GETTING STARTED WITH UNITY

A step-by-step course

To Take your from Zero to High Levels of Proficiency in Unity

* Book your place Now before the Price goes up on 19th November *

[Enrollment extended to Sunday 22nd November]

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Hi, and thank you for reading. I’m Pat, an experienced instructor who has been teaching game development for several years. I successfully teach students from many backgrounds and abilities, how to get better at and comfortable with Unity regardless of their previous experience with programming.

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A Few Questions for You:

• Do you want to understand the fundamental concepts needed to create games?
• Do you feel lost when trying to get started with Unity or create your first game?
• Are you frustrated by the many tutorials that only explain the surface of game development with Unity, without allowing you to understand the concepts that you need in order to make games?

If you are, then I’m delighted to tell you that my in-depth course on creating games with  Unity is now open.

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Creating your First Game Can Sound Intimidating….

Creating your own game can be very intimidating at the start, and quite often, regardless of your experience with games, it is sometimes difficult to find the time and motivation to get over the first barriers and get started (e.g., lack of time or coding expertise).

Often, these barriers seem higher than they actually are. You may be a teacher trying to introduce games in the classroom, but with no previous coding or game development experience; maybe you are a hobbyist who would love to create interactive environments based on the games that you enjoy playing; maybe you are a student getting started with game development but you just don’t know where to start or what resources to use; or maybe you have tried online video tutorials but found them disjointed. You may be wondering: “How can I start to create my games if I have no experience of coding“, or “this game engine is so complex that I just don’t know where to get started“.

This is quite common, and you can easily overcome these issues with a step-by-step approach that gets you to progressively develop and use your skills. This is the approach that I have used successfully over the past years to take students from a wide range of backgrounds from no knowledge of coding or game development to good levels of proficiency in Unity.

Of course, it takes some time and dedication; however, by following the techniques and suggestions described in this course, and spending at least 30 minutes per day on this course, I can promise you that you will progress, regardless of your background, become more comfortable with Unity, and code your first game.

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How this Course Can Help You

This course is tailored to provide the information that you need in the format that suits you best. It is designed so that your progressively increase your confidence and proficiency. Often, students who initially join my course have no programming background and do not feel confident as they perceive Unity as a rather complex “beast” that’s difficult to understand. They usually don’t know where to start. Many of them, before joining my course, would have started watching video tutorials on Youtube, but often found them disjointed. Some think that they need a lot of time to be able to create their own games. Others feel that they need an extra bit of help, now and then, and to be able to talk to someone they can bounce ideas off, to check that they are on the right track or ask question as they feel  stuck. As soon as they start the course, all these fears and barriers disappear and they start to become more confident, they get to understand and get comfortable with Unity; they see the bigger picture and start to combine their skills to create (e.g., code) their first games.

This is possible because the course “Getting Started with Unity” has been designed so that you progressively gain new skills and knowledge, with the support that you need when you need it.

The course is delivered online and students can go through it in their own time. It includes  a combination of prerecorded video lectures, Q&A sessions, homework, as well as written material, so that you can learn in your own time using a medium that suits you.

This tried-and-tested course includes a combination of activities and content that is designed to  ensure that you become successful, including:

• PowerPoint presentations to introduce concepts: for each lesson, you are provided with an overview of what will be covered during the module, so that you get an idea of the skills you will acquire.
• Videos delivered in small chunks (5-6 minutes) so that you complete small tasks in your own time: we are all busy, and sometimes it just ain’t easy to find the time to dedicate to a course; however, by knowing how much time the lesson will take, you can easily manage to fit these lessons into your hectic schedule.
  
• Badges  to win for each activities so that you keep your motivation levels high: starting the course is not enough, you will also need to keep motivated. This is the reason why, throughout the course, in addition to support from both myself and your fellow students, you will also be able to win badges when you complete activities so that your efforts are rewarded, and that you feel motivated to complete each module.
  
• Step-by-step activities with clear objectives: for all the activities and lessons, I have used a step-by-step approach so that you don’t get overwhelmed by the amount of information. All lessons introduce concepts progressively and simply. You will build your knowledge and skills incrementally, and keep your motivation high.
  
