A 2D GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary such as a tilemapA GameObject that allows you to quickly create 2D levels using tiles and a grid overlay. More info
See in Glossary or spriteA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A form of parallel projection where the dimensions of a 3D objectA 3D GameObject such as a cube, terrain or ragdoll. More info
See in Glossary are projected onto a 2D plane, and only two of the three angles between the axes are equal to each other. This form of projection is commonly used in isometric video games to simulate three-dimensional depth. More info
A form of parallel projection where the dimensions of a 3D objectA 3D GameObject such as a cube, terrain or ragdoll. More info
See in Glossary are projected onto a 2D plane, and the angles between all three axes are equal to each other. This form of projection is commonly used in isometric video games to simulate three-dimensional depth. More info
A texture that is composed of several smaller textures. Also referred to as a texture atlas, image spriteA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary, sprite sheet or packed texture. More info
Defines a fixed behavior for a 2D RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary. Can be Dynamic (the body moves under simulation and is affected by forces like gravity), Kinematic (the body moves under simulation, but and isn’t affected by forces like gravity) or Static (the body doesn’t move under simulation). More info
A 2D jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary type which is completely constrained, allowing two objects to be held together. Implemented as a spring so some small motion may still occur. More info
Use to adjust the friction and bounce that occurs between 2D physics objects when they collide More info
A 2D jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary that allows two game objects controlled by RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary physics to maintain in a position based on each other’s location. Use this joint to keep two objects offset from each other, at a position and angle you decide More info
A meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary that Unity generates to approximate the walkable areas and obstacles in your environment for path finding and AI-controlled navigation. More info
Players who recently played your game. Unity AnalyticsA data platform that provides analytics for your Unity game. More info
See in Glossary defines an active player as someone who has played within the last 90 calendar days. More info
(Average Revenue Per User) Average Unity Ads revenue per player. More info
Total Unity Ads revenue. More info
The number of video ads that started playing. More info
The number of ads started per active player on a given day. More info
By default, Unity does not breakout analyticsAbbreviation of Unity Analytics
See in Glossary data for players under the age of 14. See COPPA(Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) COPPA is a US law that applies to apps that collect personal information and are targeted to children under the age of 14. More info
See in Glossary Compliance. More info
Players who have made any verified or unverified in-app purchases in their lifetime. More info
Abbreviation of Unity AnalyticsA data platform that provides analytics for your Unity game. More info
See in Glossary
Events dispatched to the AnalyticsAbbreviation of Unity Analytics
See in Glossary Service by instances of your applications. Analytics eventsEvents dispatched to the Analytics Service by instances of your applications. Analytics events contain the data that is processed and aggregated to provide insights into player behavior. More info
See in Glossary contain the data that is processed and aggregated to provide insights into player behavior. More info
Player segments based on application version or bundleid. More info
(Average Revenue Per Daily Active User) The average revenue per user who played on a given day. More info
(Average Revenue Per Paying User) Average verified IAP revenueRevenue from verified IAP transactions. IAP verification is currently supported by the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. More info
See in Glossary per user who completed a verified IAP transaction. More info
The rate at which users are leaving your game during a specified period. Your user churn is important in estimating the lifetime value of your users. Mathematically, churn is the complement of retention (in other words: Churn + Retention = 100%). More info
A group of players with at least one similar characteristic. You can define and analyze different cohorts of your user base with segments. More info
The percentage of users who complete an action or sequence of actions. More info
(Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) COPPA(Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) COPPA is a US law that applies to apps that collect personal information and are targeted to children under the age of 14. More info
See in Glossary is a US law that applies to apps that collect personal information and are targeted to children under the age of 14. More info
Core events are the basic events dispatched by the Unity AnalyticsA data platform that provides analytics for your Unity game. More info
See in Glossary code in your game. These events, and the analyticsAbbreviation of Unity Analytics
See in Glossary based on them, become available simply by turning on Unity Analytics for a project. Core events include: app running, app start, and device info. More info
(Click Through Rate) The percentage of players who click a link in an ad displayed in your game. More info
Custom events are freeform events that you can dispatch when an appropriate standard eventStandard events are application-specific events that you dispatch in response to important player actions or milestones. Standard events have standardized names and defined parameter lists. More info
See in Glossary is not available. Custom events can have any name and up to ten parameters. Use standard eventsStandard events are application-specific events that you dispatch in response to important player actions or milestones. Standard events have standardized names and defined parameter lists. More info
See in Glossary in preference to custom events where possible. More info
A Unity AnalyticsA data platform that provides analytics for your Unity game. More info
See in Glossary Dashboard page that allows you to build, view and export reports on your AnalyticsAbbreviation of Unity Analytics
See in Glossary metrics and events. You can also see how metrics and custom events change over time. More info
(Daily Active Users) The number of different players who started a session on a given day. DAU(Daily Active Users) The number of different players who started a session on a given day. DAU includes both new and returning players. More info
See in Glossary includes both new and returning players. More info
(DAU/MAU) The percentage of monthly active users who play on a given day. Also known as Sticky FactorAn estimate of how compelling a game is to its players. A high “sticky factor” means that players stick with an app over time. More info
See in Glossary in the analyticsAbbreviation of Unity Analytics
See in Glossary and game industries, this metric is often used as one estimate of player engagement. More info
The percentage of players who returned to your game one day after playing the first time. More info
The percentage of players who returned to your game thirty days after playing the first time. More info
The percentage of players who returned to your game seven days after playing the first time. More info
Player segments based on reported demographics. More info
Players who have spent between $5 and $19.99. More info
(estimated Cost Per Mille) The estimated revenue for 1000 ad impressions for your app. See What is ECPM. More info
Engagement is a broad measure of how players enjoy, or are otherwise invested, in your game. Impossible to measure directly, the following metrics are frequently used to estimate engagement: Retention, DAU(Daily Active Users) The number of different players who started a session on a given day. DAU includes both new and returning players. More info
See in Glossary, MAU(Monthly Active Users) The number of players who started a session within the last 30 days. More info
See in Glossary, DAU/MAU, number of sessions, and session length. More info
(Free to Play) A business model that offers users free access to a fully functional game and a significant portion of app content. Monetization strategies for these titles generally include microtransactions that allow users to access premium features and virtual goods. More info
The rate at which ads are available when you request one. More info
In AnalyticsAbbreviation of Unity Analytics
See in Glossary, a funnel is a linear sequence of standard or custom events that you expect a player to complete in order. More info
Player segments based on country. More info
Heatmaps are a spatial visualization of analyticsAbbreviation of Unity Analytics
See in Glossary data. More info
See In App PurchaseRevenue from “micro-transactions” within a game. More info
See in Glossary
Revenue from “micro-transactions” within a game. More info
The number of times ads are seen in your game. An impression is counted even if the ad is not completed. More info
(Lifetime Value) The estimated value of an average player over their lifetime with your application or game. More info
(Monthly Active Users) The number of players who started a session within the last 30 days. More info
A player who has spent less than $5 in their lifetime. More info
Players who have never spent real currency. More info
Users who played your game for the first time. More info
The total number of IAP transactions, whether or not they have been verified. More info
The cumulative number of unique players over the last 90 days. Users who have not played in more than 90 days are removed from the count. More info
IAP transactions that have been verified through the appropriate app store. IAP verification is currently supported by the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. More info
Your player population as a percentage. Typically only useful when combined with a segment. Calculated as the percentage of the Number of Users metric who are members of a specified segment. More info
Remote settings are game variables that you can set remotely on your AnalyticsAbbreviation of Unity Analytics
See in Glossary Dashboard. More info
Segments are subsets of your player base, split apart by key differentiators. Viewing metrics and events by segment can reveal differences in-game behavior between different groups. More info
A single play or usage period. A new session is counted when a player launches your game or brings a suspended game to the foreground after 30 minutes of inactivity. More info
The average number of sessions per person playing on a given day. Also known as Average Number of Sessions per DAU(Daily Active Users) The number of different players who started a session on a given day. DAU includes both new and returning players. More info
See in Glossary. More info
Standard events are application-specific events that you dispatch in response to important player actions or milestones. Standard eventsStandard events are application-specific events that you dispatch in response to important player actions or milestones. Standard events have standardized names and defined parameter lists. More info
See in Glossary have standardized names and defined parameter lists. More info
An estimate of how compelling a game is to its players. A high “sticky factorAn estimate of how compelling a game is to its players. A high ”sticky factor“ means that players stick with an app over time. More info
See in Glossary” means that players stick with an app over time. More info
The cumulative playing time of all people playing on a given day. More info
The average playing time of people playing on a given day. More info
The total IAP revenueThe total IAP revenue, including revenue from both verified and unverified transactions. More info
See in Glossary, including revenue from both verified and unverified transactions. More info
The total number of sessions by all people playing on a given day. Also known as Total Sessions. More info
Revenue from Unity Ads and verified IAP transactions. IAP verification is currently supported by the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. More info
A data platform that provides analyticsAbbreviation of Unity Analytics
See in Glossary for your Unity game. More info
Abbreviation of Unity In App PurchaseRevenue from “micro-transactions” within a game. More info
See in Glossary
An IAP feature that supports Microsoft’s In App PurchaseRevenue from “micro-transactions” within a game. More info
See in Glossary simulator, which allows you to test IAP purchase flows on devices before publishing your application. More info
Players to whom you have assigned Gender.Unknown. (Players whose gender has not been reported at all are not included in this segment.) More info
IAP revenue from sources that do not support verification and from transactions that failed verification. Transactions can fail verification because they are fraudulent or because of missing or malformed information. More info
Revenue from verified IAP transactions. IAP verification is currently supported by the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. More info
Players who made verified IAP purchases. IAP verification is currently supported by the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. More info
Players who have spent at least $20 in their lifetime. More info
A Blend Tree for 1D blending, which blends motion according to a single Animation Parameter. More info
A Blend Tree for 2D blending, which blends motion according to two Animation ParametersUsed to communicate between scripting and the Animator Controller. Some parameters can be set in scripting and used by the controller, while other parameters are based on Custom Curves in Animation Clips and can be sampled using the scripting API. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A 3D GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary such as a cube, terrainThe landscape in your scene. A Terrain GameObject adds a large flat plane to your scene and you can use the Terrain’s Inspector window to create a detailed landscape. More info
See in Glossary or ragdoll. More info
Enables you to make an object change its form by blending between two separate meshes. More info
Used for continuous blending between similar Animation ClipsAnimation data that can be used for animated characters or simple animations. It is a simple “unit” piece of motion, such as (one specific instance of) “Idle”, “Walk” or “Run”. More info
See in Glossary based on float Animation ParametersUsed to communicate between scripting and the Animator Controller. Some parameters can be set in scripting and used by the controller, while other parameters are based on Custom Curves in Animation Clips and can be sampled using the scripting API. More info
See in Glossary. More info
Animation data that can be used for animated characters or simple animations. It is a simple “unit” piece of motion, such as (one specific instance of) “Idle”, “Walk” or “Run”. More info
A node in a Blend Tree graph that contains an animation clipAnimation data that can be used for animated characters or simple animations. It is a simple “unit” piece of motion, such as (one specific instance of) “Idle”, “Walk” or “Run”. More info
See in Glossary, such as a run or walk animation. More info
The method of compressing animation data to significantly reduce file sizes without causing a noticeable reduction in motion quality. Animation compressionThe method of compressing animation data to significantly reduce file sizes without causing a noticeable reduction in motion quality. Animation compression is a trade off between saving on memory and image quality. More info
See in Glossary is a trade off between saving on memory and image quality. More info
