Introduction to Unity Studio

Unity Studio is a web-based interactive 3D editor no installation required, no C# knowledge needed. Built for designers, engineers, trainers, and other domain experts, it gives teams a faster way to create, iterate on, and share interactive 3D experiences without the complexity of traditional 3D workflows or developer dependency. Use it to build training simulations, product walkthroughs, design reviews, configurators, HMI prototypes, and more.

Your first step in Unity Studio is to create a new project draft, which is a starting point for your work.

Watch the video walkthrough or follow the step-by-step instructions below to complete this task.

Instructions

1.  Sign in to Unity Studio

• Open Unity Studio at https://cloud.unity.com/studio.
• Sign in with your Unity ID and password.

Note: You will need either an Industry or a Unity Studio license to access the app. You can also access a free trial.

2. Select your organization (optional)

• By default, you’ll see your organization with an appropriate assigned license. To switch to a different workspace, select your profile in the upper-right corner.

3. Create a new draft

• Once in your desired organization, select the New Draft button.
• Select the Empty scene option to create a blank project, or use a pre-made template like Car Review or HMI Mockup to explore existing features.
• If this is your first time using Unity Studio, we recommend starting with a pre-made template.

4. Name your draft and select a project

• Enter a name for your new draft.
• Select an existing project from the list, or enter a name and select Create to start a new project.

Your new draft is now open, and you are ready to begin building with Unity Studio.

Now that you’ve set up your account and started your first draft, it's time to explore the Unity Studio interface.

Watch the video walkthrough or follow the text guidance below:

The Unity Studio interface consists of the following main panels:

1. Hierarchy panel: This panel, located on the left, lists and helps you organize all GameObjects in your scene.

2. Project panel: Located at the bottom, this panel is your asset library, containing 3D models, images, and visual scripts available for your project.

3. Scene view: As your main workspace in the center, this is where you build, arrange, and interact with your 3D scene.

4. Inspector panel: On the right side, this panel allows you to view and adjust the properties, such as size, color, and behavior, of any selected GameObject.

5. Camera Preview: This panel provides a real-time view of what your scene's Main Camera sees, helping you frame your final application.

You now have a basic understanding of the Unity Studio workspace and the function of each main panel.

In this step, you’ll learn the basics of Scene view navigation, including how to move around, interact with GameObjects, and use the most common tools.

Watch the video walkthrough or follow the step-by-step instructions below to complete this task:

Instructions

Note: When opening a draft, the Scene Navigation dialog will appear. You can disable Show on startup if you prefer it not to appear every time. To re-open the Scene Navigation dialog later, select the Main Settings button (hamburger icon) in the upper-left of the Hierarchy panel, then select Open controls guide.

1. Practice camera controls

• Move the camera around the Scene view using the W, A, S, D keys for forward, left, back, and right movement, respectively, or Q and E to move the camera down and up.
• Hold the right mouse button and drag to rotate the camera's view.
• Hold the scroll wheel (or middle mouse button) and drag to pan the camera across the scene.

Note: This action might not be possible if you’re using a touch pad.

• Use the scroll wheel to zoom the camera in and out of the scene.
• In the Hierarchy or Scene panels, left-click to select an individual GameObject, or hold and drag the left mouse button to select multiple GameObjects at once.
• With a GameObject selected, press the F key to focus the Scene view camera directly on it.

2. Interact with objects using the toolbar

• Select a GameObject in the Scene view. A toolbar will appear at the bottom.
• Select the toolbar buttons or the corresponding keyboard shortcuts (1 to 4, Z, X) to switch between transformation tools:
  • Press 1 (or select the Free Transform tool) to freely move objects on multiple axes simultaneously along a surface.
  • Press 2 (or select the Move tool) to move GameObjects precisely along specific axes using the gizmo.
  • Press 3 (or select the Rotate tool) to rotate GameObjects to change their orientation.
  • Press 4 (or select the Scale tool) to resize GameObjects; use the gray box in the center of the gizmo to scale evenly in all directions.
  • Press Z (or select the Toggle handle position button) to switch between moving a GameObject from its center or its pivot point.
  • Press X (or select the Toggle handle rotation button) to switch between global (world space) and local (GameObject-based) rotation controls.
• Select the Duplicate button to create a copy of the selected GameObject.
• Select the Delete button to remove the selected GameObject from your scene.

3.  Utilize Scene view quick actions

• Select the Play button at the top of the Scene view to run your scene and test your work, then select the Pause button to return to editing mode.
• Select the Bug notification button next to the Play button to view details about any warnings or errors in your project, and select Show to locate their source.

You can now confidently navigate the Scene view, control your camera, and interact with GameObjects using Unity Studio's essential tools.

This section will cover the process of importing and placing your custom 3D assets into your Unity Studio project.

Watch the video walkthrough or follow the step-by-step instructions below to complete this task:

Instructions

1. Open the Asset Manager

• In the Project panel, select the Add Assets button located at the upper-left.
• The Asset Manager window will open.

