Whether you’re exploring the architectural design of your new house, sneaking through a haunted castle in a stealth game, or immersing yourself in the world of a cinematic animation, good lighting takes a real-time experience to the next level. From the basics of illuminating a space to telling evocative stories through your design: lighting will help you get there. In this mission, you will light an indoor and outdoor space in the Unity Editor and learn about the fundamental principles of lighting for Unity experiences along the way. You’ll finish by applying what you’ve learned to complete your own lighting study. By the time you complete this learning experience, you’ll be able to: Implement appropriate lighting in a scene in a manner that will simulate the real-world behavior of light Decide the appropriate lighting system in order to achieve common outcomes in a Universal Render Pipeline (URP) project Configure light sources and shadows in order to functionally light a scene Configure ambient (diffuse environmental) lighting in order to convey mood or enhance realism Generate a lightmap in order to implement baked lighting in a scene Configure Light Probes in order to increase the realism of baked lighting Configure Reflection Probes in order to achieve accurate reflections Troubleshoot common lighting errors in order to appropriately light a scene Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

Before you get caught up in developing your dream project, it’s important to start a little smaller and create a prototype. Prototyping gives you the opportunity to work out what should really be at the heart of the real-time experience you want to make and to test out different approaches to achieve that. In this mission, you’ll learn about some different approaches to prototyping and explore an example we’ve created as you work on your own prototype. This learning experience is about process rather than a set outcome; if you’re new to prototyping, we hope you’ll find something useful no matter what you want to create! By the time you complete this learning experience, you’ll be able to: Determine the appropriate prototyping approach for a specific project Decide the critical project features required in order to create a functional prototype Create a functional prototype in Unity Integrate external assets and tools into your prototype Refine a prototype environment using ProBuilder and Terrain Test a basic experience prototype Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

A user interface is what allows a user to interact – or interface – with an application. A UI often includes images, text, buttons, toggles, sliders, or dropdowns. In this mission, you will design your own title screen and functional settings menu. By the time you complete this learning experience, you will be able to: Decide on a user interface approach for a project. Create and configure visual UI components in a manner that will respond appropriately to different screen sizes and resolutions. Create and configure interactive UI components such as buttons, toggles, and sliders, in order to implement simple UI functionality. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

Audio is one of the most overlooked aspects of interactive development, but it’s also one of the first things that can disrupt a user’s immersion if it’s done poorly — or worse, completely forgotten about. In this mission, you will learn how to implement audio effects in Unity by creating a soundscape for an outdoor scene. You’ll create ambient audio effects, trigger sounds with events, and modify sounds with special effects. By the end of this mission, you’ll be able to: Implement audio in Unity Produce customized results by correctly configuring audio in a scene Create interactive experiences by synthesizing audio experience design principles Refine existing audio in a Unity project Solve accessibility challenges in an audio design Already know this material? You can “test out” of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

Post-processing is just like applying filters to a photo you take with your phone. This can make your scene look more beautiful and interesting. In this mission, you will use post-processing to achieve a particular look and feel in a scene. By the time you complete this learning experience, you will be able to: Evaluate whether post-processing is an appropriate tool for a given goal. Implement a particular visual style in a project by configuring a post-processing profile. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

Cameras are your eyes into an interactive experience. They can be fully dynamic, fixed, or tied to a character. In this mission, you’ll explore the different camera types common to interactive experiences. You’ll also learn some basic camera shot terminology and practice recreating iconic scenes from popular media. By the end of this mission, you’ll be able to: Decide which Camera setup to use, given a project’s requirements Configure a single Unity Camera in a 2D or 3D scene Already know this material? You can “test out” of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

VFX are simulated motion effects added to enhance a scene, ranging from a subtle splash of water to a massive fiery explosion. In this mission, you will learn to create your own visual effects, including fire, weather effects, and a puff of smoke. By the time you complete this learning experience, you will be able to: Decide whether to use Unity's Particle Systems or VFX Graph in order to produce an effect in your scene. Produce environmental and burst effects by configuring Unity's Particle System object. Interpret a simple VFX graph. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

The world around you is in constant motion. The same is true for digital worlds. A static environment tends to appear unfinished, or cold and unfeeling; animation is all about creating the illusion of life. In this mission, you will learn how to create animations in the Unity editor and how to configure animations imported from an external program. You’ll apply these concepts to add animation to objects and characters in your scenes, and even control when the animation gets played. By the end of this mission, you’ll be able to: Describe the relationship between different animation components Create simple keyframed 3D animation sequences Describe key components of an animator controller Configure Animation Clips imported from digital content creation (DCC) software or the Asset Store for use in a project Configure a humanoid rig for use with the Humanoid Animation system Already know this material? You can “test out” of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

Shaders and materials let you define how your 3D objects look: their colors, reflectivity, and physical texture. With shaders and materials, you can bring realism into your projects or express your own artistic style. In this mission, you will explore concepts of light and reflection, including common terms that many 3D artists use every day. You’ll apply these concepts to create your own materials and shaders that simulate real-world objects — and even some other-worldly objects. You’ll complete this mission by creating a still life composition in which you can demonstrate a variety of shaders and materials. By the time you complete this learning experience, you will be able to: Explain how surfaces in Unity are defined and rendered. Select a type of shader for your own project. Create materials for a common shader, using a wide variety of properties. Create your own simple shader using Shader Graph. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