Allows you to add data to an imported clip so you can animate the timings of other items based on the state of an animator. For example, for a game set in icy conditions, you could use an extra animation curve to control the emission rate of a particle systemA component that simulates fluid entities such as liquids, clouds and flames by generating and animating large numbers of small 2D images in the scene. More info
See in Glossary to show the player’s condensing breath in the cold air. More info
Allows you to add data to an imported clip which determines when certain actions should occur in time with the animation. For example, for an animated character you might want to add events to walk and run cycles to indicate when the footstep sounds should play. More info
An Animation LayerAn Animation Layer contains an Animation State Machine that controls animations of a model or part of it. An example of this is if you have a full-body layer for walking or jumping and a higher layer for upper-body motions such as throwing an object or shooting. The higher layers take precedence for the body parts they control. More info
See in Glossary contains an Animation State MachineThe set of states in an Animator Controller that a character or animated GameObject can be in, along with a set of transitions between those states and a variable to remember the current state. The states available will depend on the type of gameplay, but typical states include things like idling, walking, running and jumping. More info
See in Glossary that controls animations of a model or part of it. An example of this is if you have a full-body layer for walking or jumping and a higher layer for upper-body motions such as throwing an object or shooting. The higher layers take precedence for the body parts they control. More info
Used to communicate between scripting and the Animator ControllerControls animation through Animation Layers with Animation State Machines and Animation Blend Trees, controlled by Animation Parameters. The same Animator Controller can be referenced by multiple models with Animator components. More info
See in Glossary. Some parameters can be set in scripting and used by the controller, while other parameters are based on Custom Curves in Animation ClipsAnimation data that can be used for animated characters or simple animations. It is a simple “unit” piece of motion, such as (one specific instance of) “Idle”, “Walk” or “Run”. More info
See in Glossary and can be sampled using the scripting API. More info
A graph within an Animator ControllerControls animation through Animation Layers with Animation State Machines and Animation Blend Trees, controlled by Animation Parameters. The same Animator Controller can be referenced by multiple models with Animator components. More info
See in Glossary that controls the interaction of Animation States. Each state references an Animation Blend TreeUsed for continuous blending between similar Animation Clips based on float Animation Parameters. More info
See in Glossary or a single Animation ClipAnimation data that can be used for animated characters or simple animations. It is a simple “unit” piece of motion, such as (one specific instance of) “Idle”, “Walk” or “Run”. More info
See in Glossary. More info
Allows a state machineThe set of states in an Animator Controller that a character or animated GameObject can be in, along with a set of transitions between those states and a variable to remember the current state. The states available will depend on the type of gameplay, but typical states include things like idling, walking, running and jumping. More info
See in Glossary to switch or blend from one animation state to another. Transitions define how long a blend between states should take, and the conditions that activate them. More info
A component on a model that animates that model using the Animation system. The component has a reference to an Animator ControllerControls animation through Animation Layers with Animation State Machines and Animation Blend Trees, controlled by Animation Parameters. The same Animator Controller can be referenced by multiple models with Animator components. More info
See in Glossary asset that controls the animation. More info
Controls animation through Animation LayersAn Animation Layer contains an Animation State Machine that controls animations of a model or part of it. An example of this is if you have a full-body layer for walking or jumping and a higher layer for upper-body motions such as throwing an object or shooting. The higher layers take precedence for the body parts they control. More info
See in Glossary with Animation State MachinesA graph within an Animator Controller that controls the interaction of Animation States. Each state references an Animation Blend Tree or a single Animation Clip. More info
See in Glossary and Animation Blend TreesUsed for continuous blending between similar Animation Clips based on float Animation Parameters. More info
See in Glossary, controlled by Animation ParametersUsed to communicate between scripting and the Animator Controller. Some parameters can be set in scripting and used by the controller, while other parameters are based on Custom Curves in Animation Clips and can be sampled using the scripting API. More info
See in Glossary. The same Animator ControllerControls animation through Animation Layers with Animation State Machines and Animation Blend Trees, controlled by Animation Parameters. The same Animator Controller can be referenced by multiple models with Animator components. More info
See in Glossary can be referenced by multiple models with Animator componentsA component on a model that animates that model using the Animation system. The component has a reference to an Animator Controller asset that controls the animation. More info
See in Glossary. More info
Allows you to create multiple variants of an Animator ControllerControls animation through Animation Layers with Animation State Machines and Animation Blend Trees, controlled by Animation Parameters. The same Animator Controller can be referenced by multiple models with Animator components. More info
See in Glossary, with each variant using a different set of animations, while retaining the original Controller’s structure, parameters and logic. More info
The window where the Animator ControllerControls animation through Animation Layers with Animation State Machines and Animation Blend Trees, controlled by Animation Parameters. The same Animator Controller can be referenced by multiple models with Animator components. More info
See in Glossary is visualized and edited. More info
An interface for retargetingApplying animations created for one model to another. More info
See in Glossary animation from one rig to another. More info
A specification for which body parts to include or exclude for an animation rig. Used in Animation LayersAn Animation Layer contains an Animation State Machine that controls animations of a model or part of it. An example of this is if you have a full-body layer for walking or jumping and a higher layer for upper-body motions such as throwing an object or shooting. The higher layers take precedence for the body parts they control. More info
See in Glossary and in the importer. More info
The pose at which the character was modelled.
Transition from one animation to another animation smoothly and seamlessly, such as blending a character’s walking and running animations according to the character’s speed.
A node in a Blend Tree graph that blends animation clipAnimation data that can be used for animated characters or simple animations. It is a simple “unit” piece of motion, such as (one specific instance of) “Idle”, “Walk” or “Run”. More info
See in Glossary nodes. More info
The mass center of the character. It is used in for animation retargetingApplying animations created for one model to another. More info
See in Glossary and provides the most stable displacement model. More info
A Blend Tree that allows you to map animator parameters directly to the weight of a Blend Tree child. This is useful when you want to have exact control over the animations that are being blended rather than blend them indirectly using one or two parameters (in the case of 1D and 2D blend trees). More info
A method of posing a skeleton for animation by rotating the jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary angles to predetermined values. The position of a child joint changes according to the rotation of its parent and so the end point of a chain of jointsA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary can be determined from the angles and relative positions of the individual joints it contains.
A pre-defined bone-mapping. Used for matching bones from FBX files to the AvatarAn interface for retargeting animation from one rig to another. More info
See in Glossary. More info
An animation using humanoid skeletons. Humanoid models generally have the same basic structure, representing the major articulate parts of the body, head and limbs. This makes it easy to map animations from one humanoid skeleton to another, allowing retargetingApplying animations created for one model to another. More info
See in Glossary and inverse kinematicsThe geometry that describes the position and orientation of a character’s joints and bodies. Used by inverse kinematics to control character movement.
See in Glossary. More info
The automatic calculation of jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary angles (eg. the shoulder and elbow joint of an arm) so that the end point (eg. the hand) reaches a desired point in space. In contrast to Forward KinematicsA method of posing a skeleton for animation by rotating the joint angles to predetermined values. The position of a child joint changes according to the rotation of its parent and so the end point of a chain of joints can be determined from the angles and relative positions of the individual joints it contains.
See in Glossary More info
A frame that marks the start or end point of a transition in an animation. Frames in between the keyframesA frame that marks the start or end point of a transition in an animation. Frames in between the keyframes are called inbetweens.
See in Glossary are called inbetweens.
A process that removes redundant keyframesA frame that marks the start or end point of a transition in an animation. Frames in between the keyframes are called inbetweens.
See in Glossary. More info
The geometry that describes the position and orientation of a character’s jointsA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary and bodies. Used by inverse kinematicsThe geometry that describes the position and orientation of a character’s joints and bodies. Used by inverse kinematics to control character movement.
See in Glossary to control character movement.
An animation clipAnimation data that can be used for animated characters or simple animations. It is a simple “unit” piece of motion, such as (one specific instance of) “Idle”, “Walk” or “Run”. More info
See in Glossary setting that blends the end and start of an animation to create a seamless join. More info
This allows you to have more intuitive control over the character’s skeleton. When an AvatarAn interface for retargeting animation from one rig to another. More info
See in Glossary is in place, the Animation system works in muscle space, which is more intuitive than bone space. More info
To repeatedly play an animation to the end, then in reverse back to the beginning, in a loop.
An API for controlling PlayablesAn API that provides a way to create tools, effects or other gameplay mechanisms by organizing and evaluating data sources in a tree-like structure known as the PlayableGraph. More info
See in Glossary. Playable GraphsAn API for controlling Playables. Playable Graphs allow you to create, connect and destroy playables. More info
See in Glossary allow you to create, connect and destroy playablesAn API that provides a way to create tools, effects or other gameplay mechanisms by organizing and evaluating data sources in a tree-like structure known as the PlayableGraph. More info
See in Glossary. More info
An API that provides a way to create tools, effects or other gameplay mechanisms by organizing and evaluating data sources in a tree-like structure known as the PlayableGraph. More info
Applying animations created for one model to another. More info
The process of building a skeleton hierarchy of jointsA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary for your meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary. Performed with an external tool, such as Blender or Autodesk Maya. More info
Motion of character’s root nodeA transform in an animation hierarchy that allows Unity to establish consistency between Animation clips for a generic model. It also enables Unity to properly blend between Animations that have not been authored “in place” (that is, where the whole Model moves its world position while animating). More info
See in Glossary, whether it’s controlled by the animation itself or externally. More info
A transform in an animation hierarchy that allows Unity to establish consistency between Animation clipsAnimation data that can be used for animated characters or simple animations. It is a simple “unit” piece of motion, such as (one specific instance of) “Idle”, “Walk” or “Run”. More info
See in Glossary for a generic model. It also enables Unity to properly blend between Animations that have not been authored “in place” (that is, where the whole Model moves its world position while animating). More info
The Transform at the top of a hierarchy of Transforms. In a PrefabAn asset type that allows you to store a GameObject complete with components and properties. The prefab acts as a template from which you can create new object instances in the scene. More info
See in Glossary, the Root TransformThe Transform at the top of a hierarchy of Transforms. In a Prefab, the Root Transform is the topmost Transform in the Prefab. In an animated humanoid character, the Root Transform is a projection on the Y plane of the Body Transform and is computed at run time. At every frame, a change in the Root Transform is computed, and then this is applied to the GameObject to make it move. More info
See in Glossary is the topmost Transform in the Prefab. In an animated humanoid character, the Root Transform is a projection on the Y plane of the Body Transform and is computed at run time. At every frame, a change in the Root Transform is computed, and then this is applied to the GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary to make it move. More info
A SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
The process of binding bone jointsA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary to the vertices of a character’s meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary or ‘skin’. Performed with an external tool, such as Blender or Autodesk Maya. More info
The set of states in an Animator ControllerControls animation through Animation Layers with Animation State Machines and Animation Blend Trees, controlled by Animation Parameters. The same Animator Controller can be referenced by multiple models with Animator components. More info
See in Glossary that a character or animated GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary can be in, along with a set of transitions between those states and a variable to remember the current state. The states available will depend on the type of gameplay, but typical states include things like idling, walking, running and jumping. More info
A script that attaches to a state within a state machineThe set of states in an Animator Controller that a character or animated GameObject can be in, along with a set of transitions between those states and a variable to remember the current state. The states available will depend on the type of gameplay, but typical states include things like idling, walking, running and jumping. More info
See in Glossary to control what happens when the state machine enters, exits or remains within a state, such as play sounds as states are entered. More info
The pose in which the character has their arms straight out to the sides, forming a “T”. The required pose for the character to be in, in order to make an AvatarAn interface for retargeting animation from one rig to another. More info
See in Glossary.
