Table of Contents
Scaling In-Game Objects Using Centimeters and Meters in Unity
Unity typically operates with its units where one unit is equivalent to one meter. Adjusting your project’s settings and using correct scaling techniques can ensure your objects are accurately represented in metrics like centimeters and meters.
Steps to Use Meters and Centimeters in Unity
- Project Setup: Begin by deciding the unit conversion. In Unity’s world, 1 unit equals 1 meter. Thus, 0.01 units equal 1 centimeter. Keep this in mind while placing and scaling objects.
- Scale Objects with Inspector: Use the Transform component to adjust the scale of objects directly within the Unity Inspector. For example, to convert a model measured in centimeters to meters, scale its Transform by ‘0.01’.
- Model Import Settings: When importing 3D models from external software, ensure they are exported with a scale factor that aligns with Unity’s metric system. Some software exports models at 100 units per meter by default, requiring you to adjust the scale upon import into Unity.
- Scripts for Consistent Scaling: Create scripts to automate scaling conversions. For consistent scale transformations across levels, write a utility script that can apply a scale conversion factor to all imported assets if they were not exported at the desired scale.
Utilizing Unity’s Physics Engine
Ensure that while converting your settings and scales, the physics interactions remain realistic. Unity Physics already uses meters so remember to adjust any physics-driven operations accordingly so they pair well with your scaled objects.
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Considerations for Level Design
- Consistent Measurement: Uniformly apply scales for all objects in a scene for the best visual fidelity and gameplay balance. Setup prefabs for frequently used models to retain consistent measurements.
- User Interface and Visual Scripting: Ensure that any user interfaces or scripts accurately reflect metric measurements to avoid confusion when displaying distances or object sizes to the player.
Performance and Precision
While using scales such as centimeters, pay attention to performance impacts, especially with physics calculations, where high precision can demand more from CPU resources. Regularly test different scales to find a balance between performance and accuracy.