Game Engine Usage

Tutorial 2 of 5

Game Engine Usage Tutorial

1. Introduction

1.1 Brief Explanation of the Tutorial's Goal

This tutorial aims to provide a comprehensive guide on how to use a game engine for game development. By the end of the tutorial, you will have an understanding of game engines, how to use them, and how to create simple game objects.

1.2 What the User Will Learn

The user will learn:

The basics of game engines
How to use a game engine to create game objects
How to control game objects

1.3 Prerequisites

Basic understanding of programming (preferably in C# or JavaScript, depending on the game engine)
A computer with a game engine installed (we will use Unity for this tutorial)

2. Step-by-Step Guide

2.1 Game Engines

A game engine is a software development environment designed for people to build video games. They provide functionalities such as graphics rendering, physics calculations, sound processing, etc.

2.2 Using a Game Engine

To start, open Unity and create a new project. Navigate to the Scene view. This is the workspace where you will create and manipulate game objects.

2.3 Creating Game Objects

In Unity, everything in your game is a game object. To create a game object, navigate to the Hierarchy window and click Create > 3D Object > Cube.

2.4 Controlling Game Objects

To control game objects, you need to use scripts. Scripts in Unity are written in C# or JavaScript. For this tutorial, we will use C#.

3. Code Examples

3.1 Creating a Moving Object

Create a new C# script. Navigate to Assets > Create > C# Script. Name it MoveObject and open it.

using UnityEngine;

public class MoveObject : MonoBehaviour
{
    public float speed = 10.0f;

    void Update()
    {
        float moveHorizontal = Input.GetAxis ("Horizontal");
        float moveVertical = Input.GetAxis ("Vertical");

        Vector3 movement = new Vector3 (moveHorizontal, 0.0f, moveVertical);

        GetComponent<Rigidbody>().AddForce (movement * speed);
    }
}

This script gets the input from the user (horizontal and vertical) and applies force to the game object in the corresponding direction. The speed of the object is controlled by the speed variable.

Attach this script to your cube object by selecting the cube in the Hierarchy window and dragging the script to the Inspector window.

When you play the game, you can control the cube using the arrow keys.

4. Summary

In this tutorial, we covered the basics of game engines, how to create game objects in Unity, and how to control them using scripts. We demonstrated these concepts through a practical example of creating a moving cube.

4.1 Next Steps for Learning

To further your learning, try creating different types of game objects and controlling them in various ways.

4.2 Additional Resources

5. Practice Exercises

5.1 Exercise 1: Creating a Sphere

Create a sphere object and change its color to blue.

5.2 Exercise 2: Moving the Sphere

Create a script that moves the sphere whenever the user presses the space bar.

5.3 Exercise 3: Creating and Controlling Multiple Objects

Create multiple game objects and control them individually.

Solutions and explanations can be found in the Unity Manual and API Reference linked above. Continue practicing by creating more complex objects and scripts!