Designing a Unity Platformer Level: Scenario Development

Welcome to our detailed guide on crafting engaging platformer game levels using Scenario and Unity.

 By the end of this guide, you'll have a unique platformer level, bringing together the artistic flair of Scenario and the versatile capabilities of Unity. This is your first step towards turning game design dreams into reality.

1. Installing the Scenario Plugin for Unity

To kickstart your development process, integrating the Scenario plugin into Unity is essential. This plugin bridges the gap between AI-powered asset creation and game development, streamlining your workflow significantly.

• Open Unity's Package Manager.

• Click the "+" sign to add a new package.

• Select "Add package from Git URL".

• Paste the URL: https://github.com/scenario-labs/Scenario-Unity.git?path=/package

• Click "Add" to install the plugin.

2. Adding your API key

• First let's access the Scenario menu in Unity in Window>Scenario>Scenario Settings, to use Scenario in Unity we need to add a key from your platform workspace.

  

• Open your browser and go to app.scenario.com and when you enter the homepage click on your profile in the top right corner and select Workspace Settings. Go to API Keys and create a new key for your Workspace. If you need more help follow our guide here:

  
  Creating an API Key

• Copy the data and paste it into the API Key and Secret Key fields in the Scenario settings window opened in Unity.

3. Generating the Level

Scenario's AI capabilities can generate detailed environments for your game. Here's how to create a cyberpunk cityscape for your platformer level:

• Navigate to Window > Scenario > Prompt Window in Unity.

• Choose the "Illustrated Platformer Environments" model.

• Enter the prompt: A platformer level, a factory, at night

• Set the resolution between 1024x512 and 1024x674.

• Generate the image and download it as a texture.

4. Expanding the Image

To ensure the gameplay area is immersive and visually appealing, expanding the generated image is necessary:

• Use an image editor to adjust the image, focusing on extending the right border. The maximum image height resolution should be 1024px.

• In Unity, access the "Inpainting" tab within the Scenario Prompt Window, uploading your adjusted image for reference.

• Apply the "Outpainting" tool to expand the image correctly.

• Generate the new image using the same prompt and settings. You can change the prompt to better describe the image you are trying to create.

• Integrate the expanded sections using Photoshop or a similar tool, ensuring a seamless extension of the original area.

• Repeat this process for each section of the image to avoid visible edges.

  
  

• When the process is finished, save the image, go to app.scenario.com and go to the Upscale tool. Select the expanded image and click to upscale.

   

5. Converting Images to Materials with Materialize

Materialize software transforms images into detailed game materials. After downloading Materialize:

• Load your expanded level image as a Diffuse Map.

• Generate the Height Map, adjusting the Final Contrast as necessary to maintain detail without overexposing.

• Create the Normal Map and other maps, customizing settings to fit your level's aesthetic.

• Save the maps in JPG format, ready for Unity.

6. Crafting the Asset for Your Level

Creating a visually appealing and interactive platformer level involves turning your generated and expanded images into a usable game asset within Unity. Here’s a more detailed approach:

• Creating a 3D Object: Begin by creating a 3D "Plane" object in Unity, which will serve as the foundation for your level's visual layer. The dimensions of this Plane should match the proportions of your expanded image to ensure that the texture fits perfectly without stretching or distortion.

• Adjusting the Scale: It's essential to adjust the scale of your Plane and texture to match the game world's scale. This adjustment ensures that the character moves across the level at an appropriate speed and that jumps and other movements look realistic. Use a reference object or character to gauge the correct scale.

• Applying the Texture: Drag and drop your expanded image onto the Plane to apply it as a texture. This step transforms your image into a part of the game environment that players can see and interact with.

• Enhancing with Materialize Maps: The maps generated by Materialize (like Normal Maps, Height Maps, etc.) add depth and realism to your texture. In Unity's Material Inspector, assign these maps to the corresponding slots of the Plane's material. This step will give your level texture, shadows, and highlights, enhancing the overall visual fidelity.

• Adding Lighting: Place a Directional Light in the scene to simulate sunlight or other primary light sources. This global lighting will affect how your materials and textures appear in the game, highlighting the depth and detail added by the Materialize maps. Adjust the light's direction, intensity, and color to match the atmosphere and time of day in your level.

