What's your Unity routine?

Most of us tend to open Unity at least several times a week. I've got a bit of regimen I use every time I open up the editor:

• Turn off the profiler (that is always set to run for some reason)
• Drag my second group of windows up to my top monitor (since it never remembers where I left them)
• Click "mute audio" because unless I'm working on audio, I prefer silence, and it too is always defaulted to "on"
  
• Turn off errors in the console unless I'm debugging something, since it gets loaded with 999+ assertion failed and AABB errors in the first few frames
• Question my life choices in which I decided to center my career around a service that used to be a piece of software

Anyone else have similar experiences? Ever feel like you're beating the starter with a wrench in order to get Unity to run?

 

Nope. I just make games and Unity doesn't do this S*** to me and also I leave error reporting on because I'm not F***ing insane.

 

Did I offend you in some way?

Here's my monitor setup:
Two UHD front and center, one above the other, both in landscape; two Hd on either side in portait. Literally every other software I use has zero issues with this layout, with Unity being the only exception.

Since 2018.2, Unity won't remember that the game window is on the top screen, it always defaults it and any windows in that grouping to the bottom screen, which covers the main editor window. It's a small annoyance, but one I face every single time I swap layouts, which can be fairly often depending on what I am doing.

I don't see how turning off error reporting is insane; I'd suggest Unity is insane for providing the option more than I am insane for using it. Maybe I have more confidence in my code than you do, I don't know, but I don't see how this prompted foul language or anything resembling the tone in which you replied.

Edit: I'd also like to add that the two errors that fill my console are both marked as fixed in the issue tracker, and both have comments for numerous users since Unity claimed to have fixed it that it is not, in fact, fixed. I am not alone simply because you do not experience the same.

 

Open the editor? I never close it... unless it crashes. It remembers windows/monitor positions. Of course I never turn off errors in console. Errors are bad.

 

I open the Editor, open the scene I'm working on, and the Editor does the rest* for me because I scripted it to do that. Highly recommended.

To be fair, I think all my script does is load dependent scenes and set which one is "active", since I'm constantly changing other bits around depending on the task I'm doing and what computer I'm at, and Unity tends not to do things to me like open windows I don't want. If that's an issue have you perhaps set up a layout or got some scripts running that do odd stuff?

 

Solutions seem to be just don't close the editor or write my own script in the hopes that I can fix what Unity can't seem to?

I'm no slouch with Unity, I know what I am doing. I know that the issue I am having with windows is a recent one and it doesn't happen when the game window is in the main window of the editor, so it's not like I'm swapping layouts incorrectly. Moving the game window to the main editor window but with the same layout resolves the issue but doesn't work for my monitor setup, and moving the main editor window to the top screen causes a new list of issues.

Odd, because I was pretty generous in only listing those 4 issues. I also have dropdowns that now appear on the incorrect screen since 2018.2 (it's in the right place, just the wrong monitor). So to uncheck the Low Resolution option (which I need to do every single time open Unity) I click the button on one screen and then move to the other.

But I am guessing this will get shut down like my last thread because pointing out issues with Unity produces two things: people who assume I'm doing something wrong and moderators who say it isn't worthy of the forums.

The layout I use for a lot of my tasks works with previous versions of Unity as well. In fact I'm bouncing between Unity 2017 and 2018 constantly for two different client projects (unfortunately I cannot just leave one version of Unity open 24/7) and there are a lot of new issues since 2018.

But I digress. I obviously have no idea what I am doing, this is all user error, and I should probably be quiet and just get back to my fulltime dev job using this software that has a long list of ignored issues that I pay more for every month than my cable and electricity bills combined. Odd how I can use 10-15 programs over the course of day and Unity is the only one I can't seem to place on my screens correctly. Can anyone point me to a tutorial on how to correctly click a dropdown?

Can't wait for this thread to get locked because while cussing at someone for no reason flies, sarcasm likely will get it shut down.

 

Or it'll get shut down because all this thread is is your personal whinestation.

