[Unity Tutorial] Creating a Game Using Playmaker ① From Basic Introduction to Installing

I will introduce the basic functions and how to use ‘PlayMaker’, and explain how to create an easy game with Unity in this article series.

In this article, I will introduce the basics of PlayMaker and how to install it.

You cannot use scripts with STYLY, but you can use PlayMaker to create a similar function.

One strength of PlayMaker is that the user does not need programming experience with C# in order to create Unity VR content.

Also, by combining PlayMaker with STYLY, users can create whatever they want with VR.

After you read thus article, I hope you try and create your very own VR content.

PlayMaker Basics

PlayMaker Strengths

  • State transition base flows
  • No need for coding to create logics
  • Visualized program states, which help debugging
  • Easy combining with existing code and other assets
  • Users can create original ‘actions’
  • Only PlayMaker is needed
  • You can combine PlayMaker with C# scripts, and choose which parts you want PlayMaker to be applied

What You Can Obtain with PlayMaker

  • Mock production/Rapid prototyping
  • UI/State transition management system
  • Tween animation control
  • AI thinking routine
  • Unity Engine API knowledge

    Cautions for Team Development

  • No code means no merging (But you can use the Template Export function for some use)
  • Strict capsuling is hard to achieve
  • PlayMaker has lots of flexibility, and users can freely create any kind of logic, so it may be hard to create a sense of unity

    Countermeasures

  • Limiting use to specific scenes
  • Using only with existing code and for specific scenes
  • Use all codes as PlayMaker actions
  • Limit use to managing state transition status
  • Limit use to managing iTween

What Is a FSM

PlayMaker uses UMLs called FSM(Finite State Machine) to describe state transition status.

Main Components

  • State:Status of Object
  • Event:Trigger for a state transtion
  • Action:Action that occurs at a specific status
  • Variable:Object values used by FSMs are stored

Example:Player Character

  • State:’Standing’, ‘Walking’, ‘Running’, ‘Jumping’, etc…
  • Event:State transition from ‘Standing’ to ‘Walking’, ‘Walking’ to ‘Running’, etc…
  • Action:What the character does when ‘Standing’, ‘Walking’, etc…
  • Variable:The moving direction of the Player (Vector3), the speed (float), etc…

Installing PlayMaker

Launch Unity.

Unity Launch Screen

Click [Window] > [Asset Store]

Unity Screen windows → Asset Store

Search for ‘playmaker’.

Click PlayMaker from the results.

Asset Store [Playmaker] Search

PlayMaker costs $52 (May change over time). Click [Put in cart].

Playmaker購入画面

Playmaker Purchase Screen

Click [Proceed to checkout].

Asset added to cart

Type in your information, and click [Purchase].

Unity Checkout screen

After purchase, download Playmaker to Unity.

A Welcome To PlayMaker screen will popup, so click the [Install PlayMaker] button.

Install PlayMaker

Click the [Install PlayMaker 1.9.0] button.

Install PlayMaker2

A popup message shown below will appear so click the [I Made a Backup. Go Ahead!] button.

The import process will proceed, and the Import Unity Package window will popup, so click the [import] button.

Import Unity Package

Import Unity Package

Once the [PlayMaker] menu is displayed, the import is complete. Close the Welcome To PlayMaker window with the [x] button.

Import Complete

PlayMaker Basic Settings

Changing Displayed Language

Click [PlayMaker] > [PlayMaker Editor].

PlayMaker → PlayMaker Editor

Click the [Preferences] button on the bottom right. Choose General at the upper right, and change Language from [English] to [Language you prefer].

Changing Language

That’s all for the basics of PlayMaker, and how to install it.

In my next article, I will introduce the basic functions of PlayMaker.

This article was created using the slides by Unity Technologies Japan【Unity道場 2017】PlayMakerによる初めてのUnityプログラミング.