3D Unity Assets: Great Potential for the Success of your Game

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Introduction

Unity assets, which will be discussed in this blog article are not a narrow topic to describe, but we will nevertheless try to highlight the most important aspects of their use and outline how great by skillfully selecting and working with them they allow you to build a world for your games.

It can be said that Unity has become a powerful engine of the game industry thanks to its ease of use, versatility and wide library of resources. Both independent developers and large game studios highly value the functionality of this platform. Unity 3D assets are an integral part of this framework, providing an extensive range of ready-to-use elements that can significantly increase the productivity and quality of your game development.

So this guide is not only for those who are just starting out, but also for those who want to learn how to successfully match assets that they know to special needs. Searching among a mass of options can be boring, especially when it comes to finding the right 3D resources. So let’s explore the world of Unity assets, their advantages and see how to use them successfully in projects.

Among the popular games developed in Unity with the involvement of assets, we can mention (except Subnautica) such titles as: Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Ori and the Blind Forest, Escape from Tarkov, Kerbal Space Program, Cuphead, The Forest, Firewatch, Temple Run, Inside. 

Where to find game assets (paid & free)

Unity 3D resources are, in short, ready-made assets that can be used in game development projects. They include a huge range of elements, such as 3D models, textures, animations, sounds, scripts (dedicated to physics for example) and much more.

All of them can be created in Unity, imported from other sources, or purchased from various sites. The first and official is the Unity Asset Store – a comprehensive, official marketplace with thousands of high-quality assets developed by Unity and community members. Regarding this topic – we are pleased to recommend an asset of our own authorship – Precomputed Culling – which you can purchase from the mentioned Unity Asset Store.

Another sites, where you can buy assets (also find some free game assets) are:

• GameDev Market – a marketplace dedicated to indie game developers to buy and also sell high-quality game assets.
• CGTrader – worth mentioning, although this is not specific to Unity, it offers many 3D models that can be used in Unity.
• TurboSquid – offers both paid and free Unity assets.
• Gamedev.net – while it is a forum for creators, it’s also a marketplace where you can buy assets.

You can also search for strictly free assets here:

• Unity Asset Free
• Open Game Art – here you can share graphics and other resources for game design (free game assets for Unity).
• Free3D – provides many 3D models among which are also free unity assets. This site keeps resources very organized by several categories, including Maya, Blender, animated, lowpoly models and other. Also if you type “Unity” in search space, you will find free models matching this engine.
• Kenney – this website provides 2D and 3D assets which can be used in Unity.
• Sketchfab – here you can explore 3D models, filter the search to show only free options, find free and other assets suited to your needs.

Benefits of using assets

What and how much do you gain by using assets? Below you will find the most important benefits of working with assets.

• Time saving

Creating all game elements from scratch is very time-consuming and work-intensive. Unity resources that can be easily integrated into the design save a significant amount of time that can be spent on further development.

• High quality of the materials

Unity assets are designed by professionals and conform to high quality standards. This ensures the highest level of graphics quality and smooth games performance.

• Versatility

With a wide range of available assets, you can find almost anything you need, from realistic environment elements to animated characters and even complete templates.

• Easy of use

Even if you’re not an experienced developer, you can use Unity 3D resources. They are designed to be easily implemented into your projects with minimal programming knowledge.

• Customization

Most Unity assets are customizable, allowing you to tailor them to your game’s aesthetics and functionality.

How about disadvantages?

Besides really beneficial aspects of using assets while creating games, there are also some cons to their use.

Among them we can mention:

• Concerns about underdevelopment

Nevertheless, not all assets may meet the requirements for performance. Some may have lagging textures, inefficient coding, or will not be optimized for rendering performance. This can cause problems in the design and complete projects, leading to a bad user experience.

• Lack of originality

With unity assets that are available to everyone (so most often when applying free asset), your project might look similar to others and as a result affect the uniqueness of the game.

• Compatibility problems

Some assets may not be compatible with certain versions of engine or other assets. This can cause problems integrating them into games.

• Dependency on the asset creator

If you are using a complex game asset that you didn’t create and it needs to be updated or repaired, you will have to wait for the author to make changes, which may delay your games.

• Cost

While you can use free tools, there are many valuable assets coming with a certain cost. This can add up quickly and increase your costs if you are not at the stage of professional resource management.

• Learning difficulties

Some assets require a significant amount of time to learn its usage, so there will be a need to get familiar how to implement them correctly.

• Legal issues

In some cases, there can be legal issues related to the use of particular assets, especially if the asset has been copied or is derived from another copyrighted work. So be careful that the assets you choose are legal and properly licensed.

Step by step effective use of assets

The ability to effectively use assets relies not only on the skill of self-organization, but also on recognizing and minimizing the number of potential cons we mentioned above.

Keep an eye on these steps:

• Plan in advance

Before you start collecting resources, prepare a concrete plan for your development. This will help you identify the assets you need and avoid making your project littered with unnecessary elements.

• Explore assets before using

Take your time to explore assets. There’s no point in rushing when it comes to something you want to be satisfied with. You can also read reviews and check ratings to make the assets you’re interested in will meet expectations.

• Check licensing

Read the usage restrictions carefully and always check the license before downloading or purchasing.

• Learn to customize

Making your game unique will be possible if you learn to personalize assets.

• Keep yourself and project organized

As you add more assets to your project, it’s crucial to keep it organized. Use folders and naming conventions to make finding and managing assets easier.

Key tips regarding organization:

1. Document naming conventions & folder structure
2. Remember about consistency with naming conventions
3. Don’t apply spaces in folder name or files
4. Separate test and sandbox areas
5. Avoid extra folders at the root level
6. Separate internal assets from third-party ones

• Join the community

Don’t forget that there is a lot of help, support and knowledge in strong community. You have nothing to worry about by contributing to forums and groups – you can only benefit!

Conclusion

As you may already know and have read this article, paid and free assets are invaluable resources in game development, providing improvements to many stages of your project. Understanding how to effectively use and manage them can unlock your creativity, potential and eagerness. Regardless of your level of proficiency, Unity assets can take your work and skills to the next stage (as long as you use them wisely). Best of luck!