Unity 2.5 Coming Soon! (the official announcement)

Today we are here to crack the door open a bit more and officially, to the world, announce that Unity 2.5 is coming soon! I know everyone is cringing for a specific date and we still don't have anything more for you on that front other than we're aiming for a release prior to GDC (which occurs in late March). But what is news here is that we can now share a bit more about the release in terms of its feature set and of course some tasty screenshots. Rather than repost news found elsewhere I'll direct y'all to our website, and then hang around to help answer the questions I'm sure will come up.

Unity 2.5 Coming Soon

And as to those screenshots, you'll find them online but they're not at full resolution due to needing them to be a bit more "web friendly". To offer you forum kids some extra sugar I've posted them in full resolution to give you a better look at Unity 2.5. Just click the images below to view them at full resolution:










We're getting ever so close and I cannot wait to unleash Unity 2.5 on the world! I'm sure you'll have them so bring on the questions!


Note: as questions come up I'll track them and have a set of FAQs here in this post...

Q: Can you tell us when it will be released?
A: Unfortunately we don't have anything specific to offer, I can say that our current plans have Unity 2.5 ready for release by GDC (late March).

Q: Will this be a free update?
A: Yes! This be a free update for all existing owners of Unity 2!

Q: Can I own one license and install on both a Mac and a Windows machine?
A: Yes! Unity licenses are not platform specific and each license allows you to install on two machines, it's up to you how to use those two installs (2 Mac, 2 Win or 1 of each).

Q: Can I move project folders between Mac and Windows?
A: Yes!

Q: Will this release include any Unity iPhone updates?
A: No, this is an update to Unity only, Unity iPhone is a separate and parallel project that isn't being updated as part of this release.

Q: So it means that Unity Indie on Mac won't be able to publish to Windows?
A: 2.5 Indie on either platform can build standalones for either platform, with a splash screen. 2.5 Pro - the same but without the splash screen.

Q: Will the price of unity indie/pro change with 2.5?
A: The pricing structure will stay the same.

Q: Unity Asset Server accessible from Windows?
A: The Asset Server client-side interface will be accessible from WIndows. It's the Asset Server server-side installation that may come a bit later. Unity 2.5 on Windows can already access an Asset Server that's installed on an OSX or Linux machine.

Q: Any chance to get the beta-version?
A: All filled up on beta testers for now.

Q: Floating windows for multi-monitor setups?
A: Yes

Q: What are the minimum system requirements to run Unity 2.5? (authoring, not player)
A: For the Mac the general requirements are the same with the exception that we're only guaranteeing compatibility with OS X 10.4 or higher. For Windows users:

* Windows XP SP2 or later or Windows Vista SP1 or later.
* Pretty much any CPU.
* Some amount of RAM. How much to work comfortably, depends on the size of the game you're working on.
* Graphics card with 4+ texture units or pixel shader 1.1 or better (this includes GeForce 3 and up, Radeon 8500 and up, Intel 865 and up). In other words, any graphics card that is less than 7 years old.

 

Hooray! I love the screen shots. It's looking really nice.

Good work guys!

 

Nice.

Hi-res screenie of the second image doesn't seem to be working?

 

Fixed.

 

This looks totally awesome.
I assume the scrollbars will be able to have both arrows at the bottom rather than either side?

 

These are not OS-based UI elements, everything inside of the editor now uses the same UnityGUI system your content does and that's not an option (IIRC).

 

Wow..I'm quite properly amazed with that 1.5 GUI! And you said it was all done with unity's GUI system? Awesome.
Anyways, will it (fnially) be possible to save changes made during play mode?

 

Just saw congratz on the anouncement guys!

 

looks delicious

i hope it still support XP XP 64 bit :wink:

 

Ahem, 2.5...

Yup. Kudos to Nicholas and others for some flat out awesome work.

No, but now the editor gives you a clear indication that you're in play mode. Notably the entire authoring UI, except your game window, is "tinted" (you can customize the color) when you're playing so you have an easy indication that the changes you're making are temporary. So while it's not as nice as saving the data it at least helps notify you that you're making temporary changes.

 

any chance for it to support XP XP 64 bit ?

and

can we run Mac Win version at the same time with only 1 license ?

again.. it's looking AWESOME !!

 

3ds Max Importing AWESOME!!!!!!

 

Edit: yes!

