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UnigineEditor
Interface Overview
Assets Workflow
Settings and Preferences
Adjusting Node Parameters
Setting Up Materials
Setting Up Properties
Landscape Tool
Using Editor Tools for Specific Tasks
FAQ
Programming
Fundamentals
Setting Up Development Environment
Usage Examples
UnigineScript
C++
C#
UUSL (Unified UNIGINE Shader Language)
File Formats
Rebuilding the Engine and Tools
GUI
Double Precision Coordinates
API
Containers
Common Functionality
Controls-Related Classes
Engine-Related Classes
Filesystem Functionality
GUI-Related Classes
Math Functionality
Node-Related Classes
Networking Functionality
Pathfinding-Related Classes
Physics-Related Classes
Plugins-Related Classes
CIGI Client Plugin
Rendering-Related Classes
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Project Workflow

The article provides key information on the workflow stages for developing a project with UNIGINE.

Downloading and Installing UNIGINE SDK

To start developing a project with UNIGINE, you will need to get UNIGINE SDK and UNIGINE SDK Browser. Together, they provide access to all capabilities of the engine.

The latest platform-specific versions of UNIGINE SDK Browser and UNIGINE SDK can be downloaded at the UNIGINE developer portal in the Downloads section.

Notice
You may download only one of them: it will be enough for further installation.
Also, you may need to install additional software to prepare the development environment.

Once UNIGINE SDK has been installed on the computer, it is possible to start creating a project.

Creating a Project

A new project is created via UNIGINE SDK Browser. At this stage, you can specify the required project settings.

The created project will have the default file structure that will be changed on the development stage.

Developing a Project

Once the project has been created, you can start developing it. It is the most important stage as it includes working with content and implementing the application logic.

Working with Content

Notice
All your project's content must be stored in the data directory.

Working with the project content is performed via UnigineEditor and includes:

  1. Placing your assets in the supported formats inside the data folder of your project or creating/importing them via the Asset Browser.
    Notice
    In the data/.runtimes directory, UNIGINE native runtime formats generated for the corresponding non-native assets (such as .fbx, .hdr, etc.) will be stored.
  2. Assembling the scene via UnigineEditor, namely: placing objects, setting up materials, properties, physics of the objects, setting up lighting, adjusting global settings (environment, global illumination and other render settings).
    Notice
    Unlike the other engines, UNIGINE provides its own material system with a rich set of built-in base materials using predefined shaders. You can adjust settings of the built-in base materials via UnigineEditor to get the desired result. You can also extend the set of available materials by adding custom ones utilizing custom shaders.

    See also the article on World Management.

Implementing Logic

UNIGINE provides the following APIs for implementing the application logic:

  • UnigineScript API for fast scripting with no code recompilation.
  • C++ API for maximum performance of the application.
  • C# API for integration with the existing C# code base.

You can use any of these APIs to implement your application: individually and combined. Each of them provides access to the engine modules and the content. For example, you can write some functionality in C++/C# and export it to UnigineScript.

If you implement your application purely in C++ or C#, rebuilding of the application or its parts is required during development to check how changes made in the code affect the result.

Notice
The scripts (both *.h and *.cpp) written in UnigineScript are stored in the data directory. The C++/C# source code is stored in the source directory of the project folder.

Tracking Changes

Tracking changes to files of the project by Version Control System is performed according to the specific rules.

See Also

Assembling a Project

Assembling the project is required when you need to build the final release version of the application. It can be done via UNIGINE SDK Browser.

Last update: 2018-06-04
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