Grab Unity 3 and take a spin.

Occlusion Culling Demo

Unity 3 Feature – Occlusion Culling with Umbra from Unity3D on Vimeo.

We continue to be excited about the iPhone, iPod touch and iPod as platform targets for Unity developers. While we don’t think C++ is the best language to write game code , using C++ as a scripting language has memory and performance advantages on low-end devices. This is a great feature to have for developers who want to squeeze the last ounce of memory & performance out of their games.

We still can’t believe Apple will force developers into choosing a specific language for development. And as mentioned, Apple is still approving every Unity-based game we know of. In case the situation changes, rest assured that we are working this Plan B.

We’ll be ready to talk more about this as well as share some time-line information with you soon, while of course waiting to find out if any of this will actually be necessary.

The Unity Plan B is that the C++ engine code that mimics as closely as it can to the Mono .net C# or Javascript code. From the samples on the blog the C++ and Mono (javascript in this case) samples are really similar.

Many current engines are legacy or have lots of bloat, unless you write your own, or maybe even still then. Though this is looking really clean for C++ game engine code, at least in comparison to current industry leaders for indie engines.

It would be a beautiful C++ library to use even if Apple doesn’t require it. Compared to the other indie game engines out this would be a sweet C++ engine for indies and hope they do this no matter. C++ can be written cleanly and with influence from a simplified C#/Javascript engine and clean API it makes for a killer C++ engine that makes sense. Right now native is really attrctive on embedded for some years to come.

A very basic comparison from their blog:

Javascript Sample

function Update(){
    //Spin the object around the world origin
    transform.RotateAround(Vector3.zero, Vector3.up, 20 * Time.deltaTime);
}

C# Sample

using System.Collections;
using UnityEngine;
public class Example  : MonoBehaviour {
    void Update(){
        //Spin the object around the world origin
        transform.RotateAround(Vector3.zero, Vector3.up, 20 * Time.deltaTime);
    }
}

C++ Sample

#include "UnityEngine.h"
class Example : public MonoBehaviour {
public:
    void Update() {
        transform.RotateAround(Vector::zero, Vector3::up, 20 * Time::GetDeltaTime());
    }
};

Things I am wondering…

• Will this help porting to Android versions if they use the NDK?
• How much smaller will my app be if I use the C++ version (attractive feature since the mono dlls are pretty big – even though I really dig mono)?
• Wouldn’t a C++ version be a better base with pluggable scripting in C# if you want? Maybe an option for Lua with a similar API signature for all? Ok maybe over-engineering there…

iTween is a simple one file drop in for some great scripted animation and easing that is very reminiscent of Flash using Penner equations and common libraries so it is easy to get started. It works for web player, desktop and iPhone Unity (however long that lasts).

Some sample code looks like this:

private GameObject go;
private GameObject cam;
 
void Awake()
{
    go = gameObject;
    cam = Camera.main.gameObject;
}
 
private void Start()
{
    iTween.rotateFrom(go, 1.5f, 0, null, 90, null, iTween.EasingType.easeInExpo);
    iTween.moveFrom(go, 1.5f, 0, null, 3.5f, null, iTween.EasingType.easeInExpo);
    iTween.colorTo(go, .3f, 1.5f, 3, .5f, 1.2f);
    iTween.shake(cam, .8f, 1.5f, null, .3f, null);
    iTween.scaleTo(go, 2, 2.3f, null, 2, null);
    iTween.rotateBy(go, null, 4.3f, .5f, null, null);
    iTween.moveTo(go, null, 4.6f, null, 1.2f, null);
    iTween.moveTo(go, null, 5.8f, null, 0, null, iTween.EasingType.easeInExpo);
    iTween.shake(cam, .8f, 6.8f, null, .3f, null);
    iTween.colorTo(go, .5f, 7.6f, .165f, .498f, .729f);
    iTween.scaleTo(go, null, 7.6f, null, 1, null);
}

• Download Javascript iTween by Bob Berkebile (pixelplacement.com)
• Download C# iTween by Patrick Corkum (insquare.com)

This is pretty huge even for such a small and innovative company. I guess it means it will be time to buy an upgrade soon. Unity so far has been giving feature after feature for free for current license holders, this one seems big enough to justify a major version increase.