Unity licenses are not tied to a particular authoring platform. Unity licenses are per-developer but allow you to install Unity on two machines (work/home, laptop/desktop, etc.). It's up to you to choose your hardware, 2 Macs? 2 Win? 1 of each?

 

It will be like our support for Maya, Cinema 4D and others on the Mac. If you're using Unity and 3DS Max on the same machine then just save your Max files into your project folder and Unity handles the export to FBX in the background for you. Make a change? Unity updates! Easy...

 

It's fantastic! I dont have to buy a new mac
Wo, I can not wait to remove the unity license from my old mac and traspas it to my pc (but my mac laptot will mantain the second license, for iphone ^^).

Great news!

 

Wow that is awesome.
I can't wait!!
Couple questions:

Will I be able to bring this on my computer to GDC?

Will my wife be able to give this to me as a valentines day gift??

B

 

can mac project folders be taken straight over to unity on windows and vice versa with no problems?

 

If I recall, the plan is to have mac and windows be 100% identical (apart from keybindings and the like), so yes.

 

Sorry if this is obvious. But If I run 2.5 on a MBP and same MBP with Windows via bootcamp does that count as one license use or two?

Cheers.

 

If I may, I'd like to get particular about terminology. You are not asking about a "license", you are asking about "an allowed install". You have _one_ license, it's allowed _two installs_.

In the example case I sense that it may very well be treated as a separate install as the OS is part of the licensing configuration data (along with actual hardware specific information), but I'm not 100% certain about that.

 

Looks quite nice!

Three quick questions:

o Can you alter values now more intuitive by dragging your mouse over the value in the inspector?
o Can you let objects transform.rotate/view at others easily like "click obj1, lookAt, click obj2"?
o Can the IDE be minimized on windows?

I'm happy that i'll be free of the mac hardware restrictions again. :O)

 

Sweet!

This is awesome news. Let's hope your servers can handle all the new users downloading 2.5 for Windows, on (insert date here).

1. Are you going to make it easier to transfer licenses? Currently we have to email customer service to have them reset the licenses.

2. Is this a free upgrade for current 2.1 users?

Rock on!

iBrent

 

Awesome stuff, stoked about the xp support.

Floating windows for multi-monitor setups?

Cheers
AaronC

 

Cool however way you want to wrap it you've answered my question and confirmed my original gut feeling.

Cheers.

 

Wow congratulations new interface looks awesome!

Quick question does 2.5 include any iphone improvements or bug fixes?

cheers
Jonas

 

Unfortunately no in both cases. Although there are plenty of other author-time usability improvements to make the app behave quite a bit nicer.

Yes!

Edit: I forgot to answer this one! The process for transferring to a different computer will remain the same for now, that isn't changing in the 2.5 release and you'll still need to write our support team for help with that.

Yes, it's a free for all existing Unity 2 license holders.

Yes, tear 'em free and move them where you want.

No, this is a Unity 2.5 update that has no relation to our iPhone support as that is a parallel project.

 

2 Installs?
So what if i have to reformat my drive (happened 2 times this year for me. The second time I just went out and bought a new computer.) Does this mean I'd have to buy a new 2 installs?

I'm a little confused.
Thanks!
B

 

Thanks for answering, especially in our case, Tom! ;O)

Another one i got asked several times, which i thought will be true but just to be sure:

o On windows the assets also get updated automatically, right?

 

Just like with Unity 2.1, you would need to get it reset. Nothing is changing here.

 

AH ok sounds like my Pixologic licenses.
Thanks for the quick response!
B

 

When I say "install" in that case I'm talking about an installation on a unique piece of hardware. If you reformat your drive and all that you can easily reinstall and reactivate on that machine as our system will "see" that it's the same machine, no problems. If your machine dies and you replace the motherboard or hard driv, etc., then that will be seen as a different machine and you'll have to write us at support@unity3d.com so we can update your serial number to allow for that install.

Just like Unity on the Mac, yes.

 

Well, I think we're just about running out of things for you guys to do!

Great work all of you! Multi-monitor support will be lush.

AaronC

 

in the EULA (http://unity3d.com/unity/unity-end-user-license-2.x)

install key word :wink: so two installs can be on the same computer and count towards the limit. it isn't on a per computer basis.

nice work! love it!

swwwweeettttt! unity indie with windows building for nice!

 

Been waiting for this one! I'm drooling all over my keyboard

 

one word = awesome

 

Are all those new entry points just for editor customization, or do they also include API's for non-Editor related stuff? Or to put it another way, can we expect new APIs and/or scripting functional NOT related to customizing the editor?