A scripting function that allows you to move characters in such a way that a hand or foot lands in a certain place at a certain time. For example, the character may need to jump across stepping stones or jump and grab an overhead beam. More info
The blend from one state to another in a state machineThe set of states in an Animator Controller that a character or animated GameObject can be in, along with a set of transitions between those states and a variable to remember the current state. The states available will depend on the type of gameplay, but typical states include things like idling, walking, running and jumping. More info
See in Glossary, such as transitioning a character from a walk to a jog animation. Transitions define how long the blend between states should take, and the conditions that activate the blend. More info
The three degrees-of-freedom associated with translation (movement in X,Y & Z) as opposed to rotation.
Any media or data that can be used in your game or project. An asset may come from a file created outside of Unity, such as a 3D Model, an audio file or an image. You can also create some asset types in Unity, such as an Animator ControllerControls animation through Animation Layers with Animation State Machines and Animation Blend Trees, controlled by Animation Parameters. The same Animator Controller can be referenced by multiple models with Animator components. More info
See in Glossary, an Audio Mixer or a Render TextureA special type of Texture that is created and updated at runtime. To use them, first create a new Render Texture and designate one of your Cameras to render into it. Then you can use the Render Texture in a Material just like a regular Texture. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A collection of files and data from Unity projects, or elements of projects, which are compressed and stored in one file, similar to Zip files, with the .unitypackage extension. Asset packagesA collection of files and data from Unity projects, or elements of projects, which are compressed and stored in one file, similar to Zip files, with the .unitypackage extension. Asset packages are a handy way of sharing and re-using Unity projects and collections of assets. More info
See in Glossary are a handy way of sharing and re-using Unity projects and collections of assets. More info
Legacy - An asset and version controlA system for managing file changes. You can use Unity in conjunction with most common version control tools, including Perforce, Git, Mercurial and PlasticSCM. More info
See in Glossary system with a graphical user interface integrated into Unity. Enables team members to work together on a project on different computers. More info
A growing library of free and commercial assets created by Unity and members of the community. Offers a wide variety of assets, from textures, models and animations to whole project examples, tutorials and Editor extensions. More info
A bundled collection of assets available for purchase or download on the Unity Asset StoreA growing library of free and commercial assets created by Unity and members of the community. Offers a wide variety of assets, from textures, models and animations to whole project examples, tutorials and Editor extensions. More info
See in Glossary, compressed and stored in one file with the .unitypackage extension, like an asset packageA collection of files and data from Unity projects, or elements of projects, which are compressed and stored in one file, similar to Zip files, with the .unitypackage extension. Asset packages are a handy way of sharing and re-using Unity projects and collections of assets. More info
See in Glossary. You can manage your Asset Store packages either on the online store or through the Package Manager window. More info
An asset that is a collection of pre-rendered images of a more complicated MeshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary intended for use with the BillboardA textured 2D object that rotates as it, or the Camera, moves so that it always faces the Camera. More info
See in Glossary Renderer, in order to render an object at some distance from a CameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary at a lower level of detailThe Level Of Detail (LOD) technique is an optimization that reduces the number of triangles that Unity has to render for a GameObject when its distance from the Camera increases. More info
See in Glossary (LOD) to save on rendering time. More info
Renders BillboardA textured 2D object that rotates as it, or the Camera, moves so that it always faces the Camera. More info
See in Glossary assets, either from a pre-made asset (exported from SpeedTree) or from a custom-created file that you create using a script at runtime or from a custom editor, for example. More info
A standalone app that you can run on your local computer that stores the imported asset data to reduce the time it takes to import assets. More info
A 3D model representation of an object, such as a character, a building, or a piece of furniture. More info
A file containing a 3D data, which may include definitions for meshes, bones, animation, materials and textures. More info
A container that stores various types of features and assets for Unity, including Editor or Runtime tools and libraries, Asset collections, and project templates. Packages are self-contained units that the Unity Package Manager can share across Unity projects. Most of the time these are called packages, but occasionally they are called Unity Package Manager (UPM) packages. More info
An asset type that allows you to store a GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary complete with components and properties. The prefabAn asset type that allows you to store a GameObject complete with components and properties. The prefab acts as a template from which you can create new object instances in the scene. More info
See in Glossary acts as a template from which you can create new object instances in the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. More info
The unit size used in Unity projects. By default, 1 Unity unitThe unit size used in Unity projects. By default, 1 Unity unit is 1 meter. To use a different scale, set the Scale Factor in the Import Settings when importing assets.
See in Glossary is 1 meter. To use a different scale, set the Scale Factor in the Import Settings when importing assets.
A PackageA container that stores various types of features and assets for Unity, including Editor or Runtime tools and libraries, Asset collections, and project templates. Packages are self-contained units that the Unity Package Manager can share across Unity projects. Most of the time these are called packages, but occasionally they are called Unity Package Manager (UPM) packages. More info
See in Glossary managed by the Unity Package Manager.
A container for audio data in Unity. Unity supports mono, stereo and multichannel audio assets (up to eight channels). Unity can import .aif, .wav, .mp3, and .ogg audio file format, and .xm, .mod, .it, and .s3m tracker module formats. More info
An audio filterAny audio filter that distorts the sound from an Audio Source or sounds reaching the Audio Listener. More info
See in Glossary that distorts the sound from an Audio SourceA component which plays back an Audio Clip in the scene to an audio listener or through an audio mixer. More info
See in Glossary or sounds reaching the Audio ListenerA component that acts like a microphone, receiving sound from Audio Sources in the scene and outputting to the computer speakers. More info
See in Glossary by simulating the sound of a low quality radio transmission. More info
Any effect that can modify the output of Audio Mixer components, such as filtering frequency ranges of a sound or applying reverb. More info
Any audio filterAny audio filter that distorts the sound from an Audio Source or sounds reaching the Audio Listener. More info
See in Glossary that distorts the sound from an Audio SourceA component which plays back an Audio Clip in the scene to an audio listener or through an audio mixer. More info
See in Glossary or sounds reaching the Audio ListenerA component that acts like a microphone, receiving sound from Audio Sources in the scene and outputting to the computer speakers. More info
See in Glossary. More info
An audio filterAny audio filter that distorts the sound from an Audio Source or sounds reaching the Audio Listener. More info
See in Glossary that passes high frequencies of an AudioSource and cuts off signals with frequencies lower than the Cutoff Frequency. More info
A component that acts like a microphone, receiving sound from Audio SourcesA component which plays back an Audio Clip in the scene to an audio listener or through an audio mixer. More info
See in Glossary in the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary and outputting to the computer speakers. More info
An audio filterAny audio filter that distorts the sound from an Audio Source or sounds reaching the Audio Listener. More info
See in Glossary that passes low frequencies of an Audio SourceA component which plays back an Audio Clip in the scene to an audio listener or through an audio mixer. More info
See in Glossary or all sound reaching an Audio ListenerA component that acts like a microphone, receiving sound from Audio Sources in the scene and outputting to the computer speakers. More info
See in Glossary while removing frequencies higher than the Cutoff Frequency. More info
A component which plays back an Audio ClipA container for audio data in Unity. Unity supports mono, stereo and multichannel audio assets (up to eight channels). Unity can import .aif, .wav, .mp3, and .ogg audio file format, and .xm, .mod, .it, and .s3m tracker module formats. More info
See in Glossary in the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary to an audio listenerA component that acts like a microphone, receiving sound from Audio Sources in the scene and outputting to the computer speakers. More info
See in Glossary or through an audio mixer. More info
A plug-inA set of code created outside of Unity that creates functionality in Unity. There are two kinds of plug-ins you can use in Unity: Managed plug-ins (managed .NET assemblies created with tools like Visual Studio) and Native plug-ins (platform-specific native code libraries). More info
See in Glossary that changes the way audio is transmitted from an audio sourceA component which plays back an Audio Clip in the scene to an audio listener or through an audio mixer. More info
See in Glossary into the surrounding space. It takes the source and regulates the gains of the left and right ear contributions based on the distance and angle between the AudioListener and the AudioSource. More info
An audio effectAny effect that can modify the output of Audio Mixer components, such as filtering frequency ranges of a sound or applying reverb. More info
See in Glossary that modifies the sound by squashing and clipping the waveform to produce a rough, harsh result. More info
An audio setting that allows you to control how much the velocity of an object (relative to the audio listener) affects the pitch of any audio sourcesA component which plays back an Audio Clip in the scene to an audio listener or through an audio mixer. More info
See in Glossary attached to it. More info
An audio setting that allows you to set the mix level of unprocessed signal in output in mB.
An audio setting that allows you to set the volume of the original signal to pass to output.
