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Get started with the Unity Editor

Feeling comfortable working in the Unity interface is the first essential step towards creating amazing digital experiences. In this tutorial, you will create a new project, navigate Unity's interface, experiment with 3D objects and materials, integrate Unity's physics system, and learn how to use prefabs.

IntroToUnity.zip

Welcome to this absolute beginner tutorial, designed to give you a hands-on introduction to the world of real-time 3D development with Unity. By the end of this tutorial, you will have taken your first steps into creating an interactive experience with Unity.

More specifically, you’ll do the following:

Navigate Unity's Scene view, focus on specific objects, and explore from different angles.

Create a new scene, add and adjust 3D objects like planes and cubes, and experiment with Unity's materials.

Make your cubes obey gravity and tumble using Unity's physics system and Play mode.

Create a stack of tumbling cubes, explore global and local coordinates, and scale objects for variety.

Use Unity's prefabs to add characters and visual effects.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a unique scene that you designed from scratch that you can explore with the character of your choice. It could look something like the example below — or it could look completely different!

This tutorial is perfect for absolute beginners - you don't need any prior experience with Unity or game development. 

If you are already very confident in positioning yourself in Scene view using a variety of 3D navigation techniques, and you have a lot of experience using the Move and Rotate tools, this tutorial might not be appropriate for you. In this case, feel free to skip to the bottom of the tutorial and select 

If you’re ready to get started, proceed to the next step!

Overview

The first step you need to take is to create a new Unity project from the Unity Hub. Watch the video or follow the instructions below to create a new Unity project:

Begin by opening the Unity Hub application. 

The Unity Hub is a desktop application that streamlines the way users manage their Unity projects and installations. It allows easy access to different versions of Unity and extensions, and the creation, management, and launching of projects.

If you haven't installed Unity Hub yet, you can download it from the 

From the Unity Hub, you can select which version of the Unity Editor you want to create your project with. This is especially useful if you have multiple versions installed. 

It is always recommended that you use the latest Long Term Support (LTS) version of the Unity Editor. 

Long Term Support (LTS) versions of Unity are stable releases that are supported for two years after their launch, providing users with a reliable and fully tested platform for their projects with guaranteed ongoing updates and bug fixes.

From the Editor Version dropdown, any version that starts with 

If you don’t already have this version installed on your machine, you can 

follow these instructions on how to install a version of Unity

. This template comes with settings and assets useful for 3D projects. 

 window, give your project a name - for this tutorial, let's call it “My First Project”.

Choose a location on your computer to save your new project. 

 button. Unity will take a moment to set up your new project.


You might also find it helpful to watch the quick video demo of this entire step below.

You've successfully created a new Unity project! By the time you’ve completed this step, you should see an empty Unity project, similar to the image below.

Create a new Unity project

Unity uses assets to build the scenes, characters, and everything else you see in an application. These 

 can be textures, models, animations, sounds, scripts, and more. 

 that includes a range of interesting assets to play with. In order to use those assets in Unity, you first need to import them into your project.

To import your assets and open a pre-built scene, follow these instructions:

This package contains a bunch of assets that you will use in this project.

On Windows: right-click the downloaded zip file and select 

On macOS: double-click the zipped folder. 

After you've downloaded and unzipped the asset package, go back to Unity.

package that you just unzipped and select 

A new window will open with a list of assets. Select 

window is typically found at the bottom of the screen, but it can be moved or docked elsewhere based on your personal layout preference. 

The Project window is essentially the file manager of your Unity project. It's where all the files you'll use in your application, such as scripts, textures, audio clips, and scenes, are listed and can be managed.

This opens a pre-built scene designed to help you learn 3D navigation.

 is a powerful text rendering tool for Unity that offers advanced text styling and layout options. 

You might also find it helpful to watch the quick video demo of this entire step below.

By the time you’ve completed this step, you should see a colorful scene in the center of the Unity Editor, similar to the image below.

Import the tutorial assets and open the Playground scene

Navigating a 3D space efficiently and effectively is a crucial skill when designing 3D applications in Unity. The more comfortable you are navigating 3D space, the faster you’ll be able to work and the less frustrated you’ll become trying to bring your ideas to life. 

 scene to learn the critical skills for navigating in the 

 view is a visual editor in Unity that allows you to create, edit, and manipulate 3D scenes and objects in your game, making it easier to design and test your game, and to identify and fix issues with your game objects and environment.

