Unity: ProBuilder

Name: Unity: ProBuilder
Author: Ken Geary

Install and use editable shapes with ProBuilder

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Course: On-Demand

Hello. My name is Ken Geary. In these lessons you will learn how to install and use Pro Builder in Unity, then add and edit from a variety of starter shape meshes. When building levels. Most developers will create their level assets in other digital content creation tools such as Maya, 3D, Studio Max or Blender, to name a few. In the initial design of your game or simulation, rough sketches of each playable level will be created on paper and scanned in, or any paint or illustration program. The next step before you start modeling your level in another program is to perform a rough layout in the Unity Editor using basic shapes. This is called Gray Boxing and is very useful to get a rough idea where all your elements should go, their scale, and if your character is able to navigate the space. For instance, if you have a giant character, it may not make it past buildings if built for average sized characters and you may have to spend a lot of time reworking those assets. By placing simple shapes directly in Unity, you can get a good idea on placement and size very easily rearrange and rescale the objects. Let's place a plane on the ground, create a 3D object plane, scale it by 20 in X and Z. Next we'll add a cube and scale it in Y to make it tall. To do this, we could hit the R key, click the green cube, I'm zooming out using a scroll wheel and I'll use W. Pull the cube above the ground so it's just touching. We need more, so just hold the CTRL key and D to make a duplicate. Or you can make duplicate using the edit menu and we'll do a few more. Just get idea we have a few trees in our scene. Although this is very crude, this is the start of our sample level and we now know where to place our trees when we create them or purchase tree assets from the Asset store. You may need more detail in your shapes such as stairs, which can be tedious to make duplicating cubes and scaling and stacking them. ProBuilder is a Unity Editor extension that provides a set of tools for creating, shaping and manipulating 3D objects directly in the Unity Editor. Pro Builder allows artists and designers to quickly prototype and iterate on level design, architectural, visualizations and other 3D environments without needing to switch to a separate modeling software. Some of the features of Pro Builder include object manipulation, vertex editing, UV, unwrapping and material assignment, among others. Pro Builder has to be installed and can be found using the Unity Package Manager. Select the window menu in the top menus and choose Package Manager. The Package Manager panel opens and lists packages available for your project. You'll typically be in my Assets. These are the assets you have downloaded or obtained over time. If you're new to Unity, this list might be empty. This is where all assets you added from Unity Assets Store will be listed and includes both free and purchased assets. What we need is the assets that are packaged with the Unity Editor. Click the top menu again, and this time select Unity Registry. There are many assets to choose from, so you can scroll down to find Pro Builder or you can search using a search tool. Search tool found in most panels in the Unity Editor is very useful as you work on your projects. Click in the search window and type in Pro. You don't need to type in the whole word to start filtering what you need now select Pro Builder. From the filter list. You'll see a brief description of what this asset can do, as well as links to documentation. Click Install. Now that Pro Builder is installed, you should see a green checkmark next to it on the asset list. It's good practice to clear out the search window. When done, click the X next to the search window. Then close the package manager panel back in the unity editor. listed in the top menu list. This is where you can find Pro Builder. In the next lesson, we're going to learn how to navigate the builder toolset in Unity. Thanks for watching.

Beginner Provider : Ken Geary 5 Lessons · 34m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

In these lessons, you will learn how to install and use ProBuilder in Unity and add and edit from a variety of starter shape meshes. We’ll show you how to utilize the Package Manager to install asset packages such as ProBuilder, and how to use the ProBuilder toolbar to create editable shapes such as arches and stairs. You’ll learn how to use a basic Unity plane shape and convert it into a ProBuilder mesh. Then you’ll learn how to select ProBuilder mesh components such as vertices, edges and faces and extrude faces to create extensions to your basic shape.

You will also explore the ProBuilder materials toll panel that will allow you to assign material slots to use on faces or entire ProBuilder meshes. Various shapes will be explored and a hangar will be created from a cube shape. Then you’ll create a simple landscape and decorate it with other ProBuilder shapes.

What You'll Learn

Install ProBuilder in Unity from the Packages panel using the Package Manager
Navigate the ProBuilder toolbar to create editable shapes such as arches and stairs
Convert a basic Unity plane shape into an editable ProBuilder mesh
Select and edit ProBuilder mesh components including vertices, edges, and faces, and extrude faces to extend shapes
Edit a ProBuilder cube to create a hangar
Assign materials to ProBuilder meshes using the Material Editor and build a decorated landscape from a basic Unity shape

Key Takeaways

The Package Manager is used to install asset packages such as ProBuilder into Unity.
A basic Unity plane shape can be converted into an editable ProBuilder mesh.
ProBuilder mesh components such as vertices, edges, and faces can be selected, and faces can be extruded to create extensions to a basic shape.
The ProBuilder materials tool panel lets you assign material slots to use on individual faces or entire ProBuilder meshes.
A hangar can be created from a cube shape, and a simple landscape can be built and decorated with other ProBuilder shapes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn to build in this course?

You will learn to create editable shapes such as arches and stairs, build a hangar from a cube shape, and create a simple landscape decorated with other ProBuilder shapes.

How do I install ProBuilder for this course?

The course shows you how to use the Package Manager to install asset packages such as ProBuilder from the Packages panel in Unity.

Do I need to start every model from scratch in ProBuilder?

No. The course shows how to take a basic Unity plane shape and convert it into a ProBuilder mesh, then edit it by selecting vertices, edges, and faces and extruding faces.

How are materials applied to ProBuilder meshes?

The course covers the ProBuilder materials tool panel and Material Editor, which let you assign material slots to use on individual faces or entire ProBuilder meshes.

What topics are covered in the lessons?

The lessons cover installing ProBuilder, navigating the ProBuilder toolset, creating complex objects, editing ProBuilder meshes, and creating a level with ProBuilder.