 

I think you think I am as angry at the world as you seem to be. None of my original post was said with any intent to whine; I've done whined in the forums and moderators shut it down because God forbid someone who was about to subscribe sees that Unity isn't actually doing what it claims to be doing.

 

Not solutions.., just don't have the problems you seem to be having. I use 2/3 monitors and it always remembers the last positions. Don't get random console errors. I use multiple versions of unity (usually 2, sometimes 3), no problems. (works better if I don't use the hub). I have one computer that is for game development and in active use 8-10 hours a day. Though, like @angrypenguin, I have several scripts I have written for scene/productivity management, but that isn't fix anything, it is just match my usage style.

 

I don't use the hub either, I do have errors, same as a very long list of other people, and we have all experienced the same exact thing: we report it, it gets fixed with the next update, and then appears again with the next. I've changed nothing on my project that would result in these new errors being produced since I have had next to no time to work on my own project.

Honestly, it's not even the two errors that are the problem, it's the fact that they appear in droves of thousands at a time. It's the same error, over and over again, leaving me to have to have "Collapse" ticked constantly, which isn't what I need all the time; I'm assuming I'm not alone in this either since the option exists in the software.

It is a first for me to hear of developers of any industry thinking it odd to turn off error logging, as though I am going to just leave it off and release my game with all those errors(?). If I'm not changing code, I'd rather have it off than deal with the console having a seizure.

Do you have two UHD monitors, one on top of the other? That's my setup, so unless you're using the same I don't see how your monitor setup has anything to do with the issues I am experiencing, but I sincerely appreciate you implying that the fault lies with me. I also have one computer for development work (I run a local server but that's for git, MySQL, etc.) but that's neither here nor there. On that server is a fully functioning MMO framework capable of hosting thousands of players at a time on a fairly minimal machine... it took proficiency in Unity, Java, MySQL, HTML, Photoshop... but I still just can't get the hang of positioning these windows...

 

I don't think that's the intent. You asked how we do things and we're sharing. That's it. (Edit: Oh, I did ask about layouts/scripts. That really wasn't intended as blaming.)

Other people may indeed run into the same issues as you. We (I feel fairly safe saying "we" in this context) don't dispute that. But we're not running into them, so we haven't had to solve them.

I figure out why my console is having a seizure and fix it. If that means changing to a different Editor version or fixing / removing a plugin or something else drastic I'll do it. That console is a critical tool for me, because I need to see immediately when my errors pop up.

 

Another apparently controversial part of my "routine" is not updating regularly. When we do update, generally months apart and only if there's some specific benefit to the project, we make a branch and test for issues across the board before we move our everyday development over to the new version. That's probably why we don't tend to run into this stuff in our daily development. It's not that the issues don't exist, it's that our broader workflows tune them out.

 

I’m not implying the problem is your fault, please don’t make assumptions about what I am saying. But since some have problems and others don’t, does suggest there is a difference somewhere. Could be os, unity version, hardware or other software.

I use 4K & 5k monitor stacked with the 5k on top. About 30% of the time I also use the built in display off to the right of the lower monitor. Typically I have game and scene on the top monitor, panels/tools on the bottom. (Nothing on the 3rd if I am using it). On rare occasions I move them side by side and rotate the 5k 90 degrees for heavy coding days.

 

I am a freelancer, I do not get to decide on whether client projects get updated or not; I can only provide input and they ultimately decide.

I did update my own because 2018.2 is the first version of Unity I can use with my monitor setup without having to use a sub UHD resolution. My own project has a long way to go and if there had been a problem with the project itself as a result of the upgrade, I may have reverted back to 2017. But the problem is with the editor itself, not the project. I was tired of having to change screen resolutions any time I used Unity, and these new issues (while obnoxious) are the lesser of two evils.

 

Nice setup but it still doesn't match mine (not a comparison of setup quality, just the differences in resolutions/monitors). I have two screens in portrait off to the side, one of which I'll rotate to landscape on occasion, but for the most part it's two landscape, two portrait. It literally works with every other piece of software I use, and that list is incredibly extensive. It even works with 2017 when my monitors are not at UHD resolution. Within the course of a week I use Navicat, Netbeans, Blender, Notepad++, Dreamweaver, Photoshop.. the list goes on and on (my ex busts my hump about my task bar which looks loaded to most people but is organized to me). Unity is the only one that gives me a problem with my monitor setup, it is also the only one to recently attempt DPI-scaling.