Set this to true to make an Audio SourceA component which plays back an Audio Clip in the scene to an audio listener or through an audio mixer. More info
See in Glossary start playing on awake More info
The process of compiling your project into a format that is ready to run on a specific platform or platforms. More info
A managed .NET assembly that is created with tools like Visual Studio for use in Unity. More info
A platform-specific native code library that is created outside of Unity for use in Unity. Allows you can access features like OS calls and third-party code libraries that would otherwise not be available to Unity. More info
A version controlA system for managing file changes. You can use Unity in conjunction with most common version control tools, including Perforce, Git, Mercurial and PlasticSCM. More info
See in Glossary system for file change management. More info
A development buildA development build includes debug symbols and enables the Profiler. More info
See in Glossary includes debug symbols and enables the ProfilerA window that helps you to optimize your game. It shows how much time is spent in the various areas of your game. For example, it can report the percentage of time spent rendering, animating, or in your game logic. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary layout tool that fixes a UI element to a parent element. Anchors are shown as four small triangular handles in the Scene ViewAn interactive view into the world you are creating. You use the Scene View to select and position scenery, characters, cameras, lights, and all other types of Game Object. More info
See in Glossary and anchor information is also shown in the InspectorA Unity window that displays information about the currently selected GameObject, asset or project settings, allowing you to inspect and edit the values. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A Unity Editor window that shows errors, warnings and other messages generated by Unity, or your own scriptsA piece of code that allows you to create your own Components, trigger game events, modify Component properties over time and respond to user input in any way you like. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A Scene viewAn interactive view into the world you are creating. You use the Scene View to select and position scenery, characters, cameras, lights, and all other types of Game Object. More info
See in Glossary navigation mode that allows you to fly around the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary in first-person, similar to how you would navigate in many games. More info
Settings where you can define all the different input axes, buttons and controls for your project. More info
A Unity window that displays information about the currently selected GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary, asset or project settingsA broad collection of settings which allow you to configure how Physics, Audio, Networking, Graphics, Input and many other areas of your project behave. More info
See in Glossary, allowing you to inspect and edit the values. More info
Settings that let you set various player-specific options for the final game built by Unity. More info
A window that shows the contents of your Assets folder (Project tab) More info
A Unity feature that allows you to customize the look of certain controls in the InspectorA Unity window that displays information about the currently selected GameObject, asset or project settings, allowing you to inspect and edit the values. More info
See in Glossary window by using attributes on your scriptsA piece of code that allows you to create your own Components, trigger game events, modify Component properties over time and respond to user input in any way you like. More info
See in Glossary, or by controlling how a specific Serializable class should look More info
An interactive view into the world you are creating. You use the Scene ViewAn interactive view into the world you are creating. You use the Scene View to select and position scenery, characters, cameras, lights, and all other types of Game Object. More info
See in Glossary to select and position scenery, characters, camerasA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary, lights, and all other types of Game Object. More info
A Unity Settings Manager that lets you set a number of properties that control timing within your game. More info
A cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary control that lets you scale the view on your screen. To zoom a camera in the Unity Editor, press Alt + right click and drag. More info
The value of an animatable property, set at a specific point in time. Setting at least two keys for the same property creates an animation. More info
A textured 2D objectA 2D GameObject such as a tilemap or sprite. More info
See in Glossary that rotates as it, or the CameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary, moves so that it always faces the Camera. More info
The process of constantly altering the 2D objectA 2D GameObject such as a tilemap or sprite. More info
See in Glossary’s rotation so that it always faces the CameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary. BillboardingThe process of constantly altering the 2D object’s rotation so that it always faces the Camera. Billboarding is often used as a level-of-detail method for objects far away from the Camera. More info
See in Glossary is often used as a level-of-detail method for objects far away from the Camera. More info
A ProfilerA window that helps you to optimize your game. It shows how much time is spent in the various areas of your game. For example, it can report the percentage of time spent rendering, animating, or in your game logic. More info
See in Glossary category identifies the workload data for a Unity subsystem (for example, Rendering, Scripting and Animation categories). Unity applies colour-coding to categories to help visually distinguish the types of data in the Profiler window. More info
A method of storing data that reduces the amount of storage space it requires. See Texture Compression3D Graphics hardware requires Textures to be compressed in specialized formats which are optimized for fast Texture sampling. More info
See in Glossary, Animation CompressionThe method of compressing animation data to significantly reduce file sizes without causing a noticeable reduction in motion quality. Animation compression is a trade off between saving on memory and image quality. More info
See in Glossary, Audio Compression, Build Compression.
Abbreviation of game consoleA device that runs and displays video games.
See in Glossary
A rendering pathThe technique that a render pipeline uses to render graphics. Choosing a different rendering path affects how lighting and shading are calculated. Some rendering paths are more suited to different platforms and hardware than others. More info
See in Glossary in the Built-in Render PipelineA series of operations that take the contents of a Scene, and displays them on a screen. Unity lets you choose from pre-built render pipelines, or write your own. More info
See in Glossary that places no limit on the number of Lights that can affect a GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary. All Lights are evaluated per-pixel, which means that they all interact correctly with normal mapsA type of Bump Map texture that allows you to add surface detail such as bumps, grooves, and scratches to a model which catch the light as if they are represented by real geometry.
See in Glossary and so on. Additionally, all Lights can have cookies and shadows. More info
See ExtrapolationThe process of storing the last few known values and using them to predict future values. Used in animation, physics and multiplayer.
See in Glossary
The process of storing the last few known values and using them to predict future values. Used in animation, physics and multiplayer.
A common game genre, featuring a first-person view of a 3D world, and gun-based combat with other players or NPCs.
Autodesk’s proprietary format that Unity uses to import and export Models, animation, and more. More info
See first person shooterA common game genre, featuring a first-person view of a 3D world, and gun-based combat with other players or NPCs.
See in Glossary, frames per secondThe frequency at which consecutive frames are displayed in a running game. More info
See in Glossary.
A device that runs and displays video games.
A device to control objects and characters in a game.
The fundamental object in Unity scenesA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary, which can represent characters, props, scenery, camerasA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary, waypoints, and more. A GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
A special file used in many Version ControlA system for managing file changes. You can use Unity in conjunction with most common version control tools, including Perforce, Git, Mercurial and PlasticSCM. More info
See in Glossary Systems which specifies files to be excluded from being placed under version controlA system for managing file changes. You can use Unity in conjunction with most common version control tools, including Perforce, Git, Mercurial and PlasticSCM. More info
See in Glossary. In Unity projects there are a number of files which could be excluded from version control, and using an Ignore File is the best way to achieve this. More info
A key on a keyboard relating to the Input class. More info
See InterpolationThe process of calculating values in-between two defined values. Used in animation (between keyframes), physics (between physics time-steps), and multiplayer (between network updates)
See in Glossary
The process of calculating values in-between two defined values. Used in animation (between keyframes), physics (between physics time-steps), and multiplayer (between network updates)
An Input ManagerSettings where you can define all the different input axes, buttons and controls for your project. More info
See in Glossary property that defines which joystick will be used. More info
A value defining which layers to include or exclude from an operation, such as rendering, collisionA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary or your own code. More info
A Unity ProfilerA window that helps you to optimize your game. It shows how much time is spent in the various areas of your game. For example, it can report the percentage of time spent rendering, animating, or in your game logic. More info
See in Glossary API structure that describes a CPU or GPU event, such as a button click. Each event marker appears as a vertical lines or label in the Profiler window. More info
Can refer to a Sprite MaskA texture which defines which areas of an underlying image to reveal or hide. More info
See in Glossary, a UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary Mask, or a Layer MaskA value defining which layers to include or exclude from an operation, such as rendering, collision or your own code. More info
See in Glossary More info
See GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary.
Packages are collections of assets to be shared and re-used in Unity. The Unity Package Manager (UPM) can display, add, and remove packages from your project. These packages are native to the Unity Package Manager and provide a fundamental method of delivering Unity functionality. However, the Unity Package Manager can also display Asset Store packages that you downloaded from the Asset StoreA growing library of free and commercial assets created by Unity and members of the community. Offers a wide variety of assets, from textures, models and animations to whole project examples, tutorials and Editor extensions. More info
See in Glossary. More info
An object that contains child objects in a hierarchy. When a GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary is a Parent of another GameObject, the Child GameObject will move, rotate, and scale exactly as its Parent does. You can think of parenting as being like the relationship between your arms and your body; whenever your body moves, your arms also move along with it. More info
A window that helps you to optimize your game. It shows how much time is spent in the various areas of your game. For example, it can report the percentage of time spent rendering, animating or in your game logic. More info
In Unity, you use a project to design and develop a game. A project stores all of the files that are related to a game, such as the asset and SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary files. More info
A broad collection of settings which allow you to configure how Physics, Audio, NetworkingThe Unity system that enables multiplayer gaming across a computer network. More info
See in Glossary, Graphics, Input and many other areas of your project behave. More info
A set of code created outside of Unity that creates functionality in Unity. There are two kinds of plug-insA set of code created outside of Unity that creates functionality in Unity. There are two kinds of plug-ins you can use in Unity: Managed plug-ins (managed .NET assemblies created with tools like Visual Studio) and Native plug-ins (platform-specific native code libraries). More info
See in Glossary you can use in Unity: Managed plug-ins (managed .NET assemblies created with tools like Visual Studio) and Native plug-ins (platform-specific native code libraries). More info
A texture which defines which areas of an underlying image to reveal or hide. More info
A Transform componentA Transform component determines the Position, Rotation, and Scale of each object in the scene. Every GameObject has a Transform. More info
See in Glossary determines the Position, Rotation, and Scale of each object in the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. Every GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary has a Transform. More info
A GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary and associated Component that allows you to add tree assets to your SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. You can add branch levels and leaves to trees in the Tree InspectorA Unity window that displays information about the currently selected GameObject, asset or project settings, allowing you to inspect and edit the values. More info
See in Glossary window. More info
A vector that defines the speed and direction of motion of a Rigidbody
Vertical synchronization (VSync) is a display setting that caps a game’s frame rate to match the refresh rate of a monitor, to prevent image tearing. More info
A system for managing file changes. You can use Unity in conjunction with most common version controlA system for managing file changes. You can use Unity in conjunction with most common version control tools, including Perforce, Git, Mercurial and PlasticSCM. More info
See in Glossary tools, including PerforceA version control system for file change management. More info
See in Glossary, Git, Mercurial and PlasticSCM. More info
The user’s visible area of an app on their screen.
The area in your sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary in which all objects reside. Often used to specify that coordinates are world-relative, as opposed to object-relative.
Light that doesn’t come from any specific direction, and contributes equal light in all directions to the SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A method to approximate how much ambient lightLight that doesn’t come from any specific direction, and contributes equal light in all directions to the Scene. More info
See in Glossary (light not coming from a specific direction) can hit a point on a surface.
The anisotropic filtering (AF) level of a texture. Allows you to increase texture quality when viewing a texture at a steep angle. Good for floor and ground textures. More info
A technique for decreasing artifacts, like jagged lines (jaggies), in images to make them appear smoother. More info
The relationship of an image’s proportional dimensions, such as its width and height.
Light components whose Mode property is set to Baked. Unity pre-calculates the illumination from Baked LightsLight components whose Mode property is set to Baked. Unity pre-calculates the illumination from Baked Lights before runtime, and does not include them in any runtime lighting calculations. More info
See in Glossary before runtime, and does not include them in any runtime lighting calculations. More info
A shorthand term for “bit block transfer”. A blitA shorthand term for “bit block transfer”. A blit operation is the process of transferring blocks of data from one place in memory to another.
See in Glossary operation is the process of transferring blocks of data from one place in memory to another.
A post-processingA process that improves product visuals by applying filters and effects before the image appears on screen. You can use post-processing effects to simulate physical camera and film properties, for example Bloom and Depth of Field. More info post processing, postprocessing, postprocess
See in Glossary effect used to reproduce an imaging artifact of real-world camerasA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary. The effect produces fringes of light extending from the borders of bright areas in an image, contributing to the illusion of an extremely bright light overwhelming the cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary or eye capturing the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary.
An image texture used to represent geometric detail across the surface of a meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary, for example bumps and grooves. Can be represented as a heightmapA greyscale Texture that stores height data for an object. Each pixel stores the height difference perpendicular to the face that pixel represents.
See in Glossary or a normal mapA type of Bump Map texture that allows you to add surface detail such as bumps, grooves, and scratches to a model which catch the light as if they are represented by real geometry.
See in Glossary. More info
A component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
A plane that limits how far or close a cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary can see from its current position. A camera’s viewable range is between the far and near clipping planesA plane that limits how close a camera can see from its current position. The plane is perpendicular to the camera’s forward (Z) direction. More info
See in Glossary. See far clipping planeThe maximum draw distance for a camera. Geometry beyond the plane defined by this value is not rendered. The plane is perpendicular to the camera’s forward (Z) direction.
