I’m interested in using Unity as a hobby… I’m clueless when it comes to scripting in java c# and so on.
So where does one begin? Even before having a thought about using unity at all. Watching the tutorials and trying to follow them really doesn’t teach me what thing’s mean or how they work script wise. If anyone has some useful information that would be appreciated. I’m lost here… I don’t want to just follow tutorials and assume I know what I’m doing…
It would be the same as following tab and learning a song on a guitar, you still do not understand the notes you are playing or the theory behind it.
Do I pick up some books about java… c#… c++? Watch tutorials… I don’t have time or the resources to head back to school but I would like to begin somewhere and have the right direction.
“I’m clueless when it comes to scripting in java c# and so on.”
Sux, really.
Like I went to school for computer programming or “software engineering” and I’m still learning the weird bits of C#. Syntax is just strange. You can hit that book there but it’s only going to help so much, like any resource its really good solid information but it’s hard to apply to your situation. I have that book and another one on C# and I’ve gone through both of them (60% of them, anyway) and it’s not bad but then Unity is different than most of what’s in those books. Unity almost discards conventions of C# and replaces them with their own Start() and Update() events, etc… so it’s a system shock.
There’s no substitute for experience, iswhatimsaying.
Grab some junk food and just start messing around with beginner tutorials, tweaking this and that. It’s more fun and honestly you’ll learn faster. Oh yeah, and it’s also who you know… a more experienced programmer will always save you tons of time. I’ve never had a problem finding someone to show off all their projects to me and “show me the ropes” in the past.
Anyways, that’s my $0.02.
EDIT: Oh yeah, and do not underestimate the frustration of writing scripts… there are more fun hobbies in the world that don’t make you want to pull your hair out
What the 2nd responder said is also correct: Unity uses C# as a scripting language to control the Unity Game Engine, and as such you are not writing your own programs, but you are using the power of the language to instruct Unity - so many vanilla C# resources won’t be targeted for Unity. As examples, you’ll be creating address books and creating your own main thread, whereas this isn’t necessary for C# in Unity. That being said, you’ll get a good understanding of coding languages and how to use them.
There is no pill-cure for learning a new language, but it’s not so bad. Try out basic tutorials and watch some of our live training. Ask questions here or the forums and on IRC (Empower Your Content through Our Community Platforms | Unity and check the lower right for “Unity Chat”).
Make some games!
Start small and grow.
When I started with Unity I had never coded a line and it didn’t take me long before I released my first iOS title.
You can read books like others said but the best thing you can do is play around with unity think about gameplay situations in other games and try to reproduce it with that you learn the untiy engine and the syntax and you need the “feeling” for logic processes
He’s not a coder at all, he needs a basis to which to start.
If he’s going to skip really trying to learn C# and let the compiler and the IDE auto-completion pseudo-code for him using prior-art then he should work his way through the ‘Learn’ (which might take 3 months alone) and go straight to the asset store of the above mentioned assets (not affiliated in the least) and then learn those.
Personally I would actually recommend do some lessons at codeacademy first. It might seem like an odd suggestion, since that’s not directly about Unity, but I’m not saying to spend a long time there; just use that site to learn the basics of programming (what’s a variable, what’s a conditional, etc.) Do the first few lessons there for a couple nights and then come back to Unity; everything will make a lot more sense once you know how to program.