Your goal in this step is to get comfortable enough navigating 3D space in the 

 view so that you can successfully navigate the obstacle course set up in this playground using a variety of 3D navigation techniques. Here is a video preview of what you’ll try to do in this step:

Now it’s your turn! To learn more about navigating through a 3D scene, follow these instructions:

 window lists all the objects in your current scene and is located on the leftmost side in the Default layout. 

When you double–click on an object in the 

 view focuses on it, centering the object in the camera's perspective. This feature is particularly useful for quickly locating and working with specific objects within a large and complex scene.

Double-click on some of the objects in the 

Hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse to look around. This is the basic way of changing your view in the 3D space.

) and left-click, then drag your mouse to orbit the view. 

This allows you to position yourself right behind the gate.

Orbiting is particularly useful when you want to inspect an object from all angles. By orbiting around an object, you can see its front, back, and sides, helping you ensure that your edits and additions look good from all perspectives. 

Fly through the rings, the archway, and the hallway. 

 mode by holding down the right mouse button and use the WASD keys to move around the space, just like in a first-person video game. 

If you are new to this kind of 3D navigation, try to move in small increments by tapping the W, A, S, and D keys.

Fly through the series of rings through the tunnel, then over the archway, then through the zig-zagging hallway. Stop when you get to the end of the hallway.

: If you get lost, remember you can always reframe on the starting gate by double-clicking on it in the 

An alternative to double-clicking on objects in the 

After you are framed on an object, you can zoom in and out relative to that object using the scroll wheel (or by scrolling on a trackpad). 

Frame in on the targets in the next section, orbit around them to face the next target, then zoom through their center. 

Repeat this process for all targets until you reach the finish line!

Remember, mastering 3D navigation is a process, and it's okay to feel disoriented at first. Practice flying through the scene until you feel comfortable and can easily navigate through the course. Once you've mastered this, you're ready for the next step!

Pass the Scene view flythrough test

Floating beneath the obstacle course, you may have noticed some giant 3D letters.

To read what these letters say, you can use flythrough mode or frame in on them as you have been doing — but there’s a more convenient way to quick view the scene from certain angles.


gizmo presents a visual representation of the 

 view camera's current orientation and serves as a control center for adjusting your viewing angles and projection modes.

The gizmo has a cube at the center with three conical arms labeled X, Y, and Z extending out from it. If you select each of these axis arms, the 

 view camera will instantly snap to the axis it represents. 

For instance, selecting the Y arm will give you a top-down view of your scene. You can also right-click the cube to see a list of viewing angles at your disposal. To revert to the default free view, simply right-click the 

Try clicking around the different axes to get a good view of your scene from all angles.

If you click the negative Y cone and zoom in or out, you will see that the word written beneath the obstacle course is “UNITY”.

Next, let's talk about projection modes. By selecting the text beneath the gizmo — which says “Persp” (short for perspective) by default —  you can toggle between 

) modes. The Orthographic mode, devoid of perspective, pairs excellently with an axis arm click to give you an undistorted front, top, or side view of your scene. This is very helpful when you’re arranging objects in your scene since it limits you to a 2D perspective, sort of like you’re looking down at a map.

Use Isometric/Orthographic mode to view the Unity text with no perspective.

Use the Scene gizmo to read the hidden word 

Now that you’ve flown around in an existing scene and are comfortable navigating 3D space in the 

 view, you’re ready to work on a new scene from scratch. 

, then rename the scene something like “MyFirstScene”

Double-click on the renamed scene to open it.

window in a new empty scene usually contains a Directional Light and a Main Camera — you’ll learn more about those later.

. This will create a new plane GameObject in your scene, which will act as the ground for your game.

Use your 3D navigation skills to get a good view of the plane in the 

To position the plane accurately, you need to set its position to the center of the scene, otherwise known as the 

. The origin is the point where the X, Y, and Z axes intersect (0, 0, 0). 

 window. This window shows the properties of the currently selected GameObject. 

window. This component determines the GameObject's position, rotation, and scale in the scene. Every GameObject in Unity must have a 

. This ensures the plane is at the center of your scene, providing a good starting point for building your environment. Use your 3D navigation skills to get a good view of it in the 

: To reset the Transform coordinates, you can also select the 

This will create a new cube object that will be floating in your scene, likely intersecting with the plane.

You may notice the cube is intersecting the plane. We want the cube to be above the ground. 

 tool from the toolbar at the top of the 

Click and drag the green arrow (the Y-axis) to lift the cube up by 4 meters. 