See in Glossary and near clipping planeA plane that limits how close a camera can see from its current position. The plane is perpendicular to the camera’s forward (Z) direction. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A functional part of a GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary. A GameObject can contain any number of components. Unity has many built-in components, and you can create your own by writing scriptsA piece of code that allows you to create your own Components, trigger game events, modify Component properties over time and respond to user input in any way you like. More info
See in Glossary that inherit from MonoBehaviour. More info
A collection of six square textures that can represent the reflections in an environment or the skyboxA special type of Material used to represent skies. Usually six-sided. More info
See in Glossary drawn behind your geometry. The six squares form the faces of an imaginary cube that surrounds an object; each face represents the view along the directions of the world axes (up, down, left, right, forward and back). More info
Allows you to include or omit objects to be rendered by a CameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary, by Layer.
A memory store that holds the z-value depth of each pixelThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary in an image, where the z-value is the depth for each rendered pixel from the projection plane. More info
A post-processingA process that improves product visuals by applying filters and effects before the image appears on screen. You can use post-processing effects to simulate physical camera and film properties, for example Bloom and Depth of Field. More info post processing, postprocessing, postprocess
See in Glossary effect that simulates the focus properties of a cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary lens. More info
A version of the ShadowmaskA Texture that shares the same UV layout and resolution with its corresponding lightmap. More info
See in Glossary lighting mode that includes high quality shadows cast from static GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary onto dynamic GameObjects. More info
An automatic Unity process which attempts to render multiple meshes as if they were a single meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary for optimized graphics performance. The technique transforms all of the GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary vertices on the CPU and groups many similar vertices together. More info
A CameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary setting that allows you to dynamically scale individual render targets, to reduce workload on the GPU. More info
A lighting system by Geomerics used in Unity for lightmapping and for real-time global illuminationA group of techniques that model both direct and indirect lighting to provide realistic lighting results. Unity has two global illumination systems that combine direct and indirect lighting: Baked Global Illumination and Enlighten Realtime Global Illumination.
See in Glossary.
(Ericsson Texture Compression) A block-based texture formatA file format for handling textures during real-time rendering by 3D graphics hardware, such as a graphics card or mobile device. More info
See in Glossary that compresses textures to significantly reduce file sizes without causing a noticable reduction in image quality. More info
A fog model that emulates realistic fog behaviour by simulating light absorption over distance by a certain attenuation factor.
A value that represents a combination of a cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary’s shutter speed and f-number. It is essentially a measurement of exposure such that all combinations of shutter speed and f-number that yield the same level of exposure have the same EV.
A Texture property that enables you to define how much area to leave around a spriteA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary in a generated meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary.
The maximum draw distance for a cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary. Geometry beyond the plane defined by this value is not rendered. The plane is perpendicular to the camera’s forward (Z) direction.
A post-processingA process that improves product visuals by applying filters and effects before the image appears on screen. You can use post-processing effects to simulate physical camera and film properties, for example Bloom and Depth of Field. More info post processing, postprocessing, postprocess
See in Glossary effect that overlays a color onto objects depending on the distance from the cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary. Use this to simulate fog or mist in outdoor environments, or to hide clipping of objects near the camera’s far clip plane. More info
A rendering pathThe technique that a render pipeline uses to render graphics. Choosing a different rendering path affects how lighting and shading are calculated. Some rendering paths are more suited to different platforms and hardware than others. More info
See in Glossary that renders each object in one or more passes, depending on lights that affect the object. Lights themselves are also treated differently by Forward RenderingA rendering path that renders each object in one or more passes, depending on lights that affect the object. Lights themselves are also treated differently by Forward Rendering, depending on their settings and intensity. More info
See in Glossary, depending on their settings and intensity. More info
A single image from a sequence of images that represent moving graphics. While your game is running, the cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary in your game renders frames to the screen as fast as possible. May also refer to a frame from a video clip, or spriteA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary animation frames. See frames per secondThe frequency at which consecutive frames are displayed in a running game. More info
See in Glossary (FPS).
The frequency at which consecutive frames are displayed in a running game. More info
An effect representing the increase in reflectivity on objects when light hits at grazing angles.
The region of 3D space that a perspective cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary can see and render. In the Scene viewAn interactive view into the world you are creating. You use the Scene View to select and position scenery, characters, cameras, lights, and all other types of Game Object. More info
See in Glossary, the frustum is represented by a truncated rectangular pyramid with its top at the camera__’s near clipping plane__A plane that limits how close a camera can see from its current position. The plane is perpendicular to the camera’s forward (Z) direction. More info
See in Glossary and its base at the camera__’s far clipping plane__The maximum draw distance for a camera. Geometry beyond the plane defined by this value is not rendered. The plane is perpendicular to the camera’s forward (Z) direction.
See in Glossary. More info
The cached intermediate files used when Unity precomputes lighting data. Unity keeps this cache to speed up computation. More info
A graphic overlay associated with a GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary in a SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary, and displayed in the Scene ViewAn interactive view into the world you are creating. You use the Scene View to select and position scenery, characters, cameras, lights, and all other types of Game Object. More info
See in Glossary. Built-in sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary tools such as the move tool are GizmosA graphic overlay associated with a GameObject in a Scene, and displayed in the Scene View. Built-in scene tools such as the move tool are Gizmos, and you can create custom Gizmos using textures or scripting. Some Gizmos are only drawn when the GameObject is selected, while other Gizmos are drawn by the Editor regardless of which GameObjects are selected. More info
See in Glossary, and you can create custom Gizmos using textures or scripting. Some Gizmos are only drawn when the GameObject is selected, while other Gizmos are drawn by the Editor regardless of which GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary are selected. More info
A group of techniques that model both direct and indirect lighting to provide realistic lighting results. Unity has two global illuminationA group of techniques that model both direct and indirect lighting to provide realistic lighting results. Unity has two global illumination systems that combine direct and indirect lighting: Baked Global Illumination and Enlighten Realtime Global Illumination.
See in Glossary systems that combine direct and indirect lighting: Baked Global IlluminationA group of techniques that model both direct and indirect lighting to provide realistic lighting results. Unity has two global illumination systems that combine direct and indirect lighting: Baked Global Illumination and Enlighten Realtime Global Illumination.
See in Glossary and Enlighten Realtime Global IlluminationA lighting system by Geomerics used in Unity for lightmapping and for real-time global illumination.
See in Glossary.
A Particle SystemA component that simulates fluid entities such as liquids, clouds and flames by generating and animating large numbers of small 2D images in the scene. More info
See in Glossary property that scales the gravity value set in the physics manager. A value of zero switches gravity off. More info
The glowing light areas around light sources, used to give the impression of small dust particles in the air. More info
A shadow property that produces shadows with a sharp edge. Hard shadows are not particularly realistic compared to Soft Shadows but they involve less processing, and are acceptable for many purposes.
high dynamic range
high dynamic range image
A greyscale Texture that stores height data for an object. Each pixelThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary stores the height difference perpendicular to the face that pixel represents.
A lightmapA pre-rendered texture that contains the effects of light sources on static objects in the scene. Lightmaps are overlaid on top of scene geometry to create the effect of lighting. More info
See in Glossary property that determines the precision of the incoming light data used to light each texel in the lightmap More info
A lightmapA pre-rendered texture that contains the effects of light sources on static objects in the scene. Lightmaps are overlaid on top of scene geometry to create the effect of lighting. More info
See in Glossary property that sets the number of rays that are cast and used to compute which clusters affect a given output lightmap texel. More info
Layers in Unity can be used to selectively opt groups of GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary in or out of certain processes or calculations. This includes cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary rendering, lighting, physics collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary, or custom calculations in your own code. More info
A component that simulates the effect of lights refracting inside a cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary lens. Use a Lens FlareA component that simulates the effect of lights refracting inside a camera lens. Use a Lens Flare to represent very bright lights or add atmosphere to your scene. More info
See in Glossary to represent very bright lights or add atmosphere to your sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. More info
The Level Of Detail (LOD) technique is an optimization that reduces the number of triangles that Unity has to render for a GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary when its distance from the CameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary increases. More info
A Light property that defines the use of the Light. Can be set to Realtime, Baked and Mixed. More info
Light probes store information about how light passes through space in your sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. A collection of light probesLight probes store information about how light passes through space in your scene. A collection of light probes arranged within a given space can improve lighting on moving objects and static LOD scenery within that space. More info
See in Glossary arranged within a given space can improve lighting on moving objects and static LODThe Level Of Detail (LOD) technique is an optimization that reduces the number of triangles that Unity has to render for a GameObject when its distance from the Camera increases. More info
See in Glossary scenery within that space. More info
A component that enables you to add Light ProbesLight probes store information about how light passes through space in your scene. A collection of light probes arranged within a given space can improve lighting on moving objects and static LOD scenery within that space. More info
See in Glossary to GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary in your sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A component that allows you to use more lighting information for large dynamic GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary that cannot use baked lightmapsA pre-rendered texture that contains the effects of light sources on static objects in the scene. Lightmaps are overlaid on top of scene geometry to create the effect of lighting. More info
See in Glossary (for example, large Particle Systems or skinned Meshes). More info
A pre-rendered texture that contains the effects of light sources on static objects in the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. LightmapsA pre-rendered texture that contains the effects of light sources on static objects in the scene. Lightmaps are overlaid on top of scene geometry to create the effect of lighting. More info
See in Glossary are overlaid on top of scene geometry to create the effect of lighting. More info
A tool in Unity that bakes lightmapsA pre-rendered texture that contains the effects of light sources on static objects in the scene. Lightmaps are overlaid on top of scene geometry to create the effect of lighting. More info
See in Glossary according to the arrangement of lights and geometry in your sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A component that takes an array of two or more points in 3D space and draws a straight line between each one. You can use a single Line RendererA component that takes an array of two or more points in 3D space and draws a straight line between each one. You can use a single Line Renderer component to draw anything from a simple straight line to a complex spiral. More info
See in Glossary component to draw anything from a simple straight line to a complex spiral. More info
See level of detailThe Level Of Detail (LOD) technique is an optimization that reduces the number of triangles that Unity has to render for a GameObject when its distance from the Camera increases. More info
See in Glossary
A component to manage level of detailThe Level Of Detail (LOD) technique is an optimization that reduces the number of triangles that Unity has to render for a GameObject when its distance from the Camera increases. More info
See in Glossary (LOD) for GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary. More info
An asset that defines how a surface should be rendered. More info
The main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
A meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary component that takes a mesh from your assets and passes it to the Mesh RendererA mesh component that takes the geometry from the Mesh Filter and renders it at the position defined by the object’s Transform component. More info
See in Glossary for rendering on the screen. More info
A meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary component that takes the geometry from the Mesh FilterA mesh component that takes a mesh from your assets and passes it to the Mesh Renderer for rendering on the screen. More info
See in Glossary and renders it at the position defined by the object’s Transform componentA Transform component determines the Position, Rotation, and Scale of each object in the scene. Every GameObject has a Transform. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A plane that limits how close a cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary can see from its current position. The plane is perpendicular to the camera’s forward (Z) direction. More info
The direction perpendicular to the surface of a meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary, represented by a Vector. Unity uses normals to determine object orientation and apply shading. More info
A type of Bump MapAn image texture used to represent geometric detail across the surface of a mesh, for example bumps and grooves. Can be represented as a heightmap or a normal map. More info
See in Glossary texture that allows you to add surface detail such as bumps, grooves, and scratches to a model which catch the light as if they are represented by real geometry.
