blog.unity.com
Open in
urlscan Pro
95.101.54.211
Public Scan
Submitted URL: https://app.response.unity3d.com/e/er?utm_campaign=DG-Games_global_Newsletter_MESD-5732-2023-07-global-dg-Wake-Up-Inactive-Contac...
Effective URL: https://blog.unity.com/games/happy-harvest-demo-latest-2d-techniques?utm_campaign=DG-Games_global_Newsletter_MESD-5732-...
Submission: On August 02 via api from US — Scanned from NL
Effective URL: https://blog.unity.com/games/happy-harvest-demo-latest-2d-techniques?utm_campaign=DG-Games_global_Newsletter_MESD-5732-...
Submission: On August 02 via api from US — Scanned from NL
Form analysis 1 forms found in the DOM
<form class="flex flex-grow space-x-2"><button type="submit" aria-label="search" class="focus:outline-none"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="#757575">
<path d="M0 0h24v24H0V0z" fill="none"></path>
<path
d="M15.5 14h-.79l-.28-.27c1.2-1.4 1.82-3.31 1.48-5.34-.47-2.78-2.79-5-5.59-5.34-4.23-.52-7.79 3.04-7.27 7.27.34 2.8 2.56 5.12 5.34 5.59 2.03.34 3.94-.28 5.34-1.48l.27.28v.79l4.25 4.25c.41.41 1.08.41 1.49 0 .41-.41.41-1.08 0-1.49L15.5 14zm-6 0C7.01 14 5 11.99 5 9.5S7.01 5 9.5 5 14 7.01 14 9.5 11.99 14 9.5 14z">
</path>
</svg></button><input id="search-input" class="font-normal leading-5 italic placeholder-gray w-full focus:outline-none hover:border-b focus:border-b focus:border-blue" placeholder="Search the blog" autocomplete="off"></form>Text Content
Search Unity
* Products
* Unity Pro
Unity Pro
The complete solution for professionals to create and operate real-time 3D
experiences.
* Unity Industry
Unity Industry
A suite of products and services for industry developers to build custom
real-time 3D experiences for AR, VR, mobile, desktop, and web.
* Unity Enterprise
Unity Enterprise
For large organizations with ambitious goals, creating at scale.
* Unity Ads
Unity Ads
Monetization and user acquisition solutions to support your revenue and
growth goals.
* Unity Reflect
Unity Reflect
A suite of products to create real-time 3D experiences, including AR and
VR, from BIM models to enable more impactful decision-making.
* Pixyz
Pixyz
Optimize 3D data workflows to reduce time and efforts and maximize
visualization performance for any use case.
* Asset Store
Discover art and tools to power your project
Unity Asset Store empowers you to bring great ideas to life, no matter
your skill set. Explore premade building blocks to reduce costs,
complexity, and development time.
* See all products
Discover more tools, products and solutions.
Extend the power of the world’s leading platform for creating and
operating interactive, real-time 3D content.
* Discover more tools, products and solutions
Extend the power of the world’s leading platform for creating and
operating interactive, real-time 3D content.
* Solutions
* Games
Concept to commercialization
All the resources you need to create, launch and succeed with Mobile,
Instant, Console/PC, and AR/VR games.
* Digital Twins
Visualize data in a new dimension
Experience and interact with your data in real-time 3D to make informed
decisions across the creation and operation of real-world assets.
* Automotive & Transportation
Virtual solutions for real-world applications
Gain a competitive edge with our real-time 3D platform – ideal for a
rapidly evolving industry landscape.
* Artistry Tools
Revolutionizing visual effects
Powerful solutions for every artist.
* Architecture, Engineering & Construction
Accelerating innovation across AEC
Create immersive, interactive experiences for VR, AR, and mobile that win
deals, streamline your workflows, and lower costs.
* Government & Aerospace
Drive innovation, reach new heights
Turn training and simulation into a tactical advantage with real-time 3D,
extended reality (XR) and AI.
* Live Entertainment
Unity in Live Entertainment
Create trailblazing virtual, augmented and interactive live entertainment
experiences for attendees anywhere with Unity.
* Gambling
Deliver exciting real-money games to players around the world
An ideal toolset for creating compelling gambling and casino games for any
land-based, online or mobile device.
* Accelerate Solutions
Accelerate Solutions for Enterprise
Custom technology solutions from Unity that enable companies to innovate
faster.
* Case Studies
Explore a collection of case studies that highlight all things made with
Unity
Find in-depth case studies on how creators, studios and agencies around
the world bring their imagination to life with Unity.
