Mastering UI Development with Unity

Master Unity UI development with Unity and C# by learning design principles, how to develop UI with Unity UI (uGUI), the UI Toolkit, and IMGUI and how to accept inputs with both the Input Manager and new Input System.

Key Features

• Learn to develop game user interfaces with both technical and aesthetic considerations in this updated second edition
• Understand how to use the various UI systems provided by Unity
• Follow along with step-by-step examples creating popular user interfaces seen in multiple game genres

Book Description

A functional UI is necessary for player interaction. Along with imparting crucial information to the player, the UI is also the mechanism through which the player interacts with the game. Unity's tools give you the opportunity to create complex and attractive UIs to make your game stand out.

This book begins by describing various design considerations for developing UI for different genres and platforms. You'll learn how to layout UIs, hook up interactions, create movement through animation and particle effects, and optimize UI. It then walks through the technical details of implementing UIs with all three UI systems provided by Unity and both of the Unity input systems.

You'll learn how to create visually engaging heads-up-displays, pause menus, health bars, circular progress bars, animated menus, and more. This book not only teaches how to lay out visual elements but also how to program these features and implement them across multiple games of varying genres. While working through the examples provided, you'll learn how to develop a UI that scales to multiple screen resolutions so your game can be released on multiple platforms with minimal changes.

By the end of this book, you will be confident in developing a game UI with both technical and aesthetic considerations using all the UI elements provided by Unity's UI system.

What you will learn

• Learn design principles and patterns for developing your UI
• Discover techniques that allow your UI to scale appropriately in different resolutions
• Use automatic layouts to streamline your UI building process
• Learn the properties of the Event System and appropriately hook events to your UI elements
• Implement all of Unity's built-in uGUI components including those provided by TextMeshPro
• Add visual flare to UIs with the use of animation and particle effects
• Understand when and how to use the UI Toolkit and IMGUI UI systems

Who This Book Is For

This book is intended for game developers who have worked with Unity and are looking to improve their knowledge of the UI system. Individuals looking for in-depth explanations of specific UI elements and individuals looking for step-by-step directions explaining how to implement UI items that appear in multiple game genres will also find this book helpful. A basic understanding of Unity and C# programming is needed.

Table of Contents

1. Designing User Interfaces
2. Designing Mobile User Interfaces
3. XR, VR, and AR UI Design
4. Universal UI Design and Accessibility
5. User Interface and Input Systems in Unity
6. Canvases, Panels, and Basic Layouts
7. Automatic Layouts
8. The Event System and Programming for UI
9. The New Input System
10. The UI Button Component
11. UI Text and Text Mesh Pro - Text
12. UI Images and Effects
13. Hold more items with Masks and Scroll Views
14. Other Input Components
15. Animating UI Elements
16. Particles and Physics in the UI
17. World Space UI
18. Optimizing Unity UI
19. The new Unity UI Toolkit
20. Working with IMGU