A that disables rendering of objects when they are not currently seen by the cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary because they are obscured (occluded) by other objects. More info
A common type of cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary view used in games that give you a bird’s-eye view of the action, and is sometimes called “2.5D”. More info
A small, simple image or meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary that is emitted by a particle systemA component that simulates fluid entities such as liquids, clouds and flames by generating and animating large numbers of small 2D images in the scene. More info
See in Glossary. A particle system can display and move particles in great numbers to represent a fluid or amorphous entity. The effect of all the particles together creates the impression of the complete entity, such as smoke. More info
A component that simulates fluid entities such as liquids, clouds and flames by generating and animating large numbers of small 2D images in the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. More info
An advanced lighting model that simulates the interactions between materials and light in a way that mimics reality. More info
The smallest unit in a computer image. PixelThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixelThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary. More info
The .log file created by a Standalone Player that contains a record of events, such as script execution times, the compiler version, and AssetImport time. Log files can help diagnose problems. More info
A process that improves product visuals by applying filters and effects before the image appears on screen. You can use post-processing effects to simulate physical camera and film properties, for example Bloom and Depth of Field. More info post processing, postprocessing, postprocess
A visual simulation of three-dimensional characteristics on a two-dimensional object or environment. This effect is sometimes called “2.5D”. More info
A primitive object that resembles a plane but its edges are only one unit long, it uses only 4 vertices, and the surface is oriented in the XY plane of the local coordinate space. More info
Unity’s standard way of representing rotations as data. When writing code that deals with rotations, you should usually use the QuaternionUnity’s standard way of representing rotations as data. When writing code that deals with rotations, you should usually use the Quaternion class and its methods. More info
See in Glossary class and its methods. More info
The process of generating an image by calculating pixelsThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary for each polygon or triangle in the geometry. This is an alternative to ray tracingThe process of generating an image by tracing out rays from the Camera through each pixel and recording the color contribution at the hit point. This is an alternative to rasterization. raytracing
See in Glossary.
The process of generating an image by tracing out rays from the Camera through each pixel and recording the color contribution at the hit point. This is an alternative to rasterization. raytracing
Light components whose Mode property is set to Realtime. Unity calculates and updates the lighting of Realtime LightsLight components whose Mode property is set to Realtime. Unity calculates and updates the lighting of Realtime Lights every frame at runtime. No Realtime Lights are precomputed. More info
See in Glossary every frame at runtime. No Realtime Lights are precomputed. More info
A rendering component that captures a spherical view of its surroundings in all directions, rather like a cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary. The captured image is then stored as a CubemapA collection of six square textures that can represent the reflections in an environment or the skybox drawn behind your geometry. The six squares form the faces of an imaginary cube that surrounds an object; each face represents the view along the directions of the world axes (up, down, left, right, forward and back). More info
See in Glossary that can be used by objects with reflective materials. More info
A series of operations that take the contents of a SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary, and displays them on a screen. Unity lets you choose from pre-built render pipelinesA series of operations that take the contents of a Scene, and displays them on a screen. Unity lets you choose from pre-built render pipelines, or write your own. More info
See in Glossary, or write your own. More info
A special type of Texture that is created and updated at runtime. To use them, first create a new Render TextureA special type of Texture that is created and updated at runtime. To use them, first create a new Render Texture and designate one of your Cameras to render into it. Then you can use the Render Texture in a Material just like a regular Texture. More info
See in Glossary and designate one of your CamerasA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary to render into it. Then you can use the Render Texture in a Material just like a regular Texture. More info
The technique that a render pipelineA series of operations that take the contents of a Scene, and displays them on a screen. Unity lets you choose from pre-built render pipelines, or write your own. More info
See in Glossary uses to render graphics. Choosing a different rendering pathThe technique that a render pipeline uses to render graphics. Choosing a different rendering path affects how lighting and shading are calculated. Some rendering paths are more suited to different platforms and hardware than others. More info
See in Glossary affects how lighting and shading are calculated. Some rendering pathsThe technique that a render pipeline uses to render graphics. Choosing a different rendering path affects how lighting and shading are calculated. Some rendering paths are more suited to different platforms and hardware than others. More info
See in Glossary are more suited to different platforms and hardware than others. More info
A program that runs on the GPU. More info
An instance of the ShaderA program that runs on the GPU. More info
See in Glossary class, a Shader objectAn instance of the Shader class, a Shader object is container for shader programs and GPU instructions, and information that tells Unity how to use them. Use them with materials to determine the appearance of your scene. More info
See in Glossary is container for shaderA program that runs on the GPU. More info
See in Glossary programs and GPU instructions, and information that tells Unity how to use them. Use them with materials to determine the appearance of your sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A verion of a shaderA program that runs on the GPU. More info
See in Glossary program that Unity generates according to a specific combination of shader keywords and their status. A Shader objectAn instance of the Shader class, a Shader object is container for shader programs and GPU instructions, and information that tells Unity how to use them. Use them with materials to determine the appearance of your scene. More info
See in Glossary can contain multiple shader variants. More info
Unity’s language for defining the structure of Shader objectsAn instance of the Shader class, a Shader object is container for shader programs and GPU instructions, and information that tells Unity how to use them. Use them with materials to determine the appearance of your scene. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A Texture that shares the same UV layout and resolution with its corresponding lightmapA pre-rendered texture that contains the effects of light sources on static objects in the scene. Lightmaps are overlaid on top of scene geometry to create the effect of lighting. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A special type of Material used to represent skies. Usually six-sided. More info
A shadow property that produces shadows with a soft edge. Soft shadows are more realistic compared to Hard Shadows and tend to reduce the “blocky” aliasing effect from the shadow map, but they require more processing.
The process of mapping real-world surfaces into the virtual world.
The color of a specular highlight.
A bright spot of light that appears on the surface of shiny objects when illuminated.
A 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, SpritesA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing spriteA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
A facility that packs graphics from several spriteA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary textures tightly together within a single texture known as an atlas. Unity provides a Sprite PackerA facility that packs graphics from several sprite textures tightly together within a single texture known as an atlas. Unity provides a Sprite Packer utility to automate the process of generating atlases from the individual sprite textures. More info
See in Glossary utility to automate the process of generating atlases from the individual sprite textures. More info
A component that lets you display images as SpritesA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary for use in both 2D and 3D scenesA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A technique Unity uses to draw GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary on the screen that combines static (non-moving) GameObjects into big Meshes, and renders them in a faster way. More info
A static GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary that is receiving a shadow from another static or dynamic GameObject More info
A memory store that holds an 8-bit per-pixel value. In Unity, you can use a stencil bufferA memory store that holds an 8-bit per-pixel value. In Unity, you can use a stencil buffer to flag pixels, and then only render to pixels that pass the stencil operation. More info
See in Glossary to flag pixelsThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary, and then only render to pixels that pass the stencil operation. More info
A streamlined way of writing shadersA program that runs on the GPU. More info
See in Glossary for the Built-in Render PipelineA series of operations that take the contents of a Scene, and displays them on a screen. Unity lets you choose from pre-built render pipelines, or write your own. More info
See in Glossary. More info
The landscape in your sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. A TerrainThe landscape in your scene. A Terrain GameObject adds a large flat plane to your scene and you can use the Terrain’s Inspector window to create a detailed landscape. More info
See in Glossary GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary adds a large flat plane to your scene and you can use the Terrain’s InspectorA Unity window that displays information about the currently selected GameObject, asset or project settings, allowing you to inspect and edit the values. More info
See in Glossary window to create a detailed landscape. More info
A MeshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary component that displays a Text string More info
An image used when rendering a GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary, SpriteA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary, or UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary element. Textures are often applied to the surface of a meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary to give it visual detail. More info
3D Graphics hardware requires Textures to be compressed in specialized formats which are optimized for fast Texture sampling. More info
An InspectorA Unity window that displays information about the currently selected GameObject, asset or project settings, allowing you to inspect and edit the values. More info
See in Glossary that allows you to define how your images are imported from your project’s Assets folder into the Unity Editor. More info
Platform-specific settings that allow you to set the resolution, file size with associated memory size requirements, pixelThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary dimensions, and quality of your Textures for each target platform. More info
A simple class that allows a spriteA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary to be rendered on a TilemapA GameObject that allows you to quickly create 2D levels using tiles and a grid overlay. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary that allows you to quickly create 2D levels using tiles and a grid overlay. More info
The process of remapping HDRhigh dynamic range
See in Glossary values of an image into a range suitable to be displayed on screen. More info
A visual effect that lets you to make trails behind GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary in the SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary as they move. More info
A 3D texture, where each value represents a directional force that is applied to particles as they move through the field. A vector field is created in 3D animation software, such as Houdini. More info
A program that runs on each vertex of a 3D model when the model is being rendered. More info
A Unity API that allows you to record videos directly to the file system in the MP4 format. More info
A 3D pixelThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A JavaScript API that renders 2D and 3D graphics in a web browser. The Unity WebGLA JavaScript API that renders 2D and 3D graphics in a web browser. The Unity WebGL build option allows Unity to publish content as JavaScript programs which use HTML5 technologies and the WebGL rendering API to run Unity content in a web browser. More info
See in Glossary build option allows Unity to publish content as JavaScript programs which use HTML5 technologies and the WebGL rendering API to run Unity content in a web browser. More info
A GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary that adds the effect of wind to your terrainThe landscape in your scene. A Terrain GameObject adds a large flat plane to your scene and you can use the Terrain’s Inspector window to create a detailed landscape. More info
See in Glossary. For instance, Trees within a wind zoneA GameObject that adds the effect of wind to your terrain. For instance, Trees within a wind zone will bend in a realistic animated fashion and the wind itself will move in pulses to create natural patterns of movement among the tree. More info
See in Glossary will bend in a realistic animated fashion and the wind itself will move in pulses to create natural patterns of movement among the tree. More info
Light components whose Mode property is set to Mixed. Some calculations for Mixed Lights are performed in advance, and some calculations for Mixed Lights are performed at runtime. The behavior of all Mixed Lights in a SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary is determined by the Scene’s Lighting Mode. More info
A system for building multiplayer capabilities for Unity games. It is built on top of the lower level transport real-time communication layer, and handles many of the common tasks that are required for multiplayer games. More info
Abbreviation of High Level APIA system for building multiplayer capabilities for Unity games. It is built on top of the lower level transport real-time communication layer, and handles many of the common tasks that are required for multiplayer games. More info
See in Glossary
In a multiplayer network game without a dedicated server, one of the peers in the game acts as the center of authority for the game. This peer is called the “host”. It runs a server and a “local client”, while the other peers each run a “remote client”. More info
A High Level APIA system for building multiplayer capabilities for Unity games. It is built on top of the lower level transport real-time communication layer, and handles many of the common tasks that are required for multiplayer games. More info
See in Glossary (HPAPI) object that represents the player on the server and has the ability to run commands (which are secure client-to-server remote procedure calls) from the player’s client. More info
A unique identifier given to an object instance to track it between networked clients and the server. More info
A NetworkingThe Unity system that enables multiplayer gaming across a computer network. More info
See in Glossary component that manages the network state of a project. More info
A NetworkingThe Unity system that enables multiplayer gaming across a computer network. More info
See in Glossary component that allows you to assign an identity to your GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary for the network to recognize it as a Local Player GameObject or a Server Only GameObject. More info
The Unity system that enables multiplayer gaming across a computer network. More info
A NetworkingThe Unity system that enables multiplayer gaming across a computer network. More info
See in Glossary component that creates a UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary menu that allows you to control the network state of your game using your Network ManagerA Networking component that manages the network state of a project. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A NetworkingThe Unity system that enables multiplayer gaming across a computer network. More info
See in Glossary component that allows you to synchronize the movements of GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary across the network. More info
Built-in packages allow users to toggle Unity features on or off through the Package Manager. Enabling or disabling a package reduces the run-time build size. For example, most projects don’t use the legacy Particle SystemA component that simulates fluid entities such as liquids, clouds and flames by generating and animating large numbers of small 2D images in the scene. More info
See in Glossary. By removing the abstracted package of this feature, the related code and resources are not part of the final built product. Typically, these packages contain only the package manifestEach package has a manifest, which provides information about the package to the Package Manager. The manifest contains information such as the name of the package, its version, a description for users, dependencies on other packages (if any), and other details. More info
See in Glossary and are bundled with Unity (rather than available on the package registry).
