Modern Unity UI with UI Toolkit from Udemy

This course is a deep dive into Unity's UI Toolkit. You will learn most of the components that make up UI Toolkit and be able to create complex UI Systems for your games or apps.

This course uses a mix of theory and practice. We will create dozens of little UI-Components and examples. Furthermore, we will have a course project on which we will practice what we learned in the particular chapters. Finally, we will bring it all together and create a fully functional UI-based game.

While this course is not explicitly covering Editor Scripting most of the content in the course will also apply to it.

Here are some of the topics that we will cover:

Understanding UXML and USS Files

Understand the basic building blocks of UI Toolkit. We will talk about the concept of a visual tree and why it's a good idea to separate structure, styling and behavior.

Layouts with FLEXBOX

UI Toolkit uses the Flexbox system which is also used in web technologies.

Templates

We will learn how we can reuse pieces of our layout with templates.

Events and Event Propagation

No UI System can function without events. UI Toolkit has its own Event-System with modern features like event-propagation which we can use to our advantage.

UQuery

Unity is still a game engine, so more often than not most of your work will be done through scripts. U need an efficient way to connect your scripts and your UI and manipulate certain elements of your UI. In order to do that you first need to find those elements. UQuery provides a comfortable way how you can do that.

Data Binding

While for editor scripting there is already a system in place which helps you bind your data to your components, this is not the case for runtime. Therefore we will look at some tools and techniques how you can do this manually.

Custom Components

UI Toolkit has a library of several build-in controls, but obviously, those can not cover every use case that you might come across. In this section, we will see how to create our own controls and thereby create our own little library of reusable UI Elements.

Manipulators

One rule of good software development is the separation of concerns. In this section, we will learn how we can group the behavior of particular elements into manipulators.

and much more...

What's inside

Learning objectives

Create modern and reusable user interfaces in unity
Understand all ui toolkit components

Manipulate your ui from scripts
Combine your ui and gamelogic

Create modern and reusable user interfaces in unity
Understand all ui toolkit components
Manipulate your ui from scripts
Combine your ui and gamelogic

Syllabus

Introduction

What Is UI Toolkit?

What Is This Course About?

What Is This Course NOT About?

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Uses Flexbox, which is also used in web technologies, allowing developers to leverage web development knowledge in Unity UI design

Covers UQuery, which provides an efficient way to connect scripts and UI, enabling manipulation of UI elements from code

Explores event propagation, a modern feature in UI Toolkit's event system, which can be used to create more responsive and interactive UIs

Teaches how to create custom components, allowing developers to build their own library of reusable UI elements tailored to specific project needs

Focuses on UI Toolkit, which is actively developed and supported by Unity, making it a relevant skill for current and future Unity projects

While not explicitly covering Editor Scripting, most of the content in the course will also apply to it, expanding the applicability of the skills learned

Reviews summary

Comprehensive unity ui toolkit guide

According to learners, this course offers a comprehensive exploration of Unity's UI Toolkit, providing a solid foundation in key areas like UXML, USS stylesheets, and Flexbox layouts. Many found the practical examples and culminating course project particularly effective for applying theoretical knowledge and building functional, reusable UI systems. The instructor is frequently praised for clear explanations and an engaging teaching style. While the core principles remain valid, some reviewers note that working with the evolving Unity engine may require occasionally cross-referencing documentation or making minor adjustments to examples to align with the latest versions.

Instructor clarifies complex concepts well.

"The instructor's explanations of Flexbox and event propagation were very clear"

"Teaching style is engaging and easy to follow"

"Complex topics were broken down into understandable parts."

Explores core UI Toolkit features thoroughly.

"Covers essential topics like UXML, USS, Flexbox, events, and custom controls"

"Provides a deep dive into most components of UI Toolkit"

"Useful for creating complex UI Systems for games or apps."

Hands-on projects solidify understanding.

"The hands-on coding and projects are the strongest part of the course for me"

"Really helped solidify my understanding of the concepts through practice with the project"

"Learned how to apply the theory effectively by building real UI elements."

Minor adjustments needed for recent Unity.

"Some parts required minor tweaks due to newer Unity versions and API changes"

"Had to check documentation for slight changes in recent updates to ensure examples work"

"Core concepts are solid but code examples may need adjustment for latest versions."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Modern Unity UI with UI Toolkit with these activities:

Review Flexbox Fundamentals

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Reinforce your understanding of Flexbox, as UI Toolkit heavily relies on it for layout management. This will make grasping UI Toolkit's layout system much easier.

Browse courses on Flexbox

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Study Flexbox properties like `flex-direction`, `justify-content`, and `align-items`.
Practice building simple layouts using Flexbox in a web browser's developer tools.
Review common Flexbox patterns for navigation bars, sidebars, and content grids.

Review: Unity UI Cookbook

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Explore common UI patterns and solutions in Unity to broaden your understanding of UI design principles. This will help you approach UI Toolkit with a more informed perspective.