But suppose I have no idea what I am doing and I just started using Unity. I am greeted to an editor that is constantly fighting the screen setup I want to use and my console is inundated with errors out of the gate (once I start building a canvas). And yes, I have tested the same project in multiple versions of Unity (I currently have 3 installed, 2 of which are from the 2017 cycle). The earlier version of 2017 solved the issue, the next brought it back, 2018 fixed it, and 2018.2 brought it back. My project will go through this trip of errors/no errors with no changes to the source code or any of the files beyond what Unity needs to do to upgrade to a particular version. Again, I am far from alone in this regard. I haven't dug in too far but one of the two errors references RectTransform - not one in the scene, but the scripts that allow Unity's Rect Transform to work at all. That is where the issue, and I could produce line numbers but this has all been done before, marked as fixed by Unity, and then they unknowingly resurrect the error.

I suppose I can share a screen of the dropdown bug, but it's pretty easy to picture: Game window on the top monitor, I click the resolution dropdown, and it appears where you would expect it but on the bottom monitor. It's one thing for it to happen for me, but I am not necessarily "whining" for my sake; for a new developer to open up Unity with a similar configuration and to get that same result from an editor that can look pretty intimidating to a greenhorn, it could be incredibly disorienting. I am still not used to it and I have been using Unity for many years.

 

Dunno, may be driver issue or something else on the system. I can rearrange, rotate, change, add and remove monitors and Unity adapts with no problem. Photoshop and Illustrator will occasionally bork and lose their window bars, but that's about it. I did have a brief problem with windows about a year ago, but that ended up being OS related and a subsequent update to that fixed it.

Console errors... hard to say without knowing what they are. If its not your code causing them, might be 3rd party assets or something like that. I get a couple, but they are related our server setup (non harmful and clear right away). I know some people experienced the AABB errors related to particles, if you search the editor support forum I recall there was long thread on it. I had them briefly but was able to fix them. (it was a while ago, so I don't recall what specifically I did).

 

I cannot. I have zero issues with Photoshop, but Unity always wants whatever grouping of windows I have that contains the game window to be on the monitor marked as my main display. Even during the same session, without ever closing the editor, it does not remember where I moved everything. It happens with a new, blank project just the same as my current.

I don't need to write code for them to appear, I only need to build some canvas elements and within a few frames of pressing play, my console has 999+ errors. I've seen multiple forum threads on both errors since I have had to research them multiple times now depending on how the next Unity update goes, and there are multiple versions of these errors listed in the issue tracker. Most are marked as duplicate. The comments underneath are from experienced Unity users (some who take part in betas frequently), and while I would argue I am experienced user myself, the tone of replies thus far seems to suggest otherwise.

I cannot fathom for the life of me how someone who has any experience with Unity would think that it is running perfectly, but I suppose that is easy to do if you are not having specific errors yourself. Chalk it up to the users fault, or mention to them how you were able to fix it. I didn't need to fix it because by the time I got back around to my project the next version of Unity had come out (2018) which fixed the problem. It's back again, and I haven't really touched my project since then other than to update it to 2018.2 and do some playtesting (in case I was going to opt to go back to the earlier version). The annoying issues are less of a pain than having to go back to less than UHD resolutions, so I'm dealing with them.

I am not foolish enough to think Unity is going to care about this thread or that I am experiencing these problems; they'll get their $125 from me next month either way. This thread was more of a "hey, I've been using Unity for years and am having issues that at times make me wonder what is going on over at the Unity offices, so if you're a greenhorn and are experiencing the same don't lose hope or blame yourself; if you're experienced and suffer the same, maybe we can compare the issues we are having and find a solution."

