If you’ve read our “Getting started with Unity Forma” User Guide, you already know that you don’t have to be familiar with coding to start creating interactive 3D configurators like a pro. This user guide serves as a how-to on getting the most out of Unity Forma. For a deeper dive, watch the entire webinar featuring Jerome Maurey-Delaunay, Senior Technical Specialist at Unity.
Inside the guide
- User interface
- Managing environments
- Adding a thumbnail
- Setting up hotspots
- Adding interactivity
- Creating custom cameras
User interface
Designed for users with little to no experience with coding, the Unity Forma interface is a simplified mode that allows you to work in Unity while removing the complexities of the Unity Pro interface.
There are five main panels for you to use: Configurator, Scene view, Game view, Product Outline, and Hotspots.
For more information, check out the Unity Forma manual.
Managing environments
Although Unity Forma comes with four eye-catching preset environments, importing your own environment or grabbing one of the thousands available from the Unity Asset Store allows you to customize your product and customer marketing experience.
After downloading or creating your environment, import it into Unity Forma via the Package Manager – Window > Package Manager. By default, the window displays the packages that your project uses, all packages that Unity provides automatically, and your assets.
To add the imported environment to your scene in Unity Forma, in the Configurator panel, go to the Environments tab and click Add. If you want to move your product within the imported environment, you can do this by selecting Position > Move Product within the Environments tab or by selecting the items in the Hierarchy panel and moving them in your preferred direction within the Scene.
Adding a thumbnail
Now that you have set up your environment, let’s start building your client-facing configurator by adding thumbnails to your variant sets. Users of your Unity Forma real-time application interact with your product via thumbnails. It’s easy to create them.
Inside the Unity Forma scene settings folder, select the environment item you want to showcase. In the Inspector window, select the thumbnail file and right click to assign it.
Setting up Hotspots
After importing and staging your product in Unity Forma, the next step is showcasing the functionality and abilities of your product. That’s where hotspots come in. Showcase key features to your customers, or allow them to easily toggle through a variety of options.
To create a hotspot, locate the Hotspot tab, or under Forma > Window > Hotspot, select the “+Add” button and choose whether you would like to add a Hotspot Group or Hotspot. This action populates the Hotspot Creation window prompting you to place the Hotspot within the Scene.
To customize the appearance of the Hotspot, go to the Hotspot tab > View > View Type. You can choose from Empty (no 2D image or 3D object), Canvas (display a 2D graphic/Sprite), or Mesh (3D object). You can find more information on hotspots in the Unity Manual.
Adding interactivity
Interactivity drives greater engagement and conversion by allowing your customer to explore your product’s functionalities and components in true-to-life visual quality.
Within your Scene, select the Hotspot you would like to add interactivity to. Within the Hotspot tab, locate the Interaction tab and decide if you would like to add an action or camera interaction.
For the Camera setting, select the Camera view that the scene will transport to when a consumer selects the Hotspot.
You can set the Action to trigger a Custom, Animation or Variant Set interaction. You can find more information on adding interactivity in the Unity Manual.
Creating custom cameras
Regardless of your product, adding different camera views such as orbit, custom or front view allows you to highlight specific features – and encourages users to explore your product from various viewpoints. You can use Hotspots to trigger these views.
See how more complex cameras can be created within the Unity Pro interface. For more details, check out the Unity Manual.
Learn more about Unity Forma
Expert-led sessions on Unity Forma
Join us for our monthly webinar series to learn more about using Unity Forma and Unity Industrial Collection.
Unity Forma on the blog
Check out deep dives into Unity Forma features as well as tips and tricks on our blog.
Unity Forma forum
Connect with other Unity Forma users and Unity experts to have all your questions answered. Discover how other Unity users are creating 3D configurators.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have a question about Unity Forma but can’t find the answer? Our frequently asked questions might be able to help!
