Introduction to Unit 4

Get started with VFX

Play around with a Particle System

Create an environmental Particle System

Create a burst particle

Challenge: Add some magic to your scene

Add VFX to your game

Unit 4 - VFX

VFX is essential to real-time 3D projects and the broader industry. It enhances visual elements and creates immersive experiences through dynamic simulations, realistic particles, and stunning visuals.

In this tutorial, you’ll get a quick overview of what to expect from this unit about VFX.

Overview

What you’ll do

Next steps

More complex effects, like a campfire, might actually be made up of multiple individual Particle Systems. A fire could have flames, smoke, and sparks. In this tutorial, you’ll explore the individual elements of a fire, and then play around with the properties of those elements to produce a unique result.

By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to:

Explain how individual Particle Systems can be combined to create more complex effects.

Understand the purpose of the three default modules in a Particle System: Emission, Shape, and Renderer.

Enable the sparks element

Enable additional modules for the sparks

Explore: Play around with the fire

VFX have the power to add intrigue, mystery, and whimsy to your environments. In this tutorial, you will attempt to add a sense of magic to your scene with fireflies, shooting stars, or some other effect of your choice.

By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to demonstrate your new skills in particles and visual effects.   

Determine a creative direction

Create some magical particles

Challenge criteria

Submit your work

Submit your project

Particle effects simulate small objects like smoke, fire, and dust. These effects enhance visuals by adding depth, realism, and movement to scenes, which enriches the gameplay experience.

In this tutorial, you will create visual effects to simulate an explosion when the enemy catches the player and a pickup effect for the tokens.

Requirements

Review your design document

Review the asset pack

Challenge guidance

More things to try

In this unit, you’ll learn how to implement visual effects (VFX)  in Unity. Then you’ll apply those new skills and add VFX to your own game. 

Unit 4 - Visual Effects

Welcome to the course

Install the Unity Hub and Editor

Get started with the Unity Editor

Create a balanced primitive structure

Introduction to Unit 2

Setting up the Game

Moving the Player

Moving the Camera

Setting up the Play Area

Creating Collectibles

Detecting Collisions with Collectibles

Displaying Score and Text

Adding AI Navigation

Building the Game

Fill out a Game Design Document

Introduction to Unit 6

Get started with animation

Create your first 3D animations

Refine your animation

Control animation with an Animator

Import animation

Challenge: Bring the scene to life

Add animation to your game

Introduction to Unit 7

Get started with shaders and materials

Explore meshes and rendering

Explore shaders

Simulate solid surfaces

Map materials with textures

Create translucent and transparent effects

Add physical texture with bump mapping 

Challenge: Create your still life composition

Add materials to your game

Introduction to Unit 8

Get started with lighting

Get started with lighting in Unity

Configure the Directional Light and skybox

Add light sources to your scene

Configure shadows in your scene

Bake a lightmap for your scene

Improve your lighting with Light Probes

Examine and complete the indoor scene

Refine and troubleshoot the indoor scene

Showcase your work with lighting

Add lighting to your game

Introduction to Unit 9

Explore the production cycle

Reimagine your game on multiple platforms

Iterate on the player controller

Source new assets

Unity pro tips

Prepare for the UCA Game Dev exam

Finalize your project

Unit 1 - Unity fundamentals

Unit 2 - Program a basic game

Unit 6 - Animation

Unit 7 - Materials

Unit 8 - Lighting

Unit 9 - Iterate on your game

What is the UCA Game Dev certification? 

What are the goals of this course?

What is the structure of this course?

What is the personal project?

IntroToUnity.zip

Create a new Unity project

Import the tutorial assets and open the Playground scene

Pass the Scene view flythrough test

Use the Scene gizmo to read the hidden word 

Add 3D GameObjects to a new scene

Apply materials and save your scene

Add physics and enter Play mode

Make more cubes using global and local coordinates

Add prefabs and other assets to the scene

Review your primitive options

Tips and tricks

Instructions

In this unit, you will create your first Unity project, get comfortable using the Unity Editor, and then design your first scene. 

Unit 1 - Get started in Unity

What will you learn?

A note about learning C# scripting

How can you use this game for your personal project?

Create_a_new_Scene-Transcript.txt

Create_a_primitive_plane-Transcript.txt

Scale_the_Ground_Plane-Transcript.txt

Create_a_Player_GameObject-Transcript.txt

Adjust_the_default_lighting-Transcript.txt

Add_colors_with_Materials-Transcript.txt

Create-a-new-Unity-Project-Transcript.txt

Before you begin

Create a new Scene

Create a primitive plane

Scale the Ground Plane

Create a Player GameObject

Adjust the default lighting

Add colors with Materials

Add_a_Rigidbody_to_the_Player-Transcript.txt

Install_the_Input_System_package-Transcript.txt

Add_a_Player_Input_component-Transcript.txt

Create_a_new_script-Transcript.txt

Write_the_OnMove_function_Declaration-Transcript.txt

Add_input_data_to_the_Player-Transcript.txt

Apply_force_to_the_Player-Transcript.txt

Fix_the_Player_movement_speed-Transcript.txt

Add a Rigidbody to the Player 

Install the Input System package

Add a Player Input component

Create a new script

Write the OnMove function declaration

Apply input data to the Player

Apply force to the Player

Fix the Player movement speed

Final script sample

Set_the_Camera_position-Transcript.txt

Write_a_CameraController_script-Transcript.txt

Reference_the_Player_GameObject-Transcript.txt

Set the Camera position

Write a CameraController script

Reference the Player GameObject

8.1 - Install the AI Navigation package - Transcript.txt

8.2 - Create an enemy - Transcript.txt

8.3 - Bake a NavMesh - Transcript.txt

8.4 - Make the enemy chase the player - Transcript.txt

8.5 - Create static obstacles - Transcript.txt

8.6 - Create dynamic obstacles - Transcript.txt

8.7 - Set the win and lose conditions - Transcript.txt

Install the AI Navigation package

Create an enemy

Bake a NavMesh

Make the enemy chase the player

Create static obstacles

Create dynamic obstacles

Set the win and lose conditions

Final script samples

In this unit, you will create a simple game called Roll-a-Ball that will be the foundation for your personal game project, which you will work on for the entire course.  

In this unit, you’ll learn how to implement audio effects in Unity. Then you’ll apply those new skills and add audio to your own game. 

Unit 3 - Audio

In this unit, you’ll learn how to create user interfaces (UI) in a Unity project. Then you’ll apply those new skills and add UI to your own game. 

Unit 5 - User Interfaces

Create an Animation Clip

Set the animation keyframes

Create a second clip

Create the bounce animation

Refine the animation with Curves

Adjust the easing of the ball

Create squash keyframes

Create stretch keyframes

Move your animation throughout the scene

Explore: Bounce over distance

Create the door animation

Explore the Animator Controller

Explore State Machines

Create the default state

Open the door

Close the door

Reset the State Machine

Create the proximity trigger

Explore: More triggered animation

In this unit, you’ll learn how to create and control animations in a Unity project. Then you’ll apply those new skills and add animations to your own game. 