Unity stores bundled packages in the global cache when you install Unity. You can install these packages in your project even if you are completely offline (not currently connected to the internet or a local network).
Unity automatically pre-installs a select number of default packages (for example, the Analytics Library, Unity Timeline, etc.) when you create a new project. This differs from a bundled packageUnity stores bundled packages in the global cache when you install Unity. You can install these packages in your project even if you are completely offline (not currently connected to the internet or a local network).
See in Glossary because you don’t need to install it and it differs from a built-in packageBuilt-in packages allow users to toggle Unity features on or off through the Package Manager. Enabling or disabling a package reduces the run-time build size. For example, most projects don’t use the legacy Particle System. By removing the abstracted package of this feature, the related code and resources are not part of the final built product. Typically, these packages contain only the package manifest and are bundled with Unity (rather than available on the package registry).
See in Glossary because it extends Unity’s features rather than being able to enable or disable them.
In the context of the Package Manager, a dependencyIn the context of the Package Manager, a dependency is a specific package version (expressed in the form package_name@package_version) that a project or another package requires in order to work. Projects and packages use the dependencies attribute in their manifests to define the set of packages they require. For projects, these are considered direct dependencies; for packages, these are indirect, or transitive, dependencies. More info
See in Glossary is a specific package version (expressed in the form package_name@package_version) that a project or another package requires in order to work. Projects and packages use the dependenciesIn the context of the Package Manager, a dependency is a specific package version (expressed in the form package_name@package_version) that a project or another package requires in order to work. Projects and packages use the dependencies** attribute in their manifests to define the set of packages they require. For projects, these are considered direct dependencies; for packages, these are indirect, or transitive, dependencies. More info
See in Glossary** attribute in their manifests to define the set of packages they require. For projects, these are considered direct dependencies; for packages, these are indirect, or transitive, dependencies. More info
An embedded package is a package that you store under the Packages directory at the root of a Unity project. This differs from most packages which you download from the package server. More info
The Package Manager retrieves Git dependenciesIn the context of the Package Manager, a dependency is a specific package version (expressed in the form package_name@package_version) that a project or another package requires in order to work. Projects and packages use the dependencies attribute in their manifests to define the set of packages they require. For projects, these are considered direct dependencies; for packages, these are indirect, or transitive, dependencies. More info
See in Glossary from a Git repository directly rather than from a package registry. Git dependencies use a Git URL reference instead of a version, and there’s no guarantee about the package quality, stability, validity, or even whether the version stated in its package.json file respects Semantic Versioning rules with regards to officially published releases of this package. More info
You cannot change the contents of an immutableYou cannot change the contents of an immutable (read-only) package. This is the opposite of mutable. Most packages are immutable, including packages downloaded from the package registry or by Git URL.
See in Glossary (read-only) package. This is the opposite of mutableYou can change the contents of a mutable package. This is the opposite of immutable. Only Local packages and Embedded packages are mutable.
See in Glossary. Most packages are immutable, including packages downloaded from the package registry or by Git URL.
A local package already exists on the file system, usually outside the project folder. To install the package, notify the Package Manager of its location through the Packages window. More info
There are two types of manifest files: project manifestEach Unity project has a project manifest, which acts as an entry point for the Package Manager. This file must be available in the <project>/Packages directory. The Package Manager uses it to configure many things, including a list of dependencies for that project, as well as any package repository to query for packages. More info
See in Glossarys and package manifestEach package has a manifest, which provides information about the package to the Package Manager. The manifest contains information such as the name of the package, its version, a description for users, dependencies on other packages (if any), and other details. More info
See in Glossarys.
You can change the contents of a mutableYou can change the contents of a mutable package. This is the opposite of immutable. Only Local packages and Embedded packages are mutable.
See in Glossary package. This is the opposite of immutableYou cannot change the contents of an immutable (read-only) package. This is the opposite of mutable. Most packages are immutable, including packages downloaded from the package registry or by Git URL.
See in Glossary. Only Local packageA local package already exists on the file system, usually outside the project folder. To install the package, notify the Package Manager of its location through the Packages window. More info
See in Glossarys and Embedded package
See in Glossarys are mutable.
Each package has a manifest, which provides information about the package to the Package Manager. The manifest contains information such as the name of the package, its version, a description for users, dependenciesIn the context of the Package Manager, a dependency is a specific package version (expressed in the form package_name@package_version) that a project or another package requires in order to work. Projects and packages use the dependencies attribute in their manifests to define the set of packages they require. For projects, these are considered direct dependencies; for packages, these are indirect, or transitive, dependencies. More info
See in Glossary on other packages (if any), and other details. More info
A preview package is in development and not yet ready for production. A package in preview might be at any stage of development, from the initial stages to near completion.
Each Unity project has a project manifest, which acts as an entry point for the Package Manager. This file must be available in the <project>/Packages directory. The Package Manager uses it to configure many things, including a list of dependencies for that project, as well as any package repository to query for packages. More info
When a package passes release cycle testing for a specific version of Unity, it receives the Verified For designation. This means that these packages are guaranteed to work with the designated version of Unity.
Identifies the workload data for a Unity subsystem (for example, Rendering, Scripting and Animation categories). Unity applies color-coding to categories to visually distinguish between the types of data in the ProfilerA window that helps you to optimize your game. It shows how much time is spent in the various areas of your game. For example, it can report the percentage of time spent rendering, animating, or in your game logic. More info
See in Glossary window.
Placed in code to describe a CPU or GPU event that is then displayed in the Unity ProfilerA window that helps you to optimize your game. It shows how much time is spent in the various areas of your game. For example, it can report the percentage of time spent rendering, animating, or in your game logic. More info
See in Glossary window. Added to Unity code by default, or you can use ProfilerMarker API to add your own custom markers. More info
Placed in code with the ProfilerCounter API to track metrics, such as the number of enemies spawned in your game. More info
A set of data associated with a ProfilerA window that helps you to optimize your game. It shows how much time is spent in the various areas of your game. For example, it can report the percentage of time spent rendering, animating, or in your game logic. More info
See in Glossary marker, that the Profiler has recorded and collected.
A window that helps you to optimize your game. It shows how much time is spent in the various areas of your game. For example, it can report the percentage of time spent rendering, animating, or in your game logic. More info
Vertical synchronization (VSync) is a display setting that caps a game’s frame rate to match the refresh rate of a monitor, to prevent image tearing.
Vertical blanking interval (VBlank) is the time between the end of the final visible line of a frame and the beginning of the first visible line of the next frame. This is the refresh interval as defined by a screen’s refresh rate.
A list of methods that were called at run time, organized as a last-in-first-out stack.
The amount of supporting code that the ProfilerA window that helps you to optimize your game. It shows how much time is spent in the various areas of your game. For example, it can report the percentage of time spent rendering, animating, or in your game logic. More info
See in Glossary needs to run. This overhead might affect the performance of your application.
