Programming Overview

This article describes ways of creating projects in Unigine.

The main purpose of the article is to provide insight into setting up the development environment and give the overview of programming. It contains links to other articles that help you to prepare the development environment, choose the language to programming and so on.

To create your own project with Unigine, you can use the following programming languages:

• UnigineScript.
• C++, by using C++ API.
• C#, by using C# API.

UnigineScript can be easily extended through the Unigine API. The Unigine engine enables exporting the C++ and C# code and vice versa. You can write some functionality by using the C++ or C# language, and export it to the UnigineScript. See usage examples articles of C++ API and C# API to know more.

Unigine supports the following platforms:

• Windows (XP / Vista / 7 / 8+)
• Linux (kernel 2.6+)

Both 32- and 64-bit systems are supported. The engine fully and efficiently uses multi-core CPU architecture.

With Unigine you can build applications for these platforms with a single codebase.

Read more about the Hardware Requirements.

You can use any of these PC platforms to write your Unigine-powered project:

• Windows
• Linux

In addition to UNIGINE SDK, each platform requires specific software that you need to install in order to start coding. You can find requirements for each platform here:

• For Windows development
• For Linux development

Unigine has three main concepts of logic:

• System logic - the logic of the application. You can implement your logic that will be performed during application life cycle. Your custom logic can be put in the system script file (by using UnigineScript API only), or you can inherit SystemLogic class and implement your logic (C++ and C# APIs).
  

  UnigineScript unigine.cpp system script file is created automatically in the your project's folder. When you create a new C++ / C# project, it has already inherited system logic class with implemented methods to put your logic code inside.

• World logic - the logic of the world - here you should put the logic of the virtual scene. The logic takes effect when the world is loaded. You can put your logic inside the world script file (by using UnigineScript API only), or you can inherit WorldLogic class and implement your logic (C++ and C# APIs).
  

  The world script *.cpp file is automatically created with the new world and has the name of your project. When you create a new C++ / C# project, it has already inherited world logic class with implemented methods to put your logic code inside.

• Editor logic - the logic of the editor. The logic takes effect only when the editor is loaded. You can put your logic inside the editor script file (by using UnigineScript API only), or you can inherit EditorLogic class and implement your logic (C++ and C# APIs).
  

  When you create a new C++ / C# project, it has already inherited editor logic class with implemented methods to put your logic code inside.

Read this article to know where to put your logic code.

Also, read the Execution Sequence and Logic System articles to know the detailed workflow of the Unigine engine.

There are three sections with usage example samples:

• UnigineScript Sample
• C++ Sample
• C# Sample

The programming code is the same for all supported platforms, the difference is in compiling.

For all of these samples we create new projects by using Project Generator. Project Generator creates a new world with the World Light source and the plane mesh.