DLOG 2: Art to Engine
- Aidan Melville
- May 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 5
In this DLOG we will take a look through the next stages of the 2D project, Crystal Heist. Taking a step from art and design to the Unity engine, creation and programming.
Leading on from my first DLOG where we focused on the concept, and art creation, we now are taking a look at implementation, designing the scene and scripting.
Scene
Starting off this project I have to create the design of the scene and level, focusing on what I wanted the world to look like and how I wanted the players to navigate and explore that world.
From the beginning I already had an idea for the background and setting the scene, with the pink cherry blossom background to truly set the tone.
With the background setting in place I moved to the next layer. For the 2D platforming game I used a layer level approach, having each layer be a unique section I can alter edit and adapt should I need to. When creating these layers I went through a few prototyping phases, having the concept of merged layers to increase player perspective and evolve the landscape.
However during the developed and designing of the layers I realised one crucial flaw in my idea, that being the way colliders work within Unity and how it would impact movement and flow of the game. With this now in mind I decided to separate the layers having the following three layers
The layers are the sky, foreground, midground and platforms. This allowed me to integrate the platforms with the level design in the way I had planned while preventing collision issues the previous design prototypes had caused.
Scripting
Kicking off the scripting was the player controller. I started off with setting the ability to move and jump. Previously I had experience with C++ so learning C# through my NFTS course was simple to convert my understanding and grasp the language.
Above shows the scripts I developed and programmed, as well as a look inside some of the scripts, what the variables and functions being used are and what we have at play.
With the scripts they can be broken down into the player, key items, interactions, scenes and AI.
KEY
The Key script came first, as something I had done for a 3D project during my course using visual scripting graphs (Unity 6 feature), I had knowledge of how the fundamentals worked, and found it a good base to start challenging my c# scripting knowledge and the logic before attempting more advanced logic.
Chest
Once the key was sorted I could set up logic for the chest, building on my new understanding I wanted to add in animations to this item so I scripted the chest to play an open animation I designed, before delaying and then disappearing.
CRYSTAL
Finally I scripted the crystal, adding physics to the object so it looks as though it pops out of the chest and lands on the floor, I also added a particle system I learned during my course, having found particles in a pack I got from the Unity Asset Store.
The Crystal ended up being the most advanced and complex key item, as it had to have it's physic, particle system, colliders and sprite renderer turned off until you opened the chest when it turned everything back on without any conflicts and being able to still be interactable.
AI
The Crystal had been my most intricate script yet, until... (in the words of Deadpool - [Queue the Music])
ENEMY AI SCRIPTING
Enemy AI was something I had not touched on yet, it was also something I had not covered in my course.
Meaning I had to take to the internet and expand my knowledge further, I took up the challenge with determination as scripting is something I am really passionate about.
I watched several YouTube tutorials (thank you random developers wherever you are <3) followed several Unity Discussion boards over a couple of days before I finally scripted exactly what I wanted...
....An enemy that moves from left to right -_-
Joking aside, I learned so much from scripting the enemies, and so many different methods of doing this, it was extremely eye opening and very useful.
Other scripts I tackled a little after the next sections, but I will return to that after the next Dlog. Thank you for following along with this journey, in the next Dlog I will be talking through the process of Scene Management, Cutscenes and UI.
Please remember to check out Crystal Heist on Itch.io using the link below. Comment your feedback on the game page, or send your feedback directly to me using the contact form below.
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