Game engines are central to the video games we know and love. From the artwork to the mathematics that underpin the frames onscreen, the engine calls the shots. Aside from offering one of the leading 3D game engines, Unity also provides a superlative development tool ñ a tool that can produce professional standard games for Mac, PC, and the Unity Web Player.
This book is a complete exercise in game development covering environments, physics, sound, particles, and much more, to get you up and working with Unity quickly.
Taking a practical approach, this book will introduce you to the concepts of developing 3D games before getting to grips with development in Unity itself. From creating 3D worlds to scripting and creating simple game elements you will learn everything you'll need to get started with game development for the PC, Mac, and Web.
This book is designed to cover a set of easy to follow examples, which culminate in the production of a First Person 3D game, complete with an interactive island environment. By introducing common concepts of game and 3D production, you'll explore Unity to make a character interact with the game world, and build puzzles for the player to solve, in order to complete the game. At the end of the book, you will have a fully working 3D game and all the skills required to extend the game further, giving your end-user, the player, the best experience possible. Soon you will be creating your own 3D games with ease!
An understanding of the Unity 3D Engine and game development
Build a 3D island and set of mini-games for your players
Incorporate terrains and externally produced 3D models to get your game environment up and running
Build your own first person player character
Combine scripting and animation to transform your static objects into dynamic interactive game elements
Add realism to your games by using particle systems
Create a professional, easy-to-navigate menu and link the menu scene with levels of your game
Add sound, lighting effects, realistic shadows, and other dynamic effects to your game environment
Creating stunning user interfaces with textures and scripting
The printed version of the book is in black and white, but a full color version of the images is available for download here. The eBook version, available from Packt, is in full color.