• Opportunities to engage in deeper learning and problem-solving skills through the challenges offered at the end of each section: we all need a bit of extra challenge at times, and this course is designed to not only give your skills but also to challenge you to use your creativity and combine these skills. So for each module delivered, in addition to the activities that you have to complete, you will also be given one or two challenges, that will really get you to check your knowledge and to use it creatively.
• Quizzes to test your knowledge at the end of each section (with direct feedback): at the end of each module, you can complete a quiz that covers the knowledge and skills that you have learned in a particular module. So you can get a quick snapshot of where you are at, and what you really know.
• Cheat sheets with key/important information (e.g., shortcuts, key functions, etc.) that you can save/print and keep close by: when you get started with Unity and programming, the amount of shortcuts and functions can become overwhelming. So, with this in mind, you will be given several cheat sheets for each chapter, that include a summary of the key information that you need to complete the activities, including shortcuts, checklists, common functions, and much more. You can then either print these sheets or keep them as pdf and use them as you complete the activities and exercises.
• Complete projects solutions that you can download before or after completing a section: for each module, a completed project is available for download, so that you can compare your work with the solutions or just skip a section, but without having to start from scratch. So this gives you flexibility as to the module you choose to complete; and it also gives you a safety net, so that regardless of what you have complete for your activities, you can use the completed project and look at the code also.
• Complete scripts solutions that you can download before or after completing a section: at any stage during the course, you can download the code solution, if you feel stuck, or to check how an activity could be completed.
• An overview of the most common coding mistakes and errors and how to avoid them to spend more time coding and less time debugging: coding your first scripts can be a bit scary and frustrating at times, sometimes it’s because we don’t understand what the system is trying to tell us (e.g., error message), or how to ensure that our code includes very few mistakes in the first place. Throughout the course, I will go through the main coding mistakes, the mistakes that I have seen the most frequently as an instructor so that you don’t have to make these same mistakes again. I will explain the key best practices, in simple terms, and get you to write code that is increasingly bug-free, to avoid the “hair pulling” or “hand banging” :-), and so that you start to really enjoy coding, knowing how to.
• Access to a forum where you can share you experience and questions with other students: at any stage during the course you can post your questions to a forum and chat with your fellow students.
• Weekly Q&A sessions where you questions are answered and the solution demonstrated: if you feel stuck with a particular aspect of the course, you can email me directly with your question that I will answer either directly via email or by demonstrating the solution in a Q&A video that you can watch in your own time.

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Course Content and Schedule

 So as you can see, everything in this course is designed to maximize your success and learning curve. This being said, it may not be for everyone, as it does require some work. But if you do the work regularly and follow the steps, you will be successful.

The course includes the equivalent of more than 6 hours of content, and it is delivered over 4 weeks; so it requires about 30 minutes per day, on average, to go through the material and complete the exercises. While the course is scheduled for 4 weeks, you can also go through it at your own pace, and take longer if need be, as you can access the material during and after the 4 weeks (lifetime access). It includes:

So, as you see, there are plenty activities and support in this course to ensure that you progress, that you don’t get stuck, and that you succeed in creating interactive games with Unity.

As to the content of the course: you will be learning a lot; and after completing this course, you will be able to:

• Master and use Unity’s interface.
• Create, combine and visualize 3D objects.
• Apply colors and textures to objects.
• Include and configure lights and cameras.
• Create a simple game based on navigation and exploration, collecting objects, and avoiding Non-Player Characters.
• Create and structure scripts using  variables, functions, or conditional statements.
• Create a simple indoor scene from 3D shapes and imported objects.
• Create outdoors environments.
• Code in JavaScript.
• Understand and apply good programming practices.
• Understand (and avoid) common errors.
• Create your own functions.
• Create and update a user interface based on scripting.
• Manage interaction between the player and objects in the game (e.g., collision).
• Add and trigger sound effects in the game.
• Manage keyboard inputs.
• Create and update a scoring system.
• Understand how you can exchange information between scenes and make some objects persistent.
• Export the game to a web page so that it can be played through a browser.
• Create Intelligent NPCs.
• Understand how to create 2D platform Games.

Week1: Introductory Module

• I will Introduce the course.
• I will explain the course’s objectives.
• I will give you tips so that you get the most of the course.
• You will go through a checklist so that you have all you need to get started with the course.

The objectives of this module are to get you started with the course, providing information on its content, structure, and what you will need to complete the course.

Week 1 (Module1): Becoming Familiar with the Interface

For this module, you will start to delve into Unity and to get used to the core functionalities on the interface.

• You will become familiar with the interface.
• You will create and transform objects.
• You will create a simple 3D environment and navigate through it  using both First- and Third-person Views.
• You will manage objects (e.g., group, or search) and apply colors and textures.
• You will export your game for the web.
• You will manage and duplicate scenes.

Week 2 (Module 2): Creating Indoors and Outdoors Environments

For this module you will delve more into Unity and get to create indoors and outdoors environments.

• You will combine boxes to create a maze from an outline and adjust light settings.
• You will create a terrain from an outline.
• You will apply textures to this terrain Add water, hills, and a lake will show you a few tricks that will speed-up the creation process.
• You will add and control a built-in car and a plane.
• You will manipulate cameras to see the scene from different views.

Week 3 (Module 3): Getting Started with Scripting

In this module, I will get you started with scripting and you will start coding your very first scripts.