View Unity 2017 2D Game Development Projects: Create... on Amazon

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Browse the table of contents to identify recipes relevant to UI design challenges.
Read through the selected recipes, paying attention to the problem, solution, and discussion.
Consider how the concepts presented in the recipes could be adapted to UI Toolkit.

Recreate UI Examples

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Improve your UI Toolkit skills by recreating existing UI examples from games or applications. This will help you learn different UI patterns and techniques.

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Find examples of UI designs in games or applications that you admire.
Analyze the structure and styling of the UI elements.
Recreate the UI using UI Toolkit, paying attention to layout, styling, and functionality.

Four other activities

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Document Custom Components

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Deepen your understanding of custom components by creating detailed documentation for them. This will force you to think critically about their design and usage.

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Choose a custom component you have created or studied.
Write a detailed description of the component's purpose and functionality.
Create examples of how to use the component in different scenarios.
Document the component's properties, methods, and events.

Create a Simple UI Game

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Apply your UI Toolkit knowledge by building a small game with a complete UI. This will solidify your understanding of the concepts and provide practical experience.

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Design the UI for a simple game, such as a number guessing game or a basic inventory system.
Implement the UI using UI Toolkit, including layout, styling, and event handling.
Connect the UI to the game logic, allowing the player to interact with the game through the UI.
Test and refine the UI to ensure it is user-friendly and functional.

Review: Practical UI Patterns for Design Systems

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Learn about UI design patterns to improve the structure and usability of your UI Toolkit interfaces. This will help you create more professional and user-friendly UIs.

View Practical UI Patterns for Design Systems: Fast... on Amazon

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Browse the book's table of contents to identify UI patterns relevant to your projects.
Read the descriptions of the selected patterns, paying attention to their purpose, usage, and variations.
Consider how you can apply these patterns to your UI Toolkit designs.

Create a UI Style Guide

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Develop a UI style guide for your UI Toolkit projects to ensure consistency and maintainability. This will help you create a more professional and cohesive UI.

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Define the visual style of your UI, including colors, fonts, and spacing.
Create a library of reusable UI components with consistent styling.
Document the UI style guide, including guidelines for using the components and maintaining consistency.

Career center

Learners who complete Modern Unity UI with UI Toolkit will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Game Developer

Game Developers bring video games to life, and a crucial aspect of modern game development is creating engaging user interfaces. This course on Unity's UI Toolkit helps build a foundation for creating these interfaces. Game Developers can use the skills learned here to create menus, heads-up displays, and other interactive elements that enhance the player experience. Understanding UXML, USS files, and Flexbox layouts enable Game Developers to create visually appealing and easily maintainable UIs. The practical examples and course project provide hands-on experience that is directly applicable to game development projects. You should take this course to improve the quality of your games.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Developer

User Interface Designer

A User Interface Designer focuses on creating intuitive and visually appealing interfaces for software applications and games. This course on Unity's UI Toolkit helps build a foundation for designing modern and reusable user interfaces within the Unity environment. User Interface Designers need to understand how to create interactive elements, manage layouts, and style components, all of which are covered in this course. The emphasis on UXML, USS files, and Flexbox layouts directly translates to the skills required for designing effective user interfaces in Unity. You can learn how to structure, style, and add behavior to your UI, making you a more capable User Interface Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Interface Designer

Interaction Designer

An Interaction Designer focuses on designing the way users interact with digital products, including software applications and games. This course on Unity's UI Toolkit helps build a foundation for creating interactive elements and managing user input within the Unity environment. Interaction Designers benefit from understanding event handling, data binding, and custom component creation, all of which are covered in this course. The course's emphasis on UXML and USS files also helps Interaction Designers create consistent and maintainable user interfaces. Using this course is one way to hone your craft as an Interaction Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Mobile Application Developer

Mobile Application Developers create applications for smartphones and tablets, often requiring sophisticated user interfaces. While this course focuses on Unity's UI Toolkit, the principles and techniques learned are transferable to mobile application development. Understanding layouts, styling, and event handling are essential for creating user-friendly mobile apps. The course's coverage of Flexbox layouts, data binding, and custom components provides Mobile Application Developers with valuable skills for building modern mobile interfaces. The knowledge of UXML and USS files helps standardize the structure and styling of mobile applications. You can develop your skills as a Mobile Application Developer by way of this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile Application Developer

Virtual Reality Developer

Virtual Reality Developers create immersive experiences, and user interfaces play a critical role in VR applications. This course on Unity's UI Toolkit helps build a foundation for designing interactive VR interfaces. Virtual Reality Developers need to create menus, control panels, and other UI elements that are intuitive and easy to use within a VR environment. The course's coverage of UXML, USS files, and event handling is directly applicable to VR UI development. Furthermore, the ability to create custom components allows Virtual Reality Developers to tailor their interfaces to the specific needs of their VR applications. Learn about components that make up the UI Toolkit so that you can create complex UI systems for VR games or apps.

See salaries and explore the career path for Virtual Reality Developer

Augmented Reality Developer

Augmented Reality Developers create applications that overlay digital information onto the real world, and user interfaces are essential for AR experiences. This course on Unity's UI Toolkit helps build a foundation for designing effective AR interfaces. Augmented Reality Developers need to create UIs that are both informative and unobtrusive, and this course provides the skills necessary to achieve this balance. The practical exercises and course project provide hands-on experience in creating interactive UI elements, managing layouts, and styling components. The features of events and event propagation are applicable to the interactive nature of augmented reality.

