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Is there a complete aircraft asset?

Discussion in 'Getting Started' started by warrenbrandt, Mar 18, 2018.

  1. warrenbrandt

    warrenbrandt

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    Posts:
    413
    Hi guys

    Are there compete assets that are completely functional?

    I bought an airline plane on the asset store yesterday and it seems to just be a model. So it doesn't actually fly or have retractable landing gear, flaps etc. (lol maybe I was expecting too much for $1)

    Do I really have to animate this planes different elements and get scripts going for control etc.

    I came across some tools that seemed to do this think it was flight tools or something but they seemed to be for older versions of unity and people running 2017 were complaining...i must admit that I am disappointed with the unity store I would have thought there would be a very elaborate flight simulator kit at this point but there doesn't seem to be anything up to date. (I guess I'm the only geek left in the world still interested in making these types of games)

    Look if I have to do everything the hard way I'm willing to as it will be a learning experience but looking on YouTube there doesn't seem to be many good tutorials... There was one but it was very basic.. What are your thoughts?
     
  2. JoeStrout

    JoeStrout

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    Jan 14, 2011
    Posts:
    9,859
    I don't know the answer to that. Your searching ability is probably as good as mine.

    Haha, you sure were. If you got a good-quality model for $1, you got a bargain.

    Of course. Don't expect artists to be creating code for you... and if they did, you probably wouldn't want to actually use it. :p

    Maybe. :) I actually had an idea that would involve a flight sim component recently, but I assumed I'd be writing the flight simulation myself. I wouldn't necessarily expect to find something like that off the shelf.

    It's a pretty deep topic. One of the books I've read, Physics for Game Developers, devotes a few chapters to flight simulation as I recall. And of course there is quite a spectrum between realism and nonrealistic flight simulation; you'll need to decide for yourself how realistic you need to be.

    So, if you can't find something off the shelf (and I would start by contacting the authors of anything you do find and seeing whether they are still supporting their asset), then your only options are to either write it yourself, or hire someone to write it for you. (PM me if the latter interests you.)
     
    Bill_Martini likes this.
  3. DerrickMoore

    DerrickMoore

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2018
    Posts:
    246

    so so so true.. my code is AWEFUL and full of "nobody will notice this" kinda stuff, like... wow... just wow. don't let artists code, I think we code like we mix paint.. by "feel"

    here's the best hint about YouTube tutorials... Make sure you are searching using the tools and set your search to only return finds that are less than a year old....

    I mean, I learned ALOT from doing some 5 year old tutorials... (mostly I learned that a lot has changed in 5 years, AND, I learned a lot about degunning and learning to fix what don't work... so... I can't honestly say that doing impossible 5 year old tutorials is a bad idea, but it's not a very good idea either.. (you will learn a lot though, making it work, but the 5 year old tutorials use a lot of functions that simply are not there anymore, and you will have to do some Unity research to find the new/current solution... which is a great (frustrating) learning thing
     
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  4. Ryiah

    Ryiah

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Posts:
    20,965
    Be realistic in your expectations. Unity's asset store is intended to be a way to supplement your project. You need to understand that anything you purchase from it may not necessarily be in the state you want it to be and you will have to adapt it to your needs. It's not at all unusual for people who regularly use the asset store to use models there as a base to start from rather than as the final state.

    Additionally keep in mind that some assets may not necessarily be legal to use in the form they are sold as without any additional licenses. I know that may seem a bit odd with the intended purpose of the asset store but there are assets on the store that are direct copies of real life products and using them without licenses from the actual manufacturer can lead to legal trouble. Some third party asset stores like Turbo Squid are famous for selling identical to real life assets.

    A couple quick examples of this off the top of my head would be the Ferrari and Boeing look-a-likes.

    https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/vehicles/land/gr3d-super-car-121013sspc-13685
    https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/vehicles/air/jet-airliner-777-30611
     
    Bill_Martini likes this.
  5. Bill_Martini

    Bill_Martini

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2016
    Posts:
    445
    I'd also like to add that each asset has the authors contact info. Ask before you buy.
     
    Ryiah likes this.
  6. warrenbrandt

    warrenbrandt

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    Mar 3, 2018
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    413
    thanks all,

    Ryiah say for example that 777....says that the gear up/down animations are ready...what sort of tutorial would i follow to get that sorted...i looked on youtube didnt seem to be any tutorials on actual airplane animations...

    look to be honest...am i jumping the gun here...should i be starting on smaller projects in the tutorials before tackling my dreams?
     
    JoeStrout likes this.
  7. Bill_Martini

    Bill_Martini

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2016
    Posts:
    445
    I think without a doubt that everyone here would agree, complete at least several tutorials. The more the better and don't try to find flying simulator tuts. Do the ones in the 'Learn' section, see link above. Moving flight controls is the same as moving any object, learn to do one, you learn to what you need for your sim.

    Lastly, I'd like to state, we never do our best work the first time we tackle something new. The best way to finish your project and have it come out decent, is to become proficient in Unity first.
     
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  8. Ryiah

    Ryiah

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Posts:
    20,965
    One common mistake people make when searching for learning material is that they search for a solution that exactly matches their problem. It's important to understand that the solution for one problem is often the solution for many problems. Animation for an airplane isn't that much different than animation for a door for example.

    Unity has tutorials covering animation.

    https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/s/animation
     
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  9. smacbride

    smacbride

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2015
    Posts:
    50
    Take a look at Unity's standard assets examples that ship with the product. They have some scenes with aircraft in them that might give you some good starting points.
     
    JoeStrout likes this.