[RELEASED] Prototype : Build Levels and Props in Unity, then Test and Tweak Instantly

Full information and details available at "www.protoolsforunity3d.com/prototytpe". Currently awaiting Asset Store link, meanwhile you can purchase directly via the above link.

We are very, very excited to finally announce "Prototype"!

Prototype enables you to build entire game levels (or objects) with speed and simplicity, then test instantly and tweak immediately- there is zero lag in the creative process. This is the powerful core of ProBuilder, but stripped of specialized functions and focused on speed, available for just $15 for the first few days. Check out the video below for a quick overview, including a demonstration of the new Extrude feature!

Prototype is the core of our powerful mesh-building tool, ProBuilder, stripped for speed and simplicity. Prototype is built specifically for “prototyping” a level- building up the basic structure and flow of your game without wasting a single second, and enabling true speed-of-your-mind game creation. With the ability to build, test, then instantly tweak, test again, etc, your workflow becomes incredibly fast, efficient, and truly fun.



Using Prototype, you can quickly build great looking early-stage structures, props, walls, bunkers, vehicles, virtually anything at all. Test and tweak instantly, then replace with final models once your artists catch up- if they can! Prototype also includes ProBuilder’s ability to quickly colorize faces without adding a single draw call, so you can designate team areas, or just get creative with colorful dev textures.

Lastly, Prototype includes support for the Detail, Mover, Collider, and Trigger types from ProBuilder, so you can even use Prototype with dynamic doors, lifts, spawns, barriers, player clip, and much more.



Whatever your project, Prototype can accelerate it’s development, ease your stress, and ultimately allow you to ship a better finished project. Give it a try, you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it!

Full information and details available at "www.protoolsforunity3d.com/prototype". Looking forward to any questions, comments, and feedback! We honestly can't wait to see what everyone creates with this new and super-accessible tool

 

Tutorial Videos

Tutorial #1: Complete Overview of Prototype v1.0

Timelapse #1: Building Colorizing a Funky Stylized Tank[/SIZE]

 

This looks excellent! Will definitely be grabbing it when it hits the store.

 

Thanks meta87! I'll be sure to notify everyone when it does.

 

Love it! Db you have any tips on how to make tunnels?

 

Thanks! Tunnels are no problem at all- just create a "Pipe" using the Shape Tool "CTRL-SHIFT-K" will open that panel, choose Pipe from the drop-down list (and check out all the other cool shapes, we'll add more too!), then set the size/height/etc that you need. Click "Build" and you have a tunnel

I'll post a few special-construction tutorials today, as well.

 

So... when's 2.2 out? And do you have a comparison feature list?

 

ProBuilder users can always grab the latest internal builds via the "Beta Testing Group" (email for details), which includes v2.2 of course.

Prototype was able to launch because it does not include some of the more complex geometry features that v2.2 includes, as is currently perfecting. The current 2.2 beta works great, but isn't fully "safety-checked". Hence, available to all current users, but we are waiting to release it on the Asset Store for new users until it is 100% solid and trouble free. Or, as darn close as we can get it at least.

Feature comparison list is coming, sure thing!

 

Brand-new full documentation has been uploaded and is now available in a user-friendly web version!
http://www.protoolsforunity3d.com/documentation-probuilder-and-prototype/

Also, finally finished all media and submitted to the Asset Store. Should be available very soon!

 

Prototype just went live on the Asset Store! Grab it while it's only $15!

 

I'm a big fan of CG Cookie - I just had a few quick questions about Prototype:

1. If I decide to pick up Prototype and fall in love with it, will I be able to upgrade to ProBuilder at a later time for a reduced cost?

2. I generally like that "low poly" look in modeling - is there any reason why it would be a bad idea to use Prototype/ProBuilder for basic character modeling?

3. Is Prototype compatible with ProGrids?

Thanks so much!

 

Thanks bigOrangeJuice!

