Exploring the Editor Layout

Navigation in the Editor - 2019.1 & 2019.2

Project Organization

Working with the FBX Exporter Setup and Roundtrip - 2019.1, 2019.2

Importing Assets

Introduction to Nested Prefabs

Working with Scripts

Working with Switch Statements

Creating Basic UI with uGUI

Creating a Screen Space Overlay UI

Creating a Worldspace UI

Grouping and Layout Techniques for UI Components

QuickStart to TextMesh Pro

Introduction to Sprite Animations

Using 9-Slicing for Scalable Sprites

Working with YAMLMerge

Managing Projects with Multi-Scene Editing

Introduction to Optimization in Unity

Working with LODs

Working with the Stats Window

Working with the Frame Debugger

Working with the FBX Exporter Setup and Roundtrip

During development of any project in Unity, there will be a need to import assets, whether they be 3D or 2D. Assets come in various file formats such as .fbx, .png, and .tga. These are just a few, but are commonly used in Unity development. In this tutorial, you will learn different ways to bring in your assets.

Sprite Animations are animation clips that are created for 2D assets. There are various ways to create Sprite Animations. One way is to create them from a Sprite Sheet, a collection of Sprites arranged in a grid. The Sprites are then compiled into an Animation Clip that will play each Sprite in order to create the animation, much like a flipbook. Sprite Animations can also be created by using keyframe animation in Unity, via the Animation window.  

SpriteSheet.png

Creating Sprite Animations Using Sprite Sheets

Import Settings

Sprite Editor

Slicing Sprite Sheets

Creating Sprite Animations from Selected Sprites

Creating Keyframe Animation

Blending Animations

Conclusion

Next Steps

What are Sprite Animations?

Unity allows you to have multiple scenes loaded simultaneously in the Unity Editor. Multi-scene editing allows you to lay out a huge game world one chunk at a time, moving everything into place, and even transfer assets from one scene to another. In this workflow, we’ll explore how we can use multi-scene editing to build a game world from modular sections.

Creating and Editing Multiple Scenes

Creating or Loading Additional Scenes for Multi-Scene Editing

Transferring Assets Between Scenes

Introduction

Setting up the first Scene

The Frame Debugger is a handy tool that allows you to freeze playback for a running game on a particular frame to view the individual draw calls used to render that frame. The debugger also lets you go through frames one-by-one so you can see in greater detail how the scene is constructed.  In this tutorial, you will learn about the Frame Debugger and how to use it for analysis.

The Frame Debugger

Using the Frame Debugger

How to get the most out of the Frame Debugger

Viewing Shader Properties

These Companion Tutorials are related to the activities of this instructor-led Workshop. These Tutorials will refresh your memory as you apply new skills to your own projects. Come back to these Tutorials as a reference as you proceed through your learning journey with Unity. 

Using workshop assets, or assets of your own, use these Tutorials to get up and running with Unity, focusing on the features you will need to build 3D mobile games. With these tutorials, you will add objects, animate objects, build UI components, and optimize your game’s performance. 

2019.4

2019.1

2018.4

Introduction to 3D Mobile Games for Engineers--Companion Tutorials (2019.1)

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Grouping LODs

Configuring LODs

Making Smoother LOD Transitions

With 3D games and applications on a wider range of devices than ever, it can be a challenge to deliver a consistently smooth experience. One tool to achieve this is intelligent optimization and display of visual assets through the use of LOD Groups.

Games

Automotive

Mtree - tree creation related content

Introduction to 3D Mobile Games for Artists--Companion Tutorials (2018.4)

Maya to Unity Roundtrip - Companion Tutorials (2019.1)

AR Curricular Framework Resources 

Game Design Curricular Framework Resources  

Architecture, Engineering and Construction Curricular Framework Resources

This tutorial has been verified using Unity 2019 LTS

In Unity, we use LOD groups to display a GameObject at various levels of detail (LOD) depending on its distance from the camera. When the GameObject is beyond a certain distance, it can be culled from the scene altogether.

An LOD group is made up of renderers — meshes or Sprites — that render the object in different ways depending on its distance from the camera. Typically, an LOD group is made up of single meshes of an entire object with successively lower resolutions. Another approach is to break a mesh into parts, showing fewer parts as the GameObject gets farther from the camera. In addition, Sprite renderers are useful for distant LODs, and in scenes with many characters or objects, such as large battlefields or forests.

If you have imported LOD groups from another application, such as 3dsMax or Maya, the renderers are already grouped, and you can skip the grouping step in Unity and continue with “Configuring LODs,” below.  

