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Question 2021.1 is now released, would there be a 'non-preview' package of UI Toolkit available in 2020 LTS?

Discussion in 'UI Toolkit' started by osimaleki, Mar 24, 2021.

  1. osimaleki

    osimaleki

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    We are building an app for mobile and the new UI builder, Toolkit is awesome for it. My question is do we need to eventually update to 2021.1 for production or 2020 LTS will have these packages available as an installable package?

    Thank you!
     
    osimaleki, Mar 24, 2021
    #1

  2. mcoted3d

    mcoted3d

    Unity Technologies

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    Hello!

    The UI Toolkit package will always be in preview form. The UI Toolkit that ships built-in with the editor is the "non-preview" released version.

    So, the 2021.2 (not 2021.1 likeI previously wrote) Unity version will have UI Toolkit + Runtime support built into the editor, no package required.

    Hope this helps!
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2021
    mcoted3d, Mar 24, 2021
    #2

  3. osimaleki

    osimaleki

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    For sure! great to know. Thank you.
     
    osimaleki, Mar 24, 2021
    #3

  4. mcoted3d

    mcoted3d

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    Correction: 2021.2 will have UI Toolkit + Runtime included, not 2021.1. The preview package will still be required for 2021.1 to get the runtime support.

    Sorry for the confusion!
     
    mcoted3d, Mar 25, 2021
    #4

  5. Nexer8

    Nexer8

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    Are you still adding new features to the package, or is it just bug fixes with the new features being included in the built-in version?
     
    Nexer8, Mar 25, 2021
    #5

  6. mcoted3d

    mcoted3d

    Unity Technologies

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    Our main way to develop is no longer through the package. Being backward compatible with multiple versions of Unity at once was more demanding than expected. We are now developing new features in the latest version of unity. However, most bugfixes and features that don't break backward compatibility will be brought back to the package.
     
    mcoted3d, Mar 25, 2021
    #6
    Nexer8 likes this.

  7. Lurking-Ninja

    Lurking-Ninja

    Guest

    I have to mention that I don't like this at all. I find it devastatingly counterintuitive. In all other cases the understanding of built-in vs package goes by: if you want to use/test/evaluate the stable version, use the one shipped with the editor. If you want to play with the latest, cutting-edge preview stuff, install the package. It seems that your release logic is the exact opposite what other parts of Unity is doing.

    If it is true and I didn't misunderstand something, it is super bad.
     
    Lurking-Ninja, Mar 26, 2021
    #7

  8. mcoted3d

    mcoted3d

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    It is mostly a workflow change on our side. We develop in the Unity main branch first, then we take a "snapshot" of that to make a new com.unity.ui package version. We release the package long before the next Unity version will be available, so from you point of view, you will still get the fixes and features sooner.

    There might be times where we cannot release a new package when the fixes or features cannot be backported.
     
    mcoted3d, Mar 27, 2021
    #8

  9. IcyHammer

    IcyHammer

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    I just installed Unity 2021.1.0f1 (64-bit) and it seems like everything is included already, the thing I noticed is Ui Document component is missing so I can't actually use ui in-game and I can't see ui toolkit in package manager, preview is enabled. Any ideas?
     
    IcyHammer, Mar 27, 2021
    #9

  10. IcyHammer

    IcyHammer

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    Ok, I just found out that I have to manually add com.unity.ui, it's not listed even if I enabled show preview packages?
     
    IcyHammer, Mar 27, 2021
    #10

  11. kevinwhoffman

    kevinwhoffman

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    If you want to create runtime UI using Unity Toolkit in Unity 2021.1.0f1, then you still must install the UI Toolkit package to access the UI Document component. As stated above, Unity 2021.2 should include UI Toolkit + Runtime, at which time the separate package will no longer be required.

    My understanding is that "Pre-release" packages will display in the package manager if you have the pre-release packages enabled in Project Settings > Package Manager. However "Experimental" packages (such as UI Toolkit) must be added manually installed via the Git URL.
     
    kevinwhoffman, Mar 28, 2021
    #11

  12. IcyHammer

    IcyHammer

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    Thanks!
     
    IcyHammer, Mar 29, 2021
    #12