• Final Adjustments: Review the material settings for your Plane, adjusting parameters like metallic, smoothness, and the maps' influence to get the desired visual effect. These adjustments can dramatically change the look of your level, from a shiny, rainy street to a dusty, sunlit path.

7. Adding Colliders for Platform Interaction

To create a more immersive and interactive platformer level, adding colliders is crucial. Colliders will define the physical boundaries within your game, determining where characters can stand, move, and interact with the environment. Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Creating a Collider: Start by adding a 3D Cube object in Unity, which will serve as the base for your collider. Remove any unnecessary components from this cube, keeping it as lightweight as possible.

• Adjusting Collider Size: Modify the collider's size to match the specific dimensions of the platforms in your level.

• Applying Colliders to Platforms: Once the collider's size is set, duplicate this collider for each platform within your level. It's important to precisely position these colliders so they align perfectly with your platforms, ensuring consistent gameplay.

• Customizing Collider Properties: For platforms that you want to be pass-through (allowing characters to jump up through them), add the "Platform Effector 2D" component and adjust its settings. This component gives you control over how the character interacts with the platform, such as allowing them to jump through from below but stand on top.

8. Enhancing the Scene with Lights and Effects

Lighting and special effects can dramatically transform the atmosphere and visual appeal of your game level. Here's how to enhance your scene:

• Adding Point Lights: Distribute Point Lights strategically throughout your scene to highlight areas of interest, create depth, and enhance the overall visual impact. Point Lights can simulate sources like streetlamps in a cyberpunk city or glowing crystals in a cave, adding to the thematic feel of your level.

• Adjusting Light Settings: Unity allows you to fine-tune the intensity, color, and range of your lights. Experiment with these settings to match the aesthetic of your game. Remember that more lights and higher quality settings can impact performance, so find a balance that works for your project.

  

• Implementing Fog and Other Effects: Unity's fog can add a layer of mystery or depth to your level, creating a sense of distance and immersion. Adjust the fog's color and density to fit your level's theme. Additionally, consider using particle systems for effects like rain, smoke, or floating dust to add dynamism and life to your scene.

• Optimizing Performance: While adding lights and effects, keep an eye on the game's performance. Unity's lighting system can be resource-intensive, especially in complex scenes with many dynamic lights. Use baked lighting where possible, and limit the use of real-time shadows to essential elements to maintain a smooth gameplay experience.

9. Introducing Items and Enemies

Populate your level with items and adversaries, creating a challenging and engaging player experience. Stay tuned for further guides on developing characters, items, and enemies.

10. Adding Parallax Effect

Incorporating a Parallax Effect can significantly enhance the depth and immersion of your platformer level. Here's a step-by-step guide to achieve this:

• Remove the Background: Begin by isolating the foreground from your main scene. This separation is crucial for individually manipulating the different layers of your scene to achieve the parallax effect.

• Generate a New Background: Use an image generation tool with an img2img feature to create a new background that matches your level's theme and color scheme. Reference images can guide the generation process, ensuring thematic consistency and color harmony with your foreground.

• Create Foreground Detail: Identify or generate a distinct element that will reside in the foreground. This element should be more detailed and will move faster than the background to enhance the depth perception as the player moves through the level.

• Materialize Process for New Images: Repeat the material generation process in Materialize for your newly created background and foreground images. This will produce the necessary maps (Normal, Height, etc.) to add texture and depth to these elements.

• Add Images to Planes: Similar to how you applied the expanded level image to a Plane, add your new background and foreground images to separate Planes in Unity. This setup allows for individual movement and layering, which is essential for the parallax effect.

• Adjust Depth and Test: Finally, adjust the depth of each layer—foreground, main level, and background—by setting their relative speeds. Elements closer to the camera (foreground) should move faster than those in the background to simulate depth. Test your level to fine-tune the movement speeds and ensure a smooth, immersive parallax effect.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've embarked on a thrilling game development journey, blending artistic creativity with technical skill. Continue exploring, experimenting, and learning as you refine your craft and bring your unique game visions to life.

This enhanced tutorial incorporates validated procedures and introduces improved practices for using Scenario and Unity in game development. Scenario's platform offers vast possibilities for AI-generated game assets, providing a versatile tool for creating unique game environments and characters.