Installing and project setup

In plain English

A GameObject is a container in the scene that holds components, which are the scripts, colliders and renderers that give it behaviour. Unity Hub is the launcher that installs and manages editor versions, and a long-term support version is the safest choice for a beginner. The 2D and 3D templates configure the editor and packages for the kind of game you are building. The project lives in folders such as Assets, where every file you make lives, and ProjectSettings, where the project is configured. Scenes are saved as files, so give each scene a clear name and save it often.

Step by step

1. 1Install Unity Hub and sign in with your Unity account.
2. 2Install a recent long-term support editor version.
3. 3Create a new project and pick the 3D or 2D template.
4. 4Look at the Assets, Packages and ProjectSettings folders in the Project window.
5. 5Save the default scene under a clear name.

using UnityEngine;

public class FirstScript : MonoBehaviour
{
    private void Start()
    {
        Debug.Log("The scene is ready");
    }
}

Common mistakes

• Downloading the newest non-LTS editor for a learning project invites bugs; choose a long-term support version instead.
• Creating a 2D game with the 3D template leaves unused packages and a mismatched workflow.
• Saving every scene as SampleScene makes it hard to know which file is which.
• Storing files outside the Assets folder means Unity will not import them into the build.