1) Anybody who purchases Prototype, will be able to upgrade to ProBuilder for the difference in cost payed, for sure. This will get tricky, since Prototype will be jumping up in price soon, and that will have to be factored in. So, it might be a custom setup, though I would honestly prefer it to go directly through Asset Store/CGC (I'm an artist- no good at dealing with invoices, etc!). No matter what though, we'll make sure it works out

2) Technically, you could use ProBuilder/Prototype to create absolutely anything! In the end, it's just a mesh that is created, which you can do as you please with, including rigging, skinning, and animating. This would require you to rig and skin in Unity...is that possible? If not, maybe I should create a tool for it! Or, you could export as OBJ and rig/skin/etc in a separate 3D tool.

3) ProGrids is actually compatible with everything and anything in Unity That's the beauty of it! We also have a special condition built in so that it does NOT snap QuickDecals objects, and developers can contact us if they would like for us to do the same for them, if needed.

Let me know if anything is left unclear, thanks again!

 

For some reason I can't edit the original post at all- here's a link to purchase on the Asset Store!
https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/#/content/11919

 

Timelapse #1: Building Colorizing a Funky Stylized Tank

Had a lot of fun building this one- will be creating many more, and might even submit something to Ludum Dare!

 

Any ETA on ProBuilder 2.2?

 

Karl is finishing up Face Cutting (subdivision), then it'll be ready to roll! There will be a bit of testing too, of course.

 

That's awesome news

 

I have had a blast using these updates in the ProBuilder 2.2 beta the last few days. I purchased ProBuilder over a year ago, and am truly amazed by the improvements that have been made. It has allowed me to spend less and less time in Blender. The amount of time I have saved with this tool has been huge. Also, add this to the great customer service, and the other top quality 6by7 tools (QuickEdit, ProGrids, QuickDecals).

This is top notch stuff, 6by7. What will you have for us next?

You joke, but I wouldn't put it past you. Let me know when it is ready for testing.

 

Thanks! Love to hear that. When 2.2 finally goes live (way overdue, but for good reasons!), I think it will be 99.9% of the "do-all" tool we've been working towards. A full-featured UVW editor is next!

Super organic modeling will be a "3.0" thing. We don't intend to replace Zbrush, Max, etc- it would be silly to think that- but we do hope to enable the majority of simple to semi-complex modeling and texturing to happen right inside Unity.

 

so what is missing from Prototype that is in ProBuilder

we need like comparison chart of feature list...

 

Putting this together right now! Will post here in about 5 minutes.

 

You can now view the full comparison chart online at:
http://www.protoolsforunity3d.com/probuilder-vs-prototype-comparison-chart/

Here is also a text version of the list:

[TABLE="class: outer_border, width: 500, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Prototype ($15)[/TD]
[TD]ProBuilder ($95)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]includes the following:[/TD]
[TD]includes everything on the left, plus:[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Build Geometry[/TD]
[TD]Extrude Edge[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Shapes (Stair, Pipe, etc)[/TD]
[TD]Weld Vertices[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Edit by Face[/TD]
[TD]Collapse Vertices[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Edit by Edge[/TD]
[TD]Delete Face[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Edit by Vertex[/TD]
[TD]“NoDraw”[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Extrude Face[/TD]
[TD]Merge Objects[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Vertex Coloring[/TD]
[TD]Detach Faces[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]“World” Entity Type[/TD]
[TD]Assign Pivot Position[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]“Mover” Entity Type[/TD]
[TD]Flip Normals (Object or Face)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]“Collision” Entity Type[/TD]
[TD]Advanced Lightmapping[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]“Trigger” Entity Type[/TD]
[TD]“Detail” Entity Type[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]“VisGroups”[/TD]
[TD]Quick Group Objects[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Texture Editing[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Edit UVs[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Edit Smoothing[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Export to OBJ[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Realtime-Ready[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


Hope that clears things up, let me know if any questions at all. Thanks!