Gamasutra comments on other great features:

This third iteration will also incorporate Umbra Software’s occlusion culling product, which is designed help performance for games with large, open scenes and complex geometry. The platform’s top-end version, Unity Pro, will include both Umbra and Beast at no additional cost.

Unity Technologies updated its Unity iPhone for version 3.0 to include streaming audio support for smaller build size, Bluetooth multiplayer support, faster in-game GUIs”, and a 2D sprite engine. Furthermore, the company’s iPhone product will offer performance improvements that promise to provide faster frame rates.

The company says that with its new platform support for PlayStation 3, iPad, and Android, it offers developers an opportunity to target a larger install base than any other game engine. Unity’s game engine currently can produce games for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Wii, with support for Xbox 360 announced last October.

If the question is if Unity can do interactives as smooth and stylish as Flash I think you may soon find out.  Carlos Ulloa of Papervision 3D fame has kicked it up a notch in Unity 3D with this interactive very reminiscent of the Ford Focus demo that helped bring in Papervision 3D for flash in style. Gotta say though a mini is much better than a Ford Focus.

Flash is still the leader in web interactives and even marketing interactive 3d, Unity largely replaced Director and tools like it and high-end hardware rendered required interactives and games. This interactive by HelloEnjoy has loads of polygons, unity physics system, lighting, environment mapping, showroom cameras, reflection, skid decals, highly detailed mesh and more.  Just take a peek inside the vehicle and at the rims for the detail that is impossible with the 2000 poly limit of Flash 3D software rendered engines.

Web interactives this heavy aren’t doable in a non hardware rendered player like Flash.  Unity is looking to pretty much own this level of quality in a browser.  I don’t think I have seen another interactive looking this good with Unity 3D.

Unity still is lacking many features that Flash has in support of making interactives for the web such as webcam support, mic support, better video support, better gui system, html support (although flash barely) and a larger install base but Unity could easily take the high-end advertising market in addition to owning highly immersive games that need hardware rendering which it is already doing for web gaming.  It is 2010 soon, most computers have a decent video card.  Put them to use!

• Blog Post on the project
• View the project

The book is written in a simple yet rapid pace but starts out from beginner level 3d introductions and really explores all areas needed to give someone the handrails to start tinkering on their own in the dark of their labs with Unity. The book explores an introduction to 3d (the biggest hurdle for most in moving to unity although it also does 2d), terrrains (terrains aren’t supported in iphone yet keep this in mind if those are your aims), moving players and cameras, collision detection with colliders and rays, working with prefabs, creating HUDs, creating menu screens and working with the the GUI system in Unity (which can be strange for people coming from flash with event based user interfaces), loading/instantiating objects in the 3d world, particle systems, physics and lots of examples and minigames showing off these areas.

The book is alot like Unity itself in that it gets up and running quickly, gives the tools to do some damage and then opens the door to developing with Unity. After you develop longer in a platform you learn how to dig deeper into all these areas including scripting to do lots of what the Unity Editor can do for you but there is so much to take in that a good starting point to catch onto is needed.  Unity Game Development Essentials, the first Unity book, fills that role easily.

I have been using Unity as a hobbyist then at work at a game company starting in 2007 since it started to invade and take over from Director in 2007 ish then infiltrating the Papervision 3D and flash 3D developers, even with that experience this book still did a great job of exploring the tools and is approachable for almost anyone with some basic scripting skills and a desire to make some creative stuff.

Even if you have been doing Unity for a while a book is always good to see techniques and support authors and community members that give back to help others learn. Pick it up! (Amazon) (Packt Publishing)

If you aren’t ready to make the leap to Unity just yet there is also a great book from Paul Tondeur called Papervision Essentials for 3D in Flash, he has also done some projects in Unity to Flash communication.

• Grab the Book from Packt Publishing

Companies like EA, Cartoon Network and Lego are using Unity 3D and just about every game developer I know including myself has been excited about the possibility of an engine that allows creation of hardware rendered web based games and desktop games, which are multi-platform and paths into the mobile market (iPhone/Touch) and console like Wii and XBOX in development (for additional licenses).

When Unity 3D released support for Windows as a development environment in addition to Mac it  literally blew up as predicted this year. Also, Unity 2.6 is out which is big because it finally supports third party source control such as Subversion and Perforce. Many of the barriers that were keeping it from integration into gaming pipelines are gone:  the price, the single platform and the source code integration issues.  Unity 3D has addressed all those issues.