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User Experience Designer

A User Experience Designer focuses on the overall experience a user has with a product, including its usability, accessibility, and desirability. This course on Unity's UI Toolkit may be helpful for creating user interfaces within the Unity environment. User Experience Designers benefit from understanding how to create intuitive layouts, manage user input, and style components, all of which are touched upon in this course. The course's coverage of UXML and USS files can also help User Experience Designers create consistent and maintainable user interfaces. This course may benefit you in particular as a UX Designer.

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Training Material Developer

Training Material Developers create materials that are intended to train others. It may be helpful to take this course on Unity's UI Toolkit. The skills taught here may assist you in creating training materials for Unity UI design. You may find this course helpful in creating your projects for your career as a Training Material Developer, who should understand layouts, styling, and event handling. Doing so is essential for creating user-friendly training materials. The course's coverage of Flexbox layouts, data binding, and custom components may provide Training Material Developers with valuable skills for crafting modern training interfaces.

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Software Engineer

A Software Engineer designs, develops, and tests software applications. While this course focuses on Unity's UI Toolkit, the principles and techniques learned are transferable to software engineering in general. Software Engineers benefit from understanding layouts, styling, and event handling, all of which are covered in this course. The course's coverage of Flexbox layouts, data binding, and custom components provides Software Engineers with valuable skills for building modern user interfaces in a variety of contexts. This will assist Software Engineers in creating and maintaining user-friendly and efficient software.

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Software Developer

Software Developers create and maintain software applications. This course on Unity's UI Toolkit provides practical skills applicable to creating user interfaces within Unity. Software Developers can utilize the knowledge of UXML, USS files, and Flexbox layouts to structure and style their UI elements efficiently. The course's emphasis on event handling and data binding allows Software Developers to create interactive and dynamic user interfaces. This course empowers Software Developers to build visually appealing and user-friendly software applications within the Unity environment.

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Technical Artist

A Technical Artist bridges the gap between art and programming in game development. This course on Unity's UI Toolkit may be useful for creating UI elements and integrating them into game projects. Technical Artists benefit from understanding how to create custom components, manipulate UI elements with scripts, and optimize UI performance. The course's coverage of UXML and USS files can also help Technical Artists create consistent and visually appealing user interfaces. Learning the UI toolkit is one way to hone your craft as a Technical Artist.

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Animator

Animators create moving images for various media, including video games and films. While this course focuses on Unity's UI Toolkit, animators may find it useful for creating animated UI elements and integrating them into their projects. Animators can use the knowledge of event handling and data binding to create interactive animations within the UI. The course's coverage of custom components also allows Animators to create unique and visually appealing UI elements. While being an Animator, you may find that this course assists you in your work.

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Level Designer

Level Designers create the environments and gameplay experiences for video games. While this course focuses on Unity's UI Toolkit, Level Designers may find it useful for creating in-game menus, heads-up displays, and other UI elements that enhance the player experience. Level Designers can use their understanding of layouts and event handling to create intuitive and engaging UI elements that seamlessly integrate into the game world. It may be useful in your career as Level Designer to use the knowledge you gained in this course.

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Game Designer

Game Designers are responsible for the overall design and vision of a video game. While this course focuses on Unity's UI Toolkit, Game Designers may find it useful for understanding how user interfaces contribute to the overall player experience. Game Designers can use the knowledge of layouts, event handling, and data binding to design intuitive and engaging UI elements that enhance the gameplay. As a Game Designer, you may find that this course gives you valuable insight into your work.

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Project Manager

A project manager is responsible for planning, organizing, and executing projects, and this can include those relating to software. This course on Unity's UI Toolkit may be useful to you in understanding some of the different issues that are at play. This is because project managers need to understand how projects are structured, how to manage user input, adn how components might be styled. As a Project Manager, you may find that this course gives you valuable insight into your work.

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Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Modern Unity UI with UI Toolkit.

Unity 2017 2D Game Development Projects

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Provides practical recipes for creating various UI elements and systems in Unity. While it primarily focuses on the older Unity UI system (Canvas), many of the underlying principles and design patterns are transferable to UI Toolkit. It can be a useful resource for understanding UI design concepts and common UI challenges. It is more valuable as additional reading than as a current reference.

Unity 2017 2D Game Development Projects: Create...

Paperback

Practical UI Patterns for Design Systems

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Explores common UI patterns and best practices for creating design systems. While not specific to Unity or UI Toolkit, it provides valuable insights into UI design principles, component organization, and user experience. It can help you think more strategically about how to structure and style your UI elements in UI Toolkit. It is more valuable as additional reading than as a current reference.

Practical UI Patterns for Design Systems: Fast...

Paperback

Modern Unity UI with UI Toolkit

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What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Comprehensive unity ui toolkit guide

Activities

Career center

Featured in The Course Notes

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