* Real-time solutions, endless opportunities
Unity’s flexible real-time development platform offers incredible
possibilities for all industries and applications.
* Learning
* Learners
Build Unity skills faster and easier than ever
Whether you’re a beginner or expert, professional or student, here you’ll
find all the resources you need for your Unity learning journey.
* Educators
Prepare your students for the jobs of tomorrow
Bring Unity into the classroom with free resources and curricula to teach
your students how to create interactive experiences in 2D, 3D, AR, and VR.
* Professionals
Professional Training
Professional training increases productivity and improves workflows by
offering courses led by Unity Certified Instructors. These courses teach
professionals and teams how to create ideal techniques and improve
optimization through Unity tools.
* Unity Learn
Start Learning
Advance your Unity skills with award-winning tutorials, hands-on projects,
and in-depth courses. Access over 750 hours of on-demand learning content
and live learning sessions for creators at every skill level.
* Build Unity skills faster and easier than ever
Whether you’re a beginner or expert, professional or student, here you’ll
find all the resources you need for your Unity learning journey.
* Support & Services
* Customer Service
Customer Service
Get assistance with non-technical issues like account activations, Hub
errors or billing inquiries.
* Technical Support
Technical Support
For technical issues of all complexities, access a variety of free and
fee-based premium support options.
* Consulting Services
Consulting Services
From a simple consultation to a complete development effort, get the
expertise you need to take your project to the next level.
* Professional Training
Professional Training
Enhance your team’s skills, increase productivity and improve workflows
with training courses led by Unity Certified Instructors.
* Find the support and services you need
Keep your project moving towards the finish line. Access all the support
and services you need to succeed.
* Community
* Blog
This is the pulse of Unity
Read it all here first. Don’t miss the latest features, announcements,
creator achievements, tips & tricks, and so much more.
* Forums
Join the discussion
Post questions, find answers, see awesome projects, meet your peers, or
even find someone to help your project or team.
* Discussions
Join us for some Q&A
Beginners and experts alike contribute, helping each other with Unity. The
built-in voting system points you to the best answers fast.
* Advocates
Spreading the word about Unity around the world
Unity’s advocates help the real-time creator community flourish by
producing example projects and sharing their passion and knowledge.
* User Groups
Join a user group near you
Meet your peers at a local user group and share your Unity experiences.
And if you can’t find a group nearby, consider starting your own. It’s
easy.
* Beta Program
Access the latest features before they are officially released
Be among the first to check out features coming in the next full version,
test your project for compatibility, and join a community of users shaping
the future of Unity.
* Unity Pulse
Provide feedback to the Unity team
Have your voice heard by becoming a member of the Unity Pulse. We’d love
to hear what you think about Unity products, messaging, and features.
* Events
Join us at an event near you
Around the world, the Unity community gathers to share what we’ve learned,
what we’re working on, and how you can take your projects further using
Unity. Find an event near you.
* Creator Spotlight
Highlighting incredible games made with Unity
Our Creator Spotlight series of Twitch streams showcases innovative and
inspiring games made with Unity, and takes you behind the scenes with the
teams and tech that bring them to life.
* Find your people
Get help and discuss solutions with experienced Unity users. Share your
knowledge. Share the love.
* Dev tools
* Download Unity
Download the Unity Hub and get started using Unity
Equip yourself with the world’s most popular development platform for
creating 2D and 3D multiplatform experiences and games and manage all your
Unity Editor installations in one place.
* Releases
Learn more about our latest Unity releases
From long-term support to advanced tech stream, find out what’s in our
latest releases and which features, workflows and components are most
important to you.
* Roadmap
Explore roadmap details and share your feedback
Get insights into our future plans for features and functionality in the
Unity platform and let us know what you think.
* Documentation
Explore this comprehensive resource for the Unity Editor
Search it or browse it – the Unity User Manual is the definitive
repository for in-depth and procedural information on all of Unity’s
features, UI, and workflows.
* Knowledge Base
Troubleshoot common problems
This library of articles has you covered, whether it’s creating an
account, importing assets, or baking a scene.
* Industrial Glossary
Learn the lingo
Familiarize yourself with common terms and Unity products used across
industry verticals.
* Issue Tracker
Keep tabs on bugs
Use this online tool to keep tabs on bugs that might be affecting your
project. You can also vote on the ones you want fixed soonest.
* Find the latest downloads, releases, and other resources here
Explore the tools we have to benefit your project – Documentation,
Roadmap, Knowledge Base, Issue Tracker, and more.
