2. Setting up the development environment

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The second step in creating games with Unity is setting up the development environment. This involves installing and configuring the software needed to create and run games in Unity. The development environment includes Unity itself, a code editor for writing scripts, and possibly additional software for creating and editing graphic and audio assets.

Unity Installation

The first thing you need to do is download and install Unity. You can do this by visiting the official Unity website and downloading the latest version of Unity Hub. Unity Hub is an application that helps you manage your Unity installations and projects. After installing Unity Hub, you can use it to install Unity.

It is recommended to install the latest version of Unity, but you can also choose to install an older version if you have a specific project that requires that version. During installation, be sure to include the development module for the platform you plan to publish your game on. For example, if you plan to publish your game on Android, you must include the Android development module.

Installing a Code Editor

Unity uses scripts to control the behavior of objects in its games. These scripts are written in C#, so you will need a code editor that supports this language. Unity supports several code editors, including Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and MonoDevelop.

Visual Studio is the recommended code editor for Unity. It has tight integration with Unity and offers many useful features for writing and debugging scripts. To install Visual Studio, you can download it from Microsoft's official website. During installation, be sure to include the development package for Unity.

Development Environment Configuration

After installing Unity and a code editor, you need to set up the development environment. This involves a few steps:

1. Open Unity Hub and create a new project. Choose a name and location for the project and select the version of Unity you have installed.
2. Once the project is created, Unity will open and you will see the Unity user interface. Familiarize yourself with the user interface. The main elements are the Scene window, where you can view and edit your game, the Game window, where you can test your game, the Hierarchy window, which shows all the objects in your scene, and the Inspector window, where you can see and edit the properties of selected objects.
3. Open the code editor and connect it to Unity. If you are using Visual Studio, you can do this by selecting Edit > Preferences > External Tools from the Unity menu and choosing Visual Studio as your external script editor.
4. Finally, you may want to set up version control for your project. Version control is a tool that allows you to track changes to your code and roll back to a previous version if necessary. Unity supports several version control systems, including Git and Perforce.

Conclusion

Setting up the development environment may seem like a challenging task at first, but it is an essential step in creating games with Unity. Once you've set up your development environment, you're ready to start creating your first game.

In the next section of our e-book course, we'll explore the basics of game programming with Unity, including how to create objects, add behavior to objects with scripts, and how to control game physics. Stay tuned!

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33. Understanding the Unity interface