Thanks

 

I think I finally decide to prepare my money to purchase one.
I love this news!
wooooow,
Nice work!!!

 

Congrats!

now some Q's.

GUI text (the old GUI's), is it still going to be intact on this release?

Right now I have 2.1 installed on 2 machines (PPC and intel Mac Laptop),
Can I upgrade my license to only the intel Mac and keep 2.1 on the PPC Mac.?

Or 2.1 on PPC...
2.5 on intel Mac and Windows machine?

any additional tuts?

Thanks,
Ray

 

WoooooooooooooooooooooooooW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fantastic news!!!!!

Ive worked with Unity on OSX86 and I really like it. It it superior to any other Game Development Middleware Ive ever used.The problem is that my personal computer can't run Hackintosh and Macs are just too expensive.

Finally. Im getting Unity!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations guys! Keep the good work.

 

Looks really great and I'm very excited for 2.5. I too would like to get confirmation that all the new API hooks for the GUI are also at least partially for our builds and not just editor scripts.

I even thought for a second about maybe getting an extra cheap PC and then - worms, viruses, malware, spyware, adware. I deal enough with that on other people's machines, don't think it's worth any saved $ to mess with it on my own development machine. (too flamey?)

@yellowlabrador

GUIText and GUITexture (the old GUI stuff) is NOT going away. Read it recently on another thread here somewhere.

My understanding of the 2.1 and 2.5 thing is that you are getting a free UPGRADE, not a free new license with two more allowed installs. So, no, you can't magically get 3 installs through an upgrade. That's my understanding, not an official word, but I'd bet on it.

 

I am speechless and amazed to see a free update like this

Kudos to you guys, to make this product what it was supposed to be last year

What is not clear to me: indie license will continue to work only on mac, while pro license will work on mac and pc?

 

No, both will work on either and both will publish to either. Indie will be limited by a splash screen. But you could use indie on Windows and publish for both Mac and Windows, or Pro on Mac and publish for both Mac and Windows.

 

that's nice and makes sense...a splash screen doesn't really bother me

the max support is the thing that i was waiting the most (you should see what kind of crap comes out when converting from max to 3ds or fbx and importing in unity.... now the problem should be resolved with native support!) but do you have any plans to add also support for the 3d devices like 3dconnexion wheels and peripherals?

 

I do believe they're mostly, if not all about the new editor customization capabilities. They were created as part of the general editor UI update and exposed them for use to allow you to customize the editor UI.

Yes.

As already noted, this is an update for your existing license and its installs, it's not something that grants additional installs. As always we do allow folks to migrate hardware when necessary, but that requires removal from one of your first two machines in order to install on a new computer. If you need help with that just drop us a line at support@unity3d.com and let us know you want to transfer to a new machine.

We're working on some Resources updates but I don't know for sure which, if any, time with the 2.5 launch.

 

As stated already, it's not native MAX support, but launches MAX in the background and does the convert to FBX and import for you, like with Maya.

It will require an install of MAX on your Windows Unity development machine.

 

ouch.....let's hope that works better than me doing the conversion

 

Cool, I'm slowly moving to intel platform, still have a lot of PPC software that I can not afford to update to intel or UB right now,

Just to clear my self confusion here, If I update the intel laptop to 2.5 the PPC needs to be updated as well or I can leave the 2.1 in PPC since the 2.5 is only installed on the intel Mac.

Ray

 

Congratulations! This looks simply amazing.

I am about to buy Unity and this makes me feel even better about my decision!

One concern though (sorry to be a wet blanket) - Regarding of the porting of mac software to windows in general. With something games oriented, it is likely that the amount of Unity licenses sold on Windows will exceed that of the Mac side in a short amount of time. At that point, it is in Unity's financial interest to focus more and more on the windows side.

What assurances (besides simple brand loyalty) do we have that Unity will not drift away from the mac side of things?

Also, is the iPhone publishing still mac exclusive (since it depends on Xcode?) - I honestly hope so, because I always get nervous when mac only software ventures into the PC market.

Congratulations regardless, and I look forward to buy 2.5 (for my Mac)!

 

What assurances could you possibly get? The future is uncertain... I think that anyone who said that there is no chance for that happening would be misleading you. That said, from what I know of the guys at UT, the chances here are about as low as imaginable.

Of course.

 

Minimum System Requirements?

Unity Asset Server accessible from Windows?