* See plans & pricing
* Asset Store
* Dashboard
* Distribute
* Forum
* Learn
* Unite Now
* Create a Unity ID
* Sign In
Unity Blog
Subscribe
NewsEngine & platformGamesIndustryDevBlog
DismissSubscribe
HAPPY HARVEST DEMO: SEE THE LATEST 2D TECHNIQUES
ByEduardo Oriz, Shanti Zachariah
July 5, 2023 in Games | 13 min. read
Topics covered
2DAnimationDemoGamedevGraphicsLightingOptimizationRendering
Share
There’s no limit to how innovative today’s 2D games can be. With so many
creative possibilities and the evolution of Unity’s 2D rendering and tools,
we’ll keep you up to date on best practices for making 2D games in Unity.
Happy Harvest, now available on the Unity Asset Store, shows developers how to
harness the latest capabilities for creating 2D lights, shadows, and special
effects with the Universal Render Pipeline (URP) in Unity 2022 LTS. It
incorporates best practices any 2D creator can use, including not baking shadows
into a sprite, keeping sprites flat, moving shadow and volume information to
secondary textures, advanced Tilemap features, and much more.
A TOP-DOWN VIEW OF A HARDWORKING FARMER
The main character with his pigs in Happy Harvest
Happy Harvest is a top-down demo with cheerful cartoon art. The sample takes you
through a day in the life of an industrious farmer. Stepping from his farmhouse,
he makes his way along cobblestone paths lit by lanterns. He tends to wheat,
carrot, and corn crops, picks apples, and feeds his pigs and cows. His farmstead
is dotted with ponds, there’s a barn in the back, and it’s all ringed by verdant
pine trees.
A top-down perspective comes with challenges like how to project the character,
manage overlapping objects, and create shadows in an imaginative way. These were
handled by using features included in Unity 2022 LTS for shadows, sprite
libraries, and Tilemap 2D.
All of these assets are free to use in your personal or commercial projects, and
you can also modify the demo with your own ideas. Download it today to start
exploring this bucolic scene and its many details.
EXPLORE TECHNIQUES USED IN THE DEMO
An interpolator script used to control the day-to-night cycleExpand
The demo is accompanied by a collection of instructional articles. These
technical walkthroughs will help you understand how the lights, shadows,
environment, and animations were created, so you can use the same steps in your
own 2D project.
The following pages are available with the demo:
* 2D light and shadow techniques in URP
* How to create art and gameplay with 2D tilemaps
* How to animate 2D characters in Unity 2022 LTS
* Coming soon: 2D special effects with the VFX Graph and Shader Graph
You can find these articles in the description on the Unity Asset Store page and
in the in-Editor tutorial window in the demo.
Let’s take a brief look at what you’ll learn from each page.
CREATE DEPTH ILLUSION, SHADOWS, AND A DAY-TO-NIGHT CYCLE
How different asset types are made and their normal and mask maps, from left to
right: A skeletal animated character, a tileable sprite, and a prop
There are plenty of cute details in Happy Harvest, from fields of ripened corn
and golden wheat, to gently swaying lanterns and the red-shingled farmhouse. But
it’s the lighting and shadows that are the most immersive part of this cozy
world, featuring an all-over glow and late afternoon shadows.
By moving light and shadow information to separate textures (which does require
some extra steps during the art creation process), you can create optimized
real-time 2D lights and shadows.
Read the article “2D light and shadow techniques with the Universal Render
Pipeline” to learn how to:
* Create and work with normal maps and mask maps (Secondary Textures) to add
rich details like rim lighting on the main character, barrels, lamp posts,
and other props.
* Use ambient and spot lighting to set the mood with tinting and effects that
mimic the sun’s movement throughout the day.
* Create the illusion of volume, like the effects used on the bushes, by
enabling normal maps on the lights.
* Create shadows for any shape and time of day using blob shadows and infinite
shadows with the Shadow Caster.
* Control the movement of time and changing of the light with a day-to-night
script.
* Optimize your 2D lights with tips from the Unity team.
DESIGN ENVIRONMENTS FOR LARGE LANDSCAPES WITH 2D TILEMAPS
Once you have set up rule tiles, painting continuous paths is easier and more
efficient.Expand
What do the cobblestone paths, ponds, grass, and background forest have in
common? They were all made with Unity’s Tilemap system, which provides a way to
create a game world with tiles – small sprites placed on a grid. Instead of
designing a level as one big image, you can split it into brick-like pieces that
are repeated throughout a whole level.