What are you waiting for? Get your Unity3D on!

The pipeline is not yet as streamlined as  as Unity 3D as Torque has many legacy formats and components such as DTS models, DIF interiors and DSQ animation files that are specific to the Torque Engine.  But they have added support for COLLADA models and the community is strong for Torque 3D. Also, since Torque 3D is built on an older engine but updated for modern uses, the file formats and loading is streamlined for low poly and web based games that need small asset sizes but still have quality.

Like Unity 3D there are many paths to truly get your game published and available to many platforms from desktop on Windows and Mac to web players in all major browsers (and iPhone, Wii and XBox with more $$$). This is an amazing time in game development.

When I initially got into heavier game development in early 2003 after moving from Half-life to Unreal and then the affordable Torque, there were two major things missing, a web player export and a good editor with intellisense.  Torque 3D provides the web player export and Torsion is a great IDE for TorqueScript beyond using Visual Studio or XCode for C++ source editing.

Some really nice tools include the River Editor and Road and Path editor that complement the great terrain editor and scene and asset editors that make production fairly quick in the Torque tool chain.

Road and Path Editor

Road and Path Editor – Torque 3D from TorquePowered on Vimeo.

River Editor

River Editor – Torque 3D from TorquePowered on Vimeo.

The good news is there is now two quality toolsets in Unity 3D and Torque that for about $1500 you can get a good pipeline and engine that will enable you to create great immersive games for many platforms and the web.  If you got the skills the platforms are there to get your game out to the world whichever platform you choose.  Similarly to the Flash vs Silverlight vs Canvas progress, with competition in this area it will keep both platforms innovating and supporting developers needs first.

For more immersive games that require hardware rendering beyond Flash capabilities Unity 3D and Torque 3D are now here for your creations.

This is a major shift in the game industry and how it is being expanded into online properties that rival or better the console and desktop versions through online communities.  Quake Live from id software uses their own system that wraps existing games (originally developed by Gaim Theory then bought by id Software) and instant action technology from garage games that runs instant action.  All these systems have provided us browser based triple AAA style gaming fun.  It looks like that movement will continue as more and more game companies and publishers see the valid capabilities of Unity 3D to deliver when you need really deeply immersive 3d experiences in the browser. Also other systems like Torque 3D, Quake Live technology and more will be seeing this trend continue when it comes to games online. It is also becoming a choice for online web based 3d MMOs such as Fusion Fall and Marvel Super Hero Squad.

• Shogun Gamer interview with EA about Unity3D
• EA Blog Post About Tiger Woods Online
• Unity 3D blog post about this

A few features really stand out as stuff we need:

• Automatic batching of meshes to reduce draw calls.
• Full support for native Objective C and C++ code opens full access to the iPhone 3.x APIs and custom plugins.
• Introduced thread based main loop – now you can choose between NSTimer, Thread and OS event pump (CFRunLoop) methods. Thread method is set by default now.
• Added native plugin support (advanced license feature). Just add custom attribute [DllImport("__Internal")] to your native implemented methods in C# and corresponding implementation to the XCode project.
• Exposed full-screen movie playback support to scripts (iPhoneUtils.PlayMovie/PlayMovieURL).
• Added support for GPS/location service (iPhoneSettings.StartLocationService / iPhoneInput.lastLocation).
• Exposed native iPhone keyboard to scripts (iPhoneKeyboard class).
• Implemented native iPhone keyboard input for TextField/PasswordField/TextArea GUI elements.
• Exposed all 4 screen orientations as iPhoneSettings.screenOrientation. iPhoneSettings.verticalOrientation is now deprecated.
• Added support for vibration (iPhoneUtils.Vibrate).
• Exposed number of properties via Editor Player Settings UI (including bundle version and UI interface orientation).
• Implemented support for up to 8 texture units in shaders for iPhone 3GS. Added iPhone 3GS emulation in the Editor.
• Introduced automatic batching for small (less than 300 vertices) dynamic objects if they share same material. Reduces OpenGLES draw-call overhead.
• Unity respects your XCode project now. It is not overwritten anymore by default. You can safely add new files, modify project itself or AppController.mm file, Unity will append its things as necessary. Note however that some folders like Libraries, Data, root project folder are always overwritten.

Wow!  See the full feature update and the blog announcement.