Setting Expectations

A powerful visual scripting system consists of nodes (the building blocks of making a visual script) that do something very small and specific such as add numbers together, move the location of an object, or play a sound. You then use these simple nodes in combination in creative ways to create very complex and powerful logic specific to your project's needs. Your creativity and knowledge are the only limiting factors.

 

Some users may expect a single logic node that encapsulates a bunch of functionality into it to make their game for them (like a “Make FPS” or “Make Monster Wander” node). The problem with this approach is that it is not feasible to create such “high level” nodes as every game is unique- sometimes in big ways and sometimes in subtle ways. Whatever the case, if we made complex logic nodes, it would greatly limit the flexibility of uScript to allow users to experiment and be creative in their game development as they would be stuck with the functionality built into these "mega-nodes". The purpose of uScript is not to make your game for you-- it is to empower you to make the game you wish to make!

 

We have put a massive effort into designing uScript to be as easy as possible for non-technical users, but using any visual scripting tool still requires some basic understanding and knowledge by the user of software/game development, math & physics, and game design sensibilities in order to create some of the more advanced visual scripts. If you are not familiar with game development and the Unity technology, you will still have a more difficult time creating your product than those with a greater set of experience and knowledge in these matters. The key is to be sure you take the time to fully understand the tools you are using in order to make them work well for you.

 

Prerequisites

To use uScript and get the most out of this powerful tool, there are both required and recommended prerequisites:

 

Required

• Unity – uScript works with both the free and pro versions of Unity 4 (and also Unity 3.5.7). You need to have the latest version of Unity installed in order to install and use uScript.
• uScript – you of course need to install uScript in order to use the tool. The uScript editor is accessed from within Unity.

 

Recommended

• Unity Basics – You should be familiar with the basic use of Unity. If you have not used Unity before, we recommend you read their documentation and become familiar with the Unity pipeline, development philosophy, and terminology. Specifically, understanding what the following things at the very least will greatly help you in using uScript:
  • GameObject - the foundation object in which most things in Unity derive from.
  • Component - this is how you turn simple, empty GameObjects into amazing objects that can do specific things in your game.
  • Prefab - a great way to to manage and modify complex GameObjects in your game.
  • Scene - this is how you break you game apart into pieces that can be loaded into memory when you need them..
  • Resource Folder - this is how Unity streams assets at runtime.
• Scripting Basics – While uScript allows you to visual create scripts for your product without needing to know the syntax of a programming language, it is recommended that you have a basic understanding of how programming works. We have created the Scripting Basics section to give you a primer in some of the basic concepts of scripting.
• Math & Physics – Many of the things you may want to do will involve various math and physics to accomplish. While uScript contains the low level nodes needed to perform these complex math operations, an understanding of how to utilize these nodes to get the results you are looking for will be helpful.