Tilemaps can help save time on art creation as well as memory and CPU power.
This is because tiles can be rendered by a dedicated renderer and the tiles that
are not visible on the screen can be disabled. A brush tool makes it efficient
to paint tiles on a grid, and they can be scripted to use painting rules. They
also come with automatic collision generation for more efficient testing and
editing. Additionally, you can place GameObjects or use the API for game logic.
You can find tips for using the Tilemap system in the article “Create art and
gameplay with 2D Tilemaps in Unity,” including how to:
* Use secondary textures for tilemaps: Every tilemap in the sample has
counterparts called normal map and mask map textures that share the same
dimensions and layout, but are painted for displaying the lighting.
* Use the Rule Tile feature, which is part of the 2D Tilemap Extras package.
This package contains reusable 2D and Tilemap editor scripts you can use in
your own projects and as the basis for custom Brushes and Tiles.
* Organize tiles in your project hierarchy:
* In the sample, the tiles are all contained in one GameObject called Grid.
* We created as few tilemaps as possible inside the Grid to prevent
overlapping pixels and help keep overdraw low.
* Use the Tilemap API based on how it was used in the sample.
LEARN ABOUT CHARACTER RIGGING, SKELETAL ANIMATION, AND SPRITE SWAPPING
The facial rigging enables full control of expressions, including the creation
of a semi-tridimensional effect in some animations.Expand
With his rolled-up sleeves and pompadour hairstyle, the farmer in Happy Harvest
is ready to work. To get him moving around the scene, we used techniques like
rigging his face to create different expressions, sprite libraries for character
variations, and Sprite Swap for switching between sprites attached to the same
bone during the animation process.
In the article “2D characters and animation in Happy Harvest,” we break down
these and other techniques used to create the animations. You’ll get tips on how
to:
* Draw and animate characters from different angles to suit a top-down
perspective. In Happy Harvest, good-looking visuals are achieved with four
directions.
* Work with skeletal animation in Unity using the 2D Animation and PSD Importer
packages. These enable you to import your character artwork directly from
Photoshop into Unity by importing all of the character’s layers as sprites
and placing them exactly as they were painted in the app.
* Rig a character in the Sprite Editor.
* Connect sprites to bones, geometry, and weights.
* Use the Sprite Library Editor and Sprite Swap to manage types of animations
other than those that can be achieved with bone rotations. This includes
facial expressions when the character changes the direction they’re facing.
* Use the 2D Inverse Kinematics (2D IK) tool, which is a part of the 2D
Animation package. It calculates the rotations and allows a chain of bones to
move them to target positions.
MAKE RAIN, A COZY FIRE, SMOKE, AND SWAYING LEAVES
Using VFX Graph for 2D to spawn rain particles
The farmer’s crops need both sunshine and rain. Luckily, the evening brings
rainfall, and our hard-working farmer can retire to his little home with a cozy
fire in the hearth.
There are different options for creating 2D visual effects like these in Unity.
You can animate an explosion frame-by-frame or spawn particles and cloud
sprites. Use the Built-in Particle System for particle spawning on the CPU.
Alternatively, you can leverage the GPU and use the VFX Graph and Shader Graph
to spawn millions of particles or apply post-processing effects with URP
Volumes.
In the article “2D special effects with the VFX Graph and Shader Graph,” you’ll
learn about the different techniques used to create the special effects in Happy
Harvest, including:
* Simple particle effects created with the Built-in Particle System, like
falling leaves from the bushes, or the farmer’s footprints
* Flipbook particles to create moths around the lamps at night using the
Built-in Particle System, or water splashes from the rain spawned by the VFX
Graph
* Common effects like a shader applied to the water tiles to make the waves
move, the fire in the fireplace, and the smoke from the chimney
* Weather effects like rain and thunder made in the VFX Graph – the rain
particles use the 2D Lit shader so they blend nicely with the environment and
react to lights
* Shaders to move the trees and other vegetation to simulate a light breeze
* Tint and bloom post-processing effects applied to the whole scene to set a
warm, cheerful mood
Learn more about creating visual effects in our e-book The definitive guide to
creating advanced visual effects in Unity. The e-book provides a complete
overview of how to use visual effects authoring tools in Unity to create
advanced effects, including water and liquid, smoke, fire, explosions, weather,
impact, magic, electricity, and much more.
DOWNLOAD, PLAY, AND GET BEST PRACTICES
Happy Harvest is a playground for 2D creators who want to pick up new visual
techniques in Unity. Expand on the sample, reuse its elements and scripts in
your own projects, and test it on your mobile and desktop devices. This sample
and its supporting content is designed to provide useful tips for everyone, from
beginners to experienced 2D developers. Happy harvesting!