 

thanks

in the blog the two columns are not aligning
http://www.protoolsforunity3d.com/probuilder-vs-prototype-comparison-chart/

 

Sometimes...I hate Wordpress.

Thanks, fixed!

 

Loving Prototype so far!

Bit of an issue though, I preview any of the component shapes, but when I try to change the dimensions, the preview shifts and moves off randomly in the scene view.

Also, not all of the component shapes are working, such as doors and cylinders, I just get massive errors and it crashes.

Any ideas?

-Sean

 

Hi there,

Sorry for that, we have an update being submitted already to fix the issue- it somehow slipped past us in final testing. You can email me directly (via the docs) and I'll send the fix right over to you!

Thanks Sean!
-Gabriel W

 

I have a couple questions about the vertex coloring tools. In your videos you seem to be applying a uniform color to an entire element at time.

Is your tool limited to this kind of vertex coloring, or is it more flexible? Can you blend the vertex color incrementally with your currently selected color? Can you only color vertices within a certain radius? With a soft fall-off like a Photoshop brush? Is there any difference between vertex coloring between Protoype and Probuilder?

I am interested in using vertex color as input to a multi-texturing shader so being able to subdivide geometry and have fine control over vertex color would be very useful. Are your tools (either Prototype or Probuilder) able to do this?

Thanks!

 

i'm having quite a few issues, and i'm sorry to say it feels kinda alpha or beta-ish to me. i'm on a Mac ML 10.8 with Unity 4.2.1. i'm getting tons of NullReferenceException errors on pb_Object.get_msh(). i can't see any created prisms, cylinders, doors, cones. it's creating tons of bogus pb-MergedObjects that i can't see.

so basically pretty useless at the moment. i have verified i can create cubes pipes planes and stairs, and the editing seems to be OK ( i only tried it on a cube) but it seems really unstable. i started this out as a blank project and selected the package to install but that didn't work. i installed it via Asset Store which worked better but gave me tons of object being created. on the offchance i didn't initialize the project properly i started with a completely blank project again, installed Prototype via the Asset Store Download Manager and i'm still getting almost the same behavior, with the exception that i don't get as many of the pb-Merged objects being created automatically.

ball's in your court. if i were reviewing this it'd get one star. other frustrating things - i use Flythrough mode a lot when level editing and apparently Prototype doesn't recognize when right mouse button is held down. as soon as i press E regardless of right mouse button, Prototype interprets it as a Move command, and if i use E it chooses rotate.

i was going to ask how you can switch between different textures when using prototype but the stability issues have to be addressed first.

best,
scott

 

Vertex coloring is exactly the same in ProBuilder and Prototype, and yes our current interface just gives the option of coloring an entire face at once. However, there are several really great Vertex Painting tools available on the Asset Store, all which should work just fine with ProBuilder geometry. We are looking into creating our own as well, but it would be a bit like reinventing the wheel...still, we know users would love to have that feature without purchasing a separate package, so it's definitely on our "wish list" too!

Hmm, not sure if I answered your question directly enough- yes, what you are asking will work just fine, in theory. If you will be using a specific tool, just let me know and I can purchase it and give it a full test before you buy ProBuilder/Prototype, no problem. I've been meaning to do so anyway!

One thing to keep in mind though- Prototype does not enable changing the default texture or material. That's one of the special perks reserved for ProBuilder, among many others

Thanks Shane!
PS- I'll try to make a least a quick Vertex Painting demo very soon, keep an eye out on this forum for it

 

Sorry for the troubles- a bug was introduced and (naturally) slipped by at the last minute, which causes the "Create Advanced Shapes" panel to not work properly. Everything else appears to be working great (as shown in the video). We do have an update already submitted to the Asset Store, of course. Meanwhile, as I'm glad is showing very well on the Asset Store reviews, anyone can send a quick support email and I'll send over the fixed package. I understand it is problem, and do apologize. Kicking myself for letting that slip through!

This is something Unity-based that we are attempting to address, for sure. For now, a quick and simple fix is to hit "G" to toggle out of geometry mode before using Flythrough, then hit "G" to toggle back into Geometry mode when you need to edit.

