transitioning to unity with tim stutts

The Affordances and Challenges of Transitioning to Unity from a Creative

Coding Framework, such as OpenFrameworks, and Dealing with

Procedural Geometry, Aesthetics, etc.www.timstutts.com

This Talk…

• Is not an introduction to game development. Instead we’ll focus on other applications of Unity, as of some specifics that aren’t necessarily to games.

• Does not go deeply into Unity from a computer science stand-point. Some lower level things for sure, but more to the end of design.

Okay, a tiny bit on gaming

I worked archiving Cory Arcangel’s “Super Mario Clouds” at Eyebeam Gallery NYC in 2007 ;)

My Creative Coding Work Prior to Unity

I Love…

• Anything digital that’s created non-destructively. (Code, Max/MSP, MIDI) I Want to be able to tweak, plus move back in time during creation.

• Permutation and leaving the computer to generate different options for me to curate. Never enjoyed painting in the analog. Get impatient with Photoshop (strangely in love with Fireworks though. R.I.P.)

My Tools• openFrameworks (C++, OpenGL)

• Cinder (C++, OpenGL)

• Processing (Java, OpenGL)

• Three.js (JavaScript, WebGL)

My Work in openFrameworks

Unity over oF (or similar)*

• Closed source, pay to use, well maintained

• Easily exports to the many platforms

• C#, JavaScript or Boo work interchangeably

• Visual programming environment (not just code)

• Built-in physics, lighting, game objects, etc.

* = insert creative coding platform of choice from here on out

oF over Unity

• Free, open source!

• Low level graphics programming in OpenGL

• Less assuming. Maybe you don’t want to make a game. (have something that creates 60 seconds to render or millions of points inefficiently, but aesthetically pleasingly, programmed?—it doesn’t care!)

• Built-in physics, lighting, game objects, etc.

Aesthetic differences oF vs Unity

openFrameworks

• Developed largely by contemporary artists but for a variety of end uses

• Predominantly procedural and generative geometry

• Community interest in data visualization for its computational beauty and its ability to make statement

• Plays at least somewhat well with most hardware and micro-controllers thanks to vast Add-ons

openFrameworks

Unity3D

• Game is the assumed final output w/ all the popular genres present.

• 3D Geometry is largely imported from Maya or similar.

• 2D graphics are usually made in Photoshop or Similar.

• Physics, lighting, etc are easier to execute.

• Some Unity projects that don’t fit the typical mold

Unity3D

Procedural Unity Programmers

Tom Bettshttp://www.nullpointer.co.uk

Infinite Sightseeing

cubicsphere

Permutation Racer

Aaron Myers and teamhttp://fracture.io/

IBM Watson Labs

We are hiring! https://jobs3.netmedia1.com/cp/find.ibm.jobs/US/Watson_3D_Game_Developer/SWG-0650632/job/

Resources

http://blog.nobel-joergensen.com/2010/12/25/procedural-generated-mesh-in-unity/

Procedural Mesh Generation in Unity

http://wiki.unity3d.com/index.php?title=TubeRenderer

TubeRender plus other helpful procedural geometry code

great book to start out with learning C#: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/product/9781849696586-item.html?s_campaign=goo-PLATest&gclid=CI3_x6jdg74CFdBcMgod2kYAuw

Three Ways to Draw a Line (made by unknown. project included.)

Procedural Pie Wedge (made by Tim Stutts. Project included.)