If you haven’t yet, be sure to download these advanced e-books that cover 2D
game development as well as rendering and visual effects (3D and 2D) in Unity:
* 2D game art, animation, and lighting for artists
* Introduction to the Universal Render Pipeline for advanced Unity creators
* The definitive guide to lighting in the High Definition Render Pipeline in
Unity
* The definitive guide to creating advanced visual effects in Unity
Plus, check out our other 2D demos, The Lost Crypt and Dragon Crashers.
You’ll find many more resources for advanced programmers, artists, technical
artists, and designers in the Unity best practices hub.
DemoDownload Happy Harvest
Got feedback? Please share your thoughts on the demo in the dedicated forum.
ByEduardo Oriz, Shanti Zachariah
July 5, 2023 in Games | 13 min. read
Topics covered
2DAnimationDemoGamedevGraphicsLightingOptimizationRendering
Join a discussion on our Forums
Related Posts
* Unity 2022 LTS is coming in June
By
Ralph Hauwert
Get ready to fuel your ambitions with the new Unity 2022 LTS release.
in Engine & platform | 12 min. read
* Our biggest e-book yet: 2D game art, animation, and lighting for artists
By
Eduardo Oriz
Our most comprehensive 2D game development guide is now available to download
for free. Over 120 pages long, it covers all aspects of 2D game development
for artists. This includes roundtripping between Unity and your digital
content creation (DCC) software, sprite creation, laye...
in Games | 4 min. read
* Move on over to the Universal Render Pipeline with our advanced guide
ByEduardo Oriz, Ali Mohebali
A new e-book for experienced Unity developers and technical artists to take
on the Universal Render Pipeline (URP) is now available.
in Engine & platform | 10 min. read
What is a legacy comment?Read about our new commenting system here
0
* Navigation
* * News
* Engine & platform
* Games
* Industry
* DevBlog
* Language
* * English
* 中文
* Deutsch
* Español
* 日本語
* Русский
* Français
* 한국어
* Português
* More
* * Reading lists
* RSS feeds
* Subscribe
* Social
*
* Purchase
* * Products
* Subscription
* Asset Store
* Resellers
* Education
* * Students
* Educators
* Certification
* Learn
* Center of Excellence
* Download
* * Get Unity
* Download Archive
* Beta Program
* Unity Labs
* * Labs
* Publications
* Resources
* * Learn platform
* Community
* Documentation
* Unity QA
* FAQ
* Services Status
* Case Studies
* Made with Unity
* Unity
* * Our Company
* Brand
* Newsletter
* Blog
* Events
* Careers
* Help
* Press
* Partners
* Investors
* Affiliates
* Security
* Social Impact
* Inclusion & Diversity
* Copyright © 2023 Unity Technologies
* * Legal
* Privacy Policy
* Cookies
* Do Not Sell My Personal Information
* Cookies Settings
"Unity", Unity logos, and other Unity trademarks are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Unity Technologies or its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere
(more info here). Other names or brands are trademarks of their respective
owners.
By clicking “Accept Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device
to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing
efforts.
Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All Cookies
PRIVACY PREFERENCE CENTER
* YOUR PRIVACY
* SOCIAL MEDIA COOKIES
* FUNCTIONAL COOKIES
* TARGETING COOKIES
* PERFORMANCE COOKIES
* STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES
YOUR PRIVACY
When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your
browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you,
your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you
expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can
give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to
privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the
different category headings to find out more and change our default settings.
However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site
and the services we are able to offer.
More information
SOCIAL MEDIA COOKIES
Social Media Cookies
These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to
the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They
are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a
profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on
other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able
to use or see these sharing tools.
Cookies Details
FUNCTIONAL COOKIES
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some
or all of these services may not function properly.
Cookies Details
TARGETING COOKIES
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may
be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal
information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted
advertising. Some 3rd party video providers do not allow video views without
targeting cookies. If you are experiencing difficulty viewing a video, you will
need to set your cookie preferences for targeting to yes if you wish to view
videos from these providers. Unity does not control this.
Cookies Details
PERFORMANCE COOKIES
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All
information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you
do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and
will not be able to monitor its performance.
Cookies Details
STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block
or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
Cookies Details
Back Button
BACK
Filter Button
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
* View Third Party Cookies
* Name
cookie name
Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Confirm my choices
Reject all Allow all