Stability issues are all fixed, no worries on that. As for texturing and UV control, that's a feature reserved for the full ProBuilder tool (see the comparison chart above). Of course, you could always simple edit the default texture and material, just be sure to keep the naming and location exactly the same.

Thanks for the input Scott, and please do email me (per the docs) so I can send over the updated build, it will have you fixed up right away. I can also give you my Skype address if you still have issues. I've been using this tool all day for the past several days, and really having a blast- putting off other work to just build!

 

OK, thanks for the response! I was just wondering how developed your vertex coloring tools were. I am perfectly fine working with a different product as well, but a list of assets known to be compatible with yours would be fantastic.

Although my vertex coloring needs are relatively simple so even if you could just adding the ability to apply colors in vertex mode with a specified blending amount would be flexibly enough for most of what I'd need to do.

I actually already have ProBuilder and you just added me to the beta testing group so I can try things out myself with the newest version. I asked the question here partially because I am interested in the differences between Prototype and Probuilder. Which actually brings me to another question:

Can I work with someone who is using Prototype to box out the levels? Import them smoothly to ProBuilder to finish doing the more detailed work? I will be collaborating with someone who doesn't have either yet so if he could go with Prototype that would probably be simpler since he won't likely need any of the more advanced features.

 

@shane - Prototype to ProBuilder compatibility is still being worked out- tricky going thanks to the different names of the tools. It will work of course, but not at the moment.

@all - Just submitted ProGroups to the Asset Store, btw! Good to have that finally out and done

 

Hi -- Just picked up Prototype after experimenting a bit with the free version of ProBuilder a few weeks back. It is a fun tool to use, though I have a few nits.

Every time I use a Prototype hot key, I get the system error beep. I'm on OSX Mavericks. I've tried changing around the hot keys but I didn't find one that didn't beep. Pretty annoying, any idea what's going on?

Also, I can't seem to get "Set Pivot" (⌘J) to work. I assume it is supposed to reset the object's origin to the center of the selected vertex or face, but it does not appear to do anything, in either Top or Geometry modes.

Help?

Greg

 

Hi Greg, hopefully Karl can chime in here soon on the beeping issue- I know it's something Mac users seem to come up against occasionally. Sorry, Windows myself so I can't test that directly at the moment.

About Set Pivot, that sounds like something I need to update in the docs maybe? That feature isn't part of Prototype, only ProBuilder. My apologies if I didn't highlight that in the docs, checking those now...

 

Hey Greg, I also work on a Mac, and believe me when I say that the system beep has been a thorn in my side for longer than I care to admit.

That being said, I saw your comment and attacked the problem with a renewed vigor... and it's now fixed!

With regards to 'Set Pivot' not working, is the Handle toggle in Unity set to 'Pivot' or 'Center'?

 

(reposted from the ProBuilder 2.0 forum thread, to make more sense)

Odd- do you perhaps have an old version? This was an issue in the first release, which we patched immediately. If you could "register" per the docs (at the very top), I'll send you the newest version right away.

This is entirely my fault- thanks for pointing it out! That link has been nullified. Basically, the free version of ProGrids fell behind and doesn't work with the newer Prototype and ProBuilder. Fixing that up at the moment, should have a working version very soon.

 

Glad to hear you found the "beep" bug. I'll look at the pivot thing, it sounds like it isn't intended to be supported in Prototype?

 

Pivot setting is one of the "special tools" I'd like to keep for ProBuilder, mainly since the fast, simple gearing of Prototype generally doesn't require pivot modification. But, if many people find it super-crucial even for prototyping, I'll definitely consider adding it- I don't want to ruin anyone's experience with the tool. We have to leave some features to make ProBuilder worth the upgrade though!

 

Thanks for clarifying the issue with the free version of ProGrids! Sinc we're on the topic of out-of-date links, the link to "QuickGrids"(or whatever it was called, can't remember the name right now) seems to be broken. Is that one also supposed to be abandoned?

