
target.animation.Play("UP");
isLiftUp = true;
}
else

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 Applicant Day – Using Unity
Tutorial: Terrain and scripting lifts
{
target = GameObject.Find("Lift");
target.animation.Play("DOWN");
isLiftUp = false;
}
}

function OnGUI()
{
if (pressedButton == true)
GUI.Box(new Rect(300,300,200,20), "Press
button");
}

54 Save the script and drag it

onto the button

Also drag the Lift parent onto

to the target parameter.
55 Set the Animation UP clip
asset to legacy.

To do this:

Select UP asset

Inspector > Select Menu >

Change from Normal to
Debug
56 Change Animation Type from
2 to 1

57 Repeat the same for the DOWN animation clip

58 Test the game.

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Software covered on the courses:

• Adobe CC (2D asset creation)

• Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, After Effects, Premiere,

InDesign, Audition

• Autodesk Entertainment Suite (3D asset creation)

• 3DS Max, Mudbox, Maya, Motionbuilder

• Game Engines

• Unity & Unity Pro

• UDK & Unreal

• Cry Engine

• Visual Studio, Java, C#

Hardware available to use on the courses:

• PC & iMac • Latest / Legacy consoles

• Dedicated render farm • Audio recording facilities

• Large screens, twin screens • Green screen facilities

• Touch screens • Motion capture

• Graphic tablets • Arduino kits

• Game controllers • 3D printers

• Smart phones • 3D & 4K TVs

• iPad/Nexus tablets • Cameras

• Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 • Quadcopters

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