Using third-party content
So far we have shown you how to use Unity and be productive creating a scene, but with pretty simple content. Inherently, Unity is not a 3D modeling or asset creation tool. Rather (as the name Unity suggests), it's a unified platform for pulling together content from a variety of sources to assemble and program a game or experience involving animation, physics, rendering effects, and so on. If you are a 3D artist you may know how to create content in other programs like Blender, 3D Studio Max, or Maya. If not, you can find a plethora of models on the web.
One terrific source is the Unity Asset Store (https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/). Many asset packs are free, especially starter ones, with possible paid upgrades if you want more. If you are looking for a few things to get your learning and experimental projects going, here are some of my free favorites:
- Nature Starter Kit 1 and 2 (https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/nature-starter-kit-1-49962)
- Wispy Skybox (https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/textures-materials/sky/wispy-skybox-21737)
- Planet Earth Free (https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/sci-fi/planet-earth-free-23399)
- Seamless Texture Pack (https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/textures-materials/seamless-texture-pack-21934)
- And of course, Cute Snowman (https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/cute-snowman-12477)
In addition to 3D models, the Asset Store contains an amazing amalgamation of development tools, add-ons, audio, and more. The Asset Store, its active community of developers, and its huge amount of content is one of the things that has made Unity so successful.
The Asset Store is available directly within the Unity Editor. To access it, choose Window | Asset Store and begin exploring.
To add assets to your project using the Asset Store for example, simply find one and select Download, then choose Import to add it to your Project Assets folder. Asset packs often come with example scenes you can open to explore how it looks and works. After that, locate its Prefab folder and simply drag any prefabs into your own scene. An example is shown here:
Furthermore, there are many sites for sharing 3D models, both free and for a fee. Some are oriented towards higher-end 3D CAD for engineers. Others cater to 3D printing enthusiasts. No matter. Just be sure to look for FBX or OBJ file formats of the model so they can be imported into Unity. Some of the more popular resource sites include:
- 3D CAD Browser: https://www.3dcadbrowser.com/
- BlenderSwap: http://www.blendswap.com/
- CG Trader: https://www.cgtrader.com/
- Free3D: https://free3d.com/
- Google Poly: https://poly.google.com/
- Microsoft Remix 3D: https://www.remix3d.com
- Sketchfab: https://sketchfab.com
- TurboSquid: http://www.turbosquid.com/
We will use Google Poly later in this chapter.