 

Does Prototype have Prefab support? I am getting errors when using content created in Prototype being instantiated as Prefabs in my scene.

 

Yes, however instantiating ProBuilder objects requires a few additional calls. There is a GameObject.Instantiate replacement in ProBuilder though, which behaves just like GameObject.Instantiate except that it properly initailizes pb_Objects when necessary.

Ex:

Code (csharp):

1. myInstantiatedObject = ProBuilder.Instantiate(probuilderPrefab, Vector3.zero, Quaternion.identity);

 

Ok thanks! Saves me having to save the objects out to OBJ files and then bringing them back into Unity. I will see if I can use this, I am currently using a third party toolkit and will have to dig into the source to change the Instantiate methods.

 

Oh, I see. Okay, you could also just get the pb_Object component after instantiating the object and call the requisite methods yourself. Here's what's happening behind the scenes-

Code (csharp):

1.  
2.     public static GameObject Instantiate(GameObject prefab, Vector3 position, Quaternion rotation)
3.     {
4.         GameObject go = (GameObject)GameObject.Instantiate(prefab);
5.         if(go.GetComponent<pb_Object>())
6.             go.GetComponent<pb_Object>().ReconstructMesh();
7.            
8.         foreach(Transform t in go.transform)
9.         {
10.             pb_Object pb = t.GetComponent<pb_Object>();
11.             if(pb == null) continue;
12.             pb.ReconstructMesh();
13.         }
14.  
15.         return go;
16.     }
17.  

 

Thanks! I will see which works best for me

 

Not abandoned, just shelved till I can get back in the swing of things! Out for the holidays till about Jan 3rd at the latest.

 

Hi, I picked up Prototype on the unity sale yesterday. It seems like it would be a quick way to block out environments for my hobby project, rather than doing a rough model in Max.

But I can't work out how to export the block outs to obj. Is this possible? If not, I'm not sure how much time it will save as I'll have to rebuild the rough in Max anyway.

If nothing else it offers customisable primitives which will be handy in themselves.

Thanks

 

Hi Robinball, great to hear you were able to jump in on the sale yesterday

I am internally conflicted on whether to include the Export to OBJ functionality in Prototype, currently it's only part of ProBuilder (full comparison list here: www.protoolsforunity3d.com/probuilder-vs-prototype-comparison-chart/).

My base reasoning is, once users move past the prototyping stage, they go into a more "pro" mode, and thus ProBuilder becomes the next logical step. Being fully transparent, I held OBJ export from Prototype as a major reason for pro-users to upgrade to ProBuilder, but again, I'm conflicted on that.

In your particular scenario, is OBJ export the only feature you see as useful in the ProBuilder list? There's definitely a fine line between "solid, useful tool with good incentives to upgrade", and "interesting experimental tool but ultimately not useful".

Thanks for your feedback!
gw

 

http://wiki.unity3d.com/index.php?title=ObjExporter

Free OBJ exporter from the Unity community. Just copy the text from each code block and paste them into their own text files with a .js extension, inside the root 'Editor' folder.

You'll get a new menu option to export your selection to OBJ, texture included.

Good luck!

 

I unofficially officially endorse this as a great option!

 

Ah, I didn't notice the lack of obj export in Prototype. I thought I'd spotted it mentioned somewhere. I did try and check it was supported, but must have been confused by mention of Pro.

I can quite understand you're wanting to hold features back to encourage upgrades to probuilder. It looks like a good set of tools for building BSP style levels. In my case I don't really plan to build final environment art that way. I'm a 3d artist professionally so prefer to make stuff in Max or another 3d app. I can get much better flexibility and detail that way. I was looking for something to block out rough layouts for a hobby adventure game so not the sort of thing that is really all that suited to BSP style levels.

I'll check out the obj export script. That sounds like it will do the trick for me.

Thanks for the prompt feedback. and lod3.