1. Name your renderers using “LOD” and sequential numbers at the end of the names, starting with “LOD0” (or “LOD00” if you will need two digits). 

2. Create an empty GameObject by selecting Create Empty from the GameObject drop-down. Name it for your object. We’re using VegetationSmall07 from the 3D Game Kit, available in the Unity Asset Store.

3. Renderers used in an LOD group must be children of the LOD group’s GameObject. Drag your LOD Sprites or meshes from the Project window onto the GameObject in the Hierarchy. This will place them in the scene and parent them to your GameObject. (Figure 01)


Figure 01: LOD meshes parented to the GameObject that will contain the LOD group component.

Next, we’ll add the LOD group component to the parent GameObject, which will bring up the LOD Group Inspector. There, we will configure each LOD to appear when the camera is within a certain range of the GameObject. The percentages listed in the LOD Group Insector represent the amount of vertical space the GameObject takes up in the camera view. In our example below, once the GameObject takes up 60 percent or less of the camera view vertically, LOD 1 is displayed until it takes up 30 percent or less, and so on. We can also use the LOD group Inspector to set fades and animations for smoother transitions between LODs.

1. Select the parent object and add an LOD group component using either the Add Component button in the Inspector, or by selecting Rendering > LOD Group from the Component drop-down. The LOD group will be added to the GameObject’s Inspector.

2. Click LOD 0 to select it, and click the Add button. (Figure 02)


3. Double-click the highest quality LOD Mesh Renderer to add it to LOD 0. (Figure 03)

4. You may wish to add more than one renderer to an LOD. Let’s say you’re setting up an LOD group for a tree. You can display the tree as one unified mesh at LOD 0, but separate a medium quality mesh into a mesh for the trunk and a Sprite for the leaves, showing both at LOD 1 and the entire tree as a Sprite at LOD 2. To add multiple renderers, use the Add button (Figure 04) for each LOD Renderer. The process is identical for mesh and Sprite LOD Renderers.

5. If you need more than the default 3 LODs, repeat adding LODs to fill out the bar. To add renderers to an LOD, use the Add button.

6. Drag the edges of the segments to change the LOD ranges. 

7. To preview the transitions, either scroll with your mouse scroll wheel in Scene view, or click and drag the camera in the LOD Group Inspector. The camera will move in relation to the object. Adjust the thresholds to get the right level of detail at every distance from the camera.

8. The object can disappear or become very small at the lowest percentage. Adjust the Culled segment to set the threshold for it to vanish, or slide the Culled segment all the way off to the right if you want to keep the object visible at greatest distances.

Figure 02: Select LOD 0 and click the Add button to add a mesh renderer to LOD 0.

Figure 03: Though only Mesh Renderers are shown here, an LOD group can display any combination of Mesh and/or Sprite Renderers.

Figure 04: Thumbnail(s) of the renderers for each LOD appear in the Renderers bar. 

As the camera moves, your object might “pop” from one level of detail to the next. You can set up fades to smooth out these transitions.

1. Select an LOD to configure the transition between it and the next lower LOD.

None: Meshes are replaced (or culled) instantly.

Cross Fade: Select this mode to smoothly fade to the next lower LOD. If Animate Cross-Fading is checked, the fade happens at the threshold between LODs and is nearly instant. Or, uncheck Animate Cross Fade to allow for manual control of the fade using the Fade Transition Width, explained below.

SpeedTree: SpeedTree Assets are imported with this mode. For non-SpeedTree Meshes, this mode behaves identically to None.

3. The Fade Transition Width can also cause the cross fade to the next LOD to begin sooner than the threshold between LODs, allowing for a smoother, longer transition. (Figure 05)


4. Recalculate Bounds: This button recalculates the bounding region for the LOD group. This is typically done automatically.

5. Recalculate Lightmap Scale: When using lightmapping, this button recalculates the lightmap scale to match the LOD percentages to aid in eliminating visual artifacts. For more information on Lightmapping, see the Unity manual.

Figure 05: LOD 0 and 1 are both visible due to a wider Fade Transition Width.

Once configured, the LOD group works automatically as the distance between the GameObject and the camera changes. Your project should now run more efficiently, without needlessly rendering high-quality meshes when objects are far from the camera and high quality isn’t needed.    

Working with LODs

1. Introduction

2. Grouping LODs

3. Configuring LODs

4. Making Smoother LOD Transitions

5. Conclusion

Complete this tutorial