2. Navigate the Asset Manager

• On the leftmost side, you'll see all projects within your organization. Select the project where you want to add assets.
• To switch organizations, use the dropdown in the upper-right of the Asset Manager window.

Note: Unity Studio supports FBX, OBJ and GLB files natively, but also supports many other files including CAD formats like STEP thanks to the built-in asset transformer. You can learn more in the supported asset file formats documentation.

3. Add new assets

• In the Asset Manager window, select the Add button located under the search bar.
• Choose if you want to upload a single asset or multiple assets at once.
• Select your files from your computer, then select Upload to begin importing your assets.

4. Import assets to your project

• Once uploaded, enable the checkbox next to each asset you want to import. Your selections will appear in a panel on the right.
• Select Import and allow a moment for Unity Studio to process your assets.

All the assets you import are now stored in the My Assets folder within your Project panel, making them easy to find and organize for building your scene.

In this step, you’ll learn how to create a new material, assign it to GameObjects, and edit its properties to achieve the look you want.

Watch the video walkthrough or follow the step-by-step instructions below to learn more.

Instructions

1. Create a new material

• In the Project panel, either right-click and select Create > Material, or select Add (+) > Material.
• Give your material a descriptive name.

2. Assign a material to a GameObject

• Select a GameObject in your scene.
• In the Inspector panel, locate the Mesh Renderer or Skinned Mesh Renderer component.
• Use the foldout (triangle) to expand the Materials property, then do one of the following:
  • Select the Materials picker (⊙) select your material from the list.
  • Drag your material from the Project panel into the Materials box. The GameObject now uses the assigned material.

3. Edit a material’s properties

• In the Project panel, select a material to open it in the Inspector panel.
• Adjust properties (such as Color, Smoothness, Metallic, etc.) to achieve the desired appearance.
• To add a texture to a material:
  • With the material open in the Inspector panel, locate the Main Texture property.
  • Select the Main Texture picker (⊙) and select a texture from the list.
  • Use the foldout (triangle) to expand the Advanced section and explore the advanced properties as needed, including secondary texture maps, emissive settings, and texture tiling and offset.

4. Edit an existing material directly from a GameObject

• If your GameObject already has a material, select the GameObject, then in the Inspector panel, use the foldout (triangle) to expand the Mesh Renderer or Skinned Mesh Renderer component.
• Use the foldout (triangle) to expand the Materials property
• If the material’s properties are editable, adjust them directly.

Note: Changes affect all GameObjects that share this material.

• If the properties are grayed out (common for imported assets), select the Edit Material button.
• Unity Studio creates an editable copy of the material in the My Assets folder and assigns it to this GameObject.
• Update properties as needed. Changes now affect only this GameObject.

You can now create, assign, and refine materials to control the look and feel of GameObjects in your Unity Studio scene.

Unity Studio offers two powerful ways to add motion and visual effects to your GameObjects: the Animation component for single GameObjects and the Animation Director for coordinating multiple objects on a shared timeline.

Watch the video walkthrough or follow the step-by-step instructions below to complete this task:

Instructions

1. Animate a single GameObject with the Animation component

• Select the GameObject you wish to animate in your scene.
• In the Inspector panel, select the Add Component button, then search for and add the Animation component. Select the Add (+) button to add a new animation; this opens the Animation Timeline window.
• Utilize the keyframe system: move the timeline cursor, then make a change to your GameObject in the Scene view to automatically create a keyframe.
• Adjust animation timing by dragging, merging, or deleting keyframes on the timeline.
• Select the Play button in the top bar to preview your animation.

2. Coordinate multiple GameObjects with the Animation Director

• In the Hierarchy panel, locate and select the Animation Director to open its Animation Timeline window.
• Move the timeline cursor, then select a GameObject in the Hierarchy panel and apply a change in the Scene view to create a keyframe for that GameObject.
• Repeat for other GameObjects to animate multiple GameObjects on the same timeline.
• Drag one or multiple asset's blue animation tracks on the timeline to move all its keyframes at once, or create multiple timelines for advanced control.
• Select the Play button in the top bar to preview your animations.

3.  Customize animation properties

• Adjust Autoplay to start animations automatically.
• Rename animations using the Name property for organization and script reference.
• Choose Easing types for natural motion.
• Set Playback options to Once, Loop, or Ping Pong.

With Unity Studio's animation tools, you can create everything from simple object movements to complex cinematic scenes.

Congratulations!

You've successfully completed your first steps with Unity Studio, learning how to create projects, navigate the interface, add assets, create animations, and work with materials.

In the next tutorial, you'll explore more advanced features that will expand your Unity Studio skills. You'll learn how to create interactive behaviors using visual scripting, collaborate with your teammates in real-time using the collaboration mode and Annotations, and import your Unity Studio draft into a Unity Editor project.