This mission is your first step on the Creative Core pathway. Start here to learn about the topics covered, the activities required, and the skills you will gain along the way. In this mission, you will: Learn about the topics covered in Creative Core. Select a guided project in which to apply your new skills. Create a new project in Unity, and make some technical decisions about that project. Learn how to use other people’s works in your projects responsibly. Tour Unity’s technical documentation as another resource for your learning. Conduct critical evaluation in decision making for creative projects. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

In this mission, you’ll refactor the inventory project you completed in the previous mission using the pillars of object-oriented programming as a guide. You’ll deep dive into the inner workings of each pillar individually, so you can better understand its value in developing applications. Next, you’ll learn how to profile your code to identify any optimization bottlenecks that would slow down the final build of your application. To close out this mission, you’ll develop a small application for your portfolio that uses fully optimized code built on OOP principles. When you complete this mission you will complete the Junior Programmer pathway - CONGRATULATIONS! Key details This is the final mission in your current pathway! This mission will take you approximately 5 hours to complete. Take it at your own pace — you’ll receive XP each step of the way. Remember, you’re not alone: connect with the Unity community throughout the mission and check the Learn Live calendar for follow-along practical sessions with Unity established creators. When you’ve finished the mission, you’ll get the mission badge for your profile and portfolio. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

In this Junior Programmer mission, you’ll learn about data persistence, or how to manage the loading and unloading of data between both scenes and sessions. Along the way, you will be introduced to the core pillars of object-oriented programming, which will help you structure your code throughout the mission. There will only be one practical example throughout the mission, which will build on the new functionality you create with each tutorial. At the end of this mission, you’ll take everything you learned and apply it to a new project by building a persistent score system for a small game. Key details You’re now over halfway through the Junior Programmer learning pathway! This mission will take you approximately 5 hours to complete. Take it at your own pace — you’ll receive XP each step of the way. Remember, you’re not alone: connect with the Unity community throughout the mission and check the Learn Live calendar for follow-along practical sessions with Unity established creators. When you’ve finished the mission, you’ll get the mission badge for your profile and portfolio. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

In this Junior Programmer mission, you’ll expand on your foundational learning and create basic custom interactions with Unity. As you complete four practical projects, you’ll explore a range of concepts that support basic functionality, including loops, data types, references, script communication and UI. To complete the mission, you’ll create a simple prototype application for your portfolio. By the end of this mission you will have acquired all the skills needed to take the Unity Certified User: Programmer certification exam. Key details This mission will take you approximately 25 hours to complete. Take it at your own pace — you’ll receive XP each step of the way. Remember, you’re not alone: connect with the Unity community throughout the mission and check the Learn Live calendar for follow-along practical sessions with Unity established creators. When you’ve finished the mission, you’ll get the mission badge for your profile and portfolio. Consider becoming a Unity Certified User: Programmer Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: THIS PATHWAY WILL BE DEPRECATED ON NOVEMBER 1, 2024. AN UPDATED VERSION OF UNITY ESSENTIALS CAN BE FOUND HERE. In this mission, you will start to identify and plan for your personal learning journey, whatever it may be, by creating a learning action plan and identifying your first next Unity learning pathway. This Mission is part of the Unity Essentials Pathway. If you haven’t completed previous Missions, select Pathways in the Unity Learn navigation menu, and then select Unity Essentials Pathway for the complete learning experience. By the end of the mission, you’ll have the context to understand how Unity fits in with the broader creative industry of real-time development and be ready to continue your learning journey. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

This Mission is an exploration of the roles and career paths of a Unity creator. You’ll learn how Unity is used (it’s more than just games!), who creates with it, and what roles those creators take. You will sample the tasks that are essential to Unity creators in several key roles. This Mission is part of the Unity Essentials Pathway. If you haven’t completed previous Missions, select Pathways in the Unity Learn navigation menu, and then select Unity Essentials Pathway for the complete learning experience. In this Mission, you’ll: Learn what Unity is and how it’s used. Explore the different roles available for hobbyists and professionals who create with Unity in different industries. Create simple 2D and 3D real-time experiences from scratch to develop your understanding of the Unity Editor and the roles of Unity creators. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

This first mission in the Junior Programmer pathway will provide you with the core foundation needed to create a wide range of digital experiences in Unity. You’ll learn about fundamental programming concepts such as variables, functions and basic logic through two practical projects. You’ll also modify a script to customize a simple Unity experience: the beginning of your personal portfolio. Key details This mission will take you approximately 14 hours to complete. Take it at your own pace — you’ll receive XP each step of the way. Connect with the Unity community as you learn and check the Live calendar for follow-along practical sessions with Unity established creators. When you’ve finished the mission, you’ll get the mission badge for your profile and portfolio. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: THIS PATHWAY WILL BE DEPRECATED ON NOVEMBER 1, 2024. AN UPDATED VERSION OF UNITY ESSENTIALS CAN BE FOUND HERE. This Mission will guide you from first install to creating your first Unity projects to play and share with others. Whether you've never downloaded Unity before, or you've begun tinkering but aren't sure where to start your learning, you're in the right place. This Mission is the beginning of the Unity Essentials Pathway. In this Mission, you’ll: Install the Unity Hub and Editor. Identify and use essential features of the Unity Editor. Navigate in 3D space in the Scene view. Create and manage projects in the Unity Hub. Identify the key elements of the Unity Learning Ecosystem, and their purpose. Earn your first badge. By the end of this Mission, you will have the skills you need to begin using the Unity Editor, the resources of Unity’s Learning Ecosystem, and the Unity Hub. These skills are essential for all Unity creators. Already know this material? You can "test out" of this mission by completing the mission assessments. Scroll down and select Skip to mission checkpoint.