You can also verify this position in the 

 component of the cube lists its position. The 

Add 3D GameObjects to a new scene

You have a gray cube hovering above a gray plane — these objects need some color! To add color to you GameObjects, follow these instructions:

 is an asset that helps you change how 3D objects look by using colors, textures, and special effects.

, then name the new material “Ground”. 

 property and select a color for your ground.

 view. You'll see the plane change to the color you selected.

 GameObject, you may want to adjust how it reflects light by adjusting the 

Repeat the same process to create a new material for the cube. 

Drag and drop this material onto the cube in the 

Now that you have personalized your scene a bit, you should make sure to save your scene. Saving a scene preserves the current state of your project, including the position and configuration of all the GameObjects listed in the 

window. Try to save your scene regularly so you don’t lose any progress! 

Apply materials and save your scene

In this step, we're going to make your cube fall and then duplicate it to create a stack of tumbling cubes.

At the top of the Unity Editor, select the 

 button, which will automatically open the 

 view lets you see the game from your Main Camera's perspective, as if you were a player experiencing the game firsthand. 

You'll notice that your cube simply hangs in the air. 

To stop the game, exit Play mode by clicking the 

Make sure that you are no longer in Play mode. If you are still in Play mode, none of the changes you make will be saved.

. Components are fundamental building blocks of Unity GameObjects that define their behavior and appearance. 

In the search bar that appears, enter "Rigidbody" and select it to add a 

 component equips your cube with physical properties, such as gravity.

Test your change by entering Play mode again. 

Now, you'll see the cube fall due to gravity! This demonstrates how adding components can significantly change the behavior of GameObjects in your Unity scene.

Select the Rotate tool from the toolbar, or press 

Click and drag on the rotation gizmos around the cube in the Scene view to rotate it slightly. This will cause the cube to tumble as it falls, making the movement more interesting. 

Add physics and enter Play mode

In Unity, you can toggle between Global and Local coordinate systems by selecting the tool handles toggle at the top of the Unity Editor.

 coordinates refer to the world's XYZ axes, which remain constant. 

 coordinates refer to the GameObject's own XYZ axes, which can change if the object is rotated.

 tool selected, notice what happens when you switch from Global to Local. In Local coordinates, the Y axis points in the upward direction of the cube. In Global coordinates, the Y axis points in the upward direction of the world.

  Create a stack with different coordinate systems.

) to position the new cube on top of the original one. 

Repeat this process a couple of times to create a stack of cubes.

Try moving the cubes in both Global and Local coordinates to see the difference. 

You can click and drag the gray cube at the center of the gizmo to scale the object uniformly.

Make each cube a different size for variety.

Enter Play mode again to watch your various sized cubes tumble!

Make more cubes using global and local coordinates

Up to this point, you have created everything in the scene using Unity’s provided selection of primitive shapes.

In this step, you'll add a prebuilt character along with other interesting assets to the scene so you can walk around the environment and make the experience a bit more immersive. 

, short for prefabricated object, is a reusable asset that you can create, configure, and store in your project for use in multiple scenes or across different projects. We have provided you with a wide range of prefabs in these assets, including some characters.

Browse through the character options — you can preview the characters using the 

Choose any character and drag it into the 

If you enter Play mode now, the character should be able to walk around, but the camera will stay fixed — you’ll fix that next.

 view will show the first active camera in the 

window, which in this case is the Main Camera. There is actually another camera attached to each of the characters, which will follow the character around. You need to disable the Main Camera in order to activate that player camera. 

 window, next to the object’s name, disable the box at the top to mark the Main Camera as inactive.

Re-enter Play mode. You can now move around the scene with the camera following behind the character.

: The character will not fall off the edge of the plane because their Y position is constrained in the 

Enhance the scene with more prefab objects, visual effects, and materials. 

 folder, drag and drop new objects and visual effects (VFX) like snow or fire into the scene.

 tools to make an interesting environment for your character to explore. 

You can also apply new materials to the ground and the cubes. 

GameObject to create a larger surface area.

Enter Play mode one more time and walk around your enhanced scene as your character!

Add prefabs and other assets to the scene

Congratulations on completing this beginner's tutorial! You've successfully set up a Unity project, imported assets, mastered 3D navigation in the 

 view, manipulated 3D objects, experienced Unity physics, and designed an environment.

With these foundations, you're well on your way to creating more complex projects. As you explore Unity further, you'll start adding animations, scripts, audio, and more. The possibilities are limitless in your journey as a Unity developer.

Unity Version 6.0