• You will understand and apply some fundamental scripting concepts.
• I will show you best coding practices for Unity Script.
• You will code your first script in Unity.
• You will get to code variables and functions.
• I will show you how to create and display a simple timer and scoring system.
• You will learn how to load levels based on score and objects collected.
• You will get to use common programming structures (e.g., conditional statements).
• You will write code that makes it possible to collect objects and to update the score accordingly.
• You will learn how to create, apply, and check for the name of labels.

Week 4 (Module 4): More Scripting

In this module, we will carry-on with scripting and  more intermediate scripts.

• You will create and display a timer.
• You will learn how to reload the current level when time is up.
• I will show you how to create a user interface with text, buttons, and images.
• I will show you how to create a menu system for your game and how to navigate through the different screens.
• You will learn to display messages to the the user when players have collected items.
• You will optimize your code with tailored functions.
• You will learn how to activate/deactivate objects from scripts.
• You will learn how to add audio sounds and effects to your game.

Week 4 (Module 5): Intermediate Scripting

In this module, we will apply more intermediate scripting.

• You will add NPCs and apply basic to intermediate Artificial Intelligence (e.g., moving NPCs or static canons following the player).
• You will create weapons for the player using Raycasting (e.g., gun) and explosions.
• You will manage ammunition for the player.
• I will show you how to apply damage to the NPCs
• I will show you how to manage the health and the number of lives for the player.

Module 6 (Bonus Content): Creating a 2D Platform Game

In this bonus module, you will learn how to create a simple 2D platform games from scratch.

• You will create the scene for the 2d game and include sprites and characters.
• You will discover and use built-in assets to create your game.
• You will create the logic of the game using built-in objects.
• You will code scripts that will improve the game-play.

Module 7 (Bonus Content): Creating your Audio and 3D Assets

In this bonus module, you will learn how to create some of the assets that you would like for your own game.

• You will get to create your own assets using a step-by-step approach.
• You will create your assets using simple and free software.
• I will show you some of the software that can be used to create, very simply,  audio effects for your game.
• I will show you how to use Sketchup to create simple 3D objects and environments that you can import and use in your games.

The Resource Center

Resource #1: Unlimited Consulting with Pat

• When you sign up you will have direct access to me.
• During these 4 weeks (and after) you will have direct email access to ask any questions you want about the modules in this course.
• Need a personalized tip on Unity? Ask me.
• Need help fine-tuning your game? Ask me.
• Need a hand wit a bit if of code? Ask me.
• I’ll personally help you.
• As a “Getting started with Unity” student, you’ll have direct unfettered access to me.

Resource #2: 5-Minute Strategy Session with Pat (via Skype)

Within the first week of purchasing the course, we’ll set up a 5-minute strategy call. This is your lifeline. I’ll help you get acclimated, answer any questions you have and make sure you are set up to get started with Unity.
These calls will be conducted via Skype.

Resource #3: Weekly Q&A Sessions

Any all stages during the course you will need to make sure that you are not stuck. So every week, I will be giving a 30 minutes Q&A session where I will demonstrate or further explain some of the concepts that you may find challenging.

I am designing this course to have as many interaction points with me as possible.

You can email me with any question you and have them answered by me. I’ll show you how you can perform some of the features you would like to achieve and help you getting proficient with Unity.

Resource #4: Bonus Modules to Challenge You

As part of this course, you will go through each of the five modules on Unity. However, for those of you who would like extra challenge, you will be able to learn intermediate to advanced skills on assets creation, 2D games, or Artificial Intelligence.

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So, Where Will you be in 4 weeks

If you are anything like the previous students on this course, who mostly started with no game programming background, I can guarantee that you will be successful in creating your own games with Unity. Take the example of Miriam: Miriam is a secondary school teacher and she wanted to learn how to use Unity to bring more interactivity into her classroom and get her students to create 3D environments. Miriam had no experience in Unity before,but after 4 weeks, she really could see the change. She went from no knowledge of Unity to good levels of proficiency. Like many other students, Miriam followed the step-by-step instructions, worked regularly on the required activities, and managed to become more comfortable with Unity. She now plans on using in her classroom next year. But before she could feel confident enough and successful in using Unity, she just took the one step that made a significance different, she joined the course.

So what about you?

Would you like to feel comfortable with Unity?

Would you like to start creating your own games?

Would you like to feel comfortable coding?

Would you like to feel proficient in creating highly-interactive video games ?

If you do, then, this course will help you to achieve your goals and it is designed for you.

The course is starting on Monday 23rd November and registration is only open for THREE DAYS ONLY, from Wednesday 18th November until Friday 20th November.

After the registration is closed you won’t be able to enroll on this course for a long time, and I’m not sure when it will reopen again.

So, don’t procrastinate, just  join the course NOW and get started with Unity!

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GETTING STARTED WITH UNITY: STARTER

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7 Modules In-depth tutorials 8-hour course content. Over 6 hours of video tutorials PPT Slides Weekly Q&A Sessions. Lifetime access Unlimited assistance by email Quizzes Cheat-sheets 5-minute strategy call