A closed shape representing the edges and faces of a colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary or trigger. More info
A cube-shaped colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary component that handles collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary for GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary like dice and ice cubes. More info
A collision detectionAn automatic process performed by Unity which determines whether a moving GameObject with a Rigidbody and collider component has come into contact with any other colliders. More info
See in Glossary phase that computes pairs of potentially overlapping objects by judging only their respective bounding volumesA closed shape representing the edges and faces of a collider or trigger. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A capsule-shaped colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary component that handles collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary for GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary like barrels and character limbs. More info
Represents the average position of all mass in a RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary for the purposes of physics calculations. By default it is computed from all collidersAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary belonging to the Rigidbody, but can be modified via script. More info
A simple, capsule-shaped colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary component with specialized features for behaving as a character in a game. Unlike true collider components, a RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary is not needed and the momentum effects are not realistic. More info
An extended ball-socket jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary which allows a joint to be limited on each axis. Mainly used for Ragdoll effects. More info
A component that works with the Skinned Mesh RendererA mesh component that takes the geometry from the Mesh Filter and renders it at the position defined by the object’s Transform component. More info
See in Glossary to provide a physics-based solution for simulating fabrics. More info
An invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary for an object. A colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
A collisionA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary occurs when the physics engineA system that simulates aspects of physical systems so that objects can accelerate correctly and be affected by collisions, gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary detects that the collidersAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary of two GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary make contact or overlap, when at least one has a RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary component and is in motion. More info
An automatic process performed by Unity which determines whether a moving GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary with a RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary and colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary component has come into contact with any other collidersAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary. More info
An extremely customizable jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary that other joint types are derived from. It can be used to create anything from adapted versions of existing jointsA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary to custom designed and highly specialized joints. More info
A simple component for adding a constant forceA simple component for adding a constant force or torque to game objects with a Rigidbody. More info
See in Glossary or torque to game objects with a RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary. More info
Settings on JointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary components which limit movement or rotation. The type and number of constraints vary depending on the type of Joint. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary limit property that sets the minimum distance tolerance between the joint position and the limit at which the limit will be enforced. More info
A collision detectionAn automatic process performed by Unity which determines whether a moving GameObject with a Rigidbody and collider component has come into contact with any other colliders. More info
See in Glossary method that calculates and resolves collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary over the entire physics simulation step. This can prevent fast-moving objects from tunnelling through walls during a simulation step. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary setting to control spring oscillation. A higher damping ratioA joint setting to control spring oscillation. A higher damping ratio means the spring will come to rest faster. More info
See in Glossary means the spring will come to rest faster. More info
A collision detectionAn automatic process performed by Unity which determines whether a moving GameObject with a Rigidbody and collider component has come into contact with any other colliders. More info
See in Glossary method that calculates and resolves collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary based on the pose of objects at the end of each physics simulation step. More info
A Physic MaterialA physics asset for adjusting the friction and bouncing effects of colliding objects. More info
See in Glossary property that defines the friction for a RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary when it’s in motion. Lower values mean less friction, so a setting of zero represents slipping on ice. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary type that is completely constrained, allowing two objects to be held together. Implemented as a spring so some motion may still occur. More info
A customizable framerate-independent interval that dictates when physics calculations and FixedUpdate() events are performed. More info
The higher limit of a Character JointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary that groups together two RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary components, constraining them to move like they are connected by a hinge. It is perfect for doors, but can also be used to model chains, pendulums and so on. More info
A physics component allowing a dynamic connection between RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary property that sets the lower limit of a joint. More info
A free-form colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary component which accepts a meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary reference to define its collisionA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary surface shape. More info
A collision detectionAn automatic process performed by Unity which determines whether a moving GameObject with a Rigidbody and collider component has come into contact with any other colliders. More info
See in Glossary phase that determines whether the pairs of objects found in the broad phase will actually collide. It then computes the contact points for those pairs and gives them to the solver to use when solving collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A physics asset for adjusting the friction and bouncing effects of colliding objects. More info
A system that simulates aspects of physical systems so that objects can accelerate correctly and be affected by collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary, gravity and other forces. More info
A skeletal hierarchy of jointsA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary for a meshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A component that allows a GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
A cloth property that prevents cloth from penetrating itself. More info
Particles that create semi-transparent effects like smoke, fog or fire. Soft particlesParticles that create semi-transparent effects like smoke, fog or fire. Soft particles fade out as they approach an opaque object, to prevent intersections with the geometry. More info
See in Glossary fade out as they approach an opaque object, to prevent intersections with the geometry. More info
A collision detectionAn automatic process performed by Unity which determines whether a moving GameObject with a Rigidbody and collider component has come into contact with any other colliders. More info
See in Glossary method that inflates broad-phase AABB of moving objects according to their velocities. This enables support for effects like rotations. More info
A sphere-shaped colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary component that handles collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary for GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary like balls or other things that can be roughly approximated as a sphere for the purposes of physics. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary type that connects two RigidbodyA component that allows a GameObject to be affected by simulated gravity and other forces. More info
See in Glossary components together but allows the distance between them to change as though they were connected by a spring. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary property that defines the axis around which the joint can swing. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary property that limits the rotation around one element of the defined Swing AxisA joint property that defines the axis around which the joint can swing. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary property to set the target positionA joint property to set the target position that the joint’s drive force should move it to. More info
See in Glossary that the joint’s drive force should move it to. More info
A jointA physics component allowing a dynamic connection between Rigidbody components, usually allowing some degree of movement such as a hinge. More info
See in Glossary property to set the desired velocity with which the joint should move to the Target PositionA joint property to set the target position that the joint’s drive force should move it to. More info
See in Glossary under the drive force. More info
A terrain-shaped colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary component that handles collisionsA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary for collisionA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary surface with the same shape as the TerrainThe landscape in your scene. A Terrain GameObject adds a large flat plane to your scene and you can use the Terrain’s Inspector window to create a detailed landscape. More info
See in Glossary object it is attached to. More info
A special colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary for grounded vehicles. It has built-in collision detectionAn automatic process performed by Unity which determines whether a moving GameObject with a Rigidbody and collider component has come into contact with any other colliders. More info
See in Glossary, wheel physics, and a slip-based tire friction model. It can be used for objects other than wheels, but it is specifically designed for vehicles with wheels. More info
An Android Debug Bridge (ADB). You can use an ADBAn Android Debug Bridge (ADB). You can use an ADB to deploy an Android package (APK) manually after building. More info
See in Glossary to deploy an Android package (APK) manually after building. More info
An Android project type that is no longer supported by Google and is considered obsolete. More info
Ahead of Time (AOT) compilation is an iOSApple’s mobile operating system. More info
See in Glossary optimization method for optimizing the size of the built iOS player More info
The Android Package format output by Unity. An APK is automatically deployed to your device when you select File > Build & Run. More info
Augmented Reality (AR) uses computer graphics or video composited on top of a live video feed to augment the view and create interaction with real and virtual objects.
Includes platforms that require confidentiality and legal agreements with the platform provider for using their developer tools and hardware. Note that these platforms are not open to development prior to an established relationship with the operator. For example, PlayStation, Game Core for Xbox, Nintendo, and so on.
The toolchain that Unity uses to convert from C and C++ to WebAssembly. More info
An Android build system that automates several build processes. This automation means that many common build errors are less likely to occur. More info
Apple’s mobile operating system. More info
An Android system that lets you store cryptographic key entries for enhanced device security. More info
On-demand resources (ODR) is a feature available for the iOSApple’s mobile operating system. More info
See in Glossary and tvOS platforms, from version 9.0 of iOS and tvOS onwards. It allows you to reduce the size of your application by separating the core assets (those that are needed from application startup) from assets which may be optional, or which appear in later levels of your game. More info
An API that enables you to take photos from a HoloLens web cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary and store them in memory or on disk. More info
A CPU/GPU chip set used in Playstation 4 hardware. More info
A downloadable app designed to help with Android, iOSApple’s mobile operating system. More info
See in Glossary and tvOS development. The app connects with Unity while you are running your project in Play Mode from the Unity Editor. More info
A system that immerses users in an artificial 3D world of realistic images and sounds, using a headset and motion tracking. More info
A virtual realityA system that immerses users in an artificial 3D world of realistic images and sounds, using a headset and motion tracking. More info
See in Glossary diagnostic tool by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4. More info
An umbrella term encompassing Virtual RealityA system that immerses users in an artificial 3D world of realistic images and sounds, using a headset and motion tracking. More info
See in Glossary (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) applications. Devices supporting these forms of interactive applications can be referred to as XRAn umbrella term encompassing Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) applications. Devices supporting these forms of interactive applications can be referred to as XR devices. More info
See in Glossary devices. More info
A way of sending events to objects in the application based on input, be it keyboard, mouse, touch, or custom input. The Event SystemA way of sending events to objects in the application based on input, be it keyboard, mouse, touch, or custom input. The Event System consists of a few components that work together to send events. More info
See in Glossary consists of a few components that work together to send events. More info
A Unity-developed scripting back-end which you can use as an alternative to Mono when building projects for some platforms. More info
The Mono C# compiler file format. More info
A scripting backendA framework that powers scripting in Unity. Unity supports three different scripting backends depending on target platform: Mono, .NET and IL2CPP. Universal Windows Platform, however, supports only two: .NET and IL2CPP. More info
See in Glossary used in Unity. More info
An integrated development environment (IDE) supplied with Unity 2017.3 and previous versions. From Unity 2018.1 onwards, MonoDevelopAn integrated development environment (IDE) supplied with Unity 2017.3 and previous versions. From Unity 2018.1 onwards, MonoDevelop is replaced by Visual Studio. More info
See in Glossary is replaced by Visual Studio. More info
A framework that powers scripting in Unity. Unity supports three different scripting backendsA framework that powers scripting in Unity. Unity supports three different scripting backends depending on target platform: Mono, .NET and IL2CPP. Universal Windows Platform, however, supports only two: .NET and IL2CPP. More info
See in Glossary depending on target platform: Mono, .NET and IL2CPPA Unity-developed scripting back-end which you can use as an alternative to Mono when building projects for some platforms. More info
See in Glossary. Universal Windows PlatformAn IAP feature that supports Microsoft’s In App Purchase simulator, which allows you to test IAP purchase flows on devices before publishing your application. More info
See in Glossary, however, supports only two: .NET and IL2CPP. More info
A way of allowing a user-driven callback to persist from edit time to run time without the need for additional programming and script configuration More info
A piece of code that allows you to create your own Components, trigger game events, modify Component properties over time and respond to user input in any way you like. More info
A reference word which you can assign to one or more GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary to help you identify GameObjects for scripting purposes. For example, you might define and “Edible” Tag for any item the player can eat in your game. More info
The Test Framework package (formerly called the Test Runner) is a Unity tool that tests your code in both Edit mode and Play mode, and also on target platforms such as Standalone, Android, or iOSApple’s mobile operating system. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A file format for handling textures during real-time rendering by 3D graphics hardware, such as a graphics card or mobile device. More info
An optional security layer that Unity can use when communicating between Unity and Xiaomi servers. Use it to receive server callbacks for client-side receipt validation, or to integrate with Unity server APIs. More info
A continuous integration service for Unity projects that automates the process of creating builds on Unity’s servers. More info
A Unity cloud-hosted service that provides a simple way for teams to save, share, and contribute to their Unity project. More info
A Unity facility that provides a growing range of complimentary services to help you make games and engage, retain and monetize audiences. More info
See Cloud BuildA continuous integration service for Unity projects that automates the process of creating builds on Unity’s servers. More info
See in Glossary
A suite of cloud-enabled tools that help you collect and identify issues that users encounter with your apps. More info
The area that contains all UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary elements in a sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. The Canvas area is shown as a rectangle in the Scene ViewAn interactive view into the world you are creating. You use the Scene View to select and position scenery, characters, cameras, lights, and all other types of Game Object. More info
See in Glossary. More info
A group of UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary elements within a Canvas. Use a Canvas GroupA group of UI elements within a Canvas. Use a Canvas Group to control a group of UI elements collectively without needing to handle them each individually. More info
See in Glossary to control a group of UI elements collectively without needing to handle them each individually. More info
Renders a graphical UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary object contained within a Canvas. More info
Controls the overall scale and pixelThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary density of all UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary elements in the Canvas, including font sizes and image borders. More info
An Image control displays a non-interactive image to the user, such as a decoration and icon. You can change the image from a script to reflect changes in other controls. More info
A UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary component property that determines whether the component can accept input. More info
A visual componentA component that enables you to easily create GUI-specific functionality. More info
See in Glossary that lets you restrict images from view to only a small section of an image. For instance, you can apply a Mask to a Panel UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary element to block all child images from view. More info
A Visual UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary Component that displays a non-interactive image to the user. This can be used for decoration, icons, and so on, and the image can also be changed from a script to reflect changes in other controls. More info
A UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary Control which displays a large set of Controls in a viewable area that you can see by using a scrollbar. More info
A UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary component that adds a simple outline effect to graphic components such as Text or Image. It must be on the same GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary as the graphic component. More info
A non-interactive piece of text to the user. This can be used to provide captions or labels for other GUI controls or to display instructions or other text. More info
A TextField controlA TextField control displays a non-interactive piece of text to the user, such as a caption, label for other GUI controls, or instruction. More info
See in Glossary displays a non-interactive piece of text to the user, such as a caption, label for other GUI controls, or instruction. More info
A field that allows the user to input a Text string More info
A checkbox that allows the user to switch an option on or off. More info
A row of buttons and basic controls at the top of the Unity Editor that allows you to interact with the Editor in various ways (e.g. scaling, translation). More info
(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary systems. More info
A component that enables you to easily create GUI-specific functionality. More info