I was accused of "whining" and not knowing how to use Connect when I first spoke out about it as well; even had a thread shut down on me because it wasn't worthy of the forums. Now I have a thread that is ongoing, has very notable Unity developers who 100% agree with my "whining", and it has yet to be taken into consideration by anyone on the staff. There is a pattern here, and it is not my inexperience with the editor or Connect. And now this thread has gone off the rails and is not at all inviting to a new user who may be experiencing similar issues.

 

I've had console spam from the Asset Store before, and a couple of other similar things. I don't think I've had anything like that for a long time.

Also, discussion of the drop-down bug has reminded me of one I do have - on my Surface Pro, the colour picker location is not aligned with the mouse cursor. I presume that this is because I have Windows scaling the Unity Editor window, and the scale factor is not taken into account when deciding what pixel to read.

 

Again, they both occur in blank projects. For me and a list of other developers who have been experiencing the exact same thing over the last few updates. I believe the issue was even pointed out during the last beta, but it seems to have been ignored.

Also, I thought about the Windows scaling thing, but it's not the issue. It's not moved by a factor of whatever the scale is set to, it's in the exact place it should be, just on the wrong screen (it hovers over my scene window, which is directly below the game window on another monitor).

I have also experienced issues as a result of scale settings in the Windows display options, but I didn't list those.

 

I'm really not here to whine but I feel as though I need to make it clear that this isn't user error. In all honesty I am pleasantly surprised with the DPI-scaling; given my experience with Unity these last few years I figured it would be the end of the year before it was anything I could actually leverage. Here it is in July and I've only got a list of about 10 issues, 2 of which are errors that Unity has made me all too familiar with, and the rest are annoying but worth it to leverage UHD. As far as I am concerned, that's better than average on Unity's part.

 

I can't help but ask... why are you getting so defensive? You asked something on a discussion forum and seem to be getting really bothered by the answers. I can understand irritation at the first one's swearing and calling you insane, but everything after that..?

Just because we don't get the issues doesn't mean that we don't believe you get them. We're a tiny sample. We know we don't represent all users.

We're not passing judgement by simply making suggestions. Fair enough if our approaches won't work for you. We're not demanding that you use them, or thinking less of you for having different requirements to us.

 

Ah, might be a windows thing. I know support for uhd on windows came later than Mac support, possibly they haven’t worked it all out yet.

 

That's odd because I am not defensive at all. I do find it odd that everyone is taking it like I am when I am not the one who started cussing and calling people insane, but we'll skip right over that. I could argue that your comment on not upgrading was delivered in a way that seemed as though you were talking down to people who might opt to upgrade, but I didn't feel the need to point it out.

 

A Windows thing that only affects Unity, which just attempted DPI-scaling for the first time? I think you forgot an emoji there.

 

Bummer. How so? I pointed out that it was controversial specifically as an attempt to acknowledge the other point of view, but that clearly didn't have the intended effect.

 

Read what I wrote. I was referring to unity.

People are trying to help and provide additional information, don’t be snarky.

 

Sorry for the confusion. I wasn't saying that I felt like you were talking down to me whatsoever. I thought that was clear but I guess I was unable to get my point across.

 

I just want to circle back around a bit and cover the so-called help:

If Unity were a car, what crap do you have to do to it every day to be ready to drive off? Does your rear-view mirror always end up looking down at the floor? Do you have to jump it? Whack the starter with a wrench?

Responses:

1. Unity doesn't do this S*** to me... you're f***** insane (paraphrased that last part)
2. Don't close the editor. Everything works for me. I never turn off error console because errors are bad (loved that last part, not snarky at all).
3. Mine runs perfectly, but I also am skilled enough to write my own scripts to do cool stuff. Maybe one of your scripts is the issue.
4. I'm not the only one with the problem, it happens with new projects (multiple times I needed to repeat myself)
5. Why are you so defensive?
6. Don't be snarky.

Rest assured, I am in absolute awe of you both and your ability to navigate an editor that I and many other experienced Unity developers of a much lower caliber seem to have trouble with, but the issues I am having are real, they are legitimate, and they are not unique to me or my project by any measure. I am not being defensive simply because I am being put in a position where I need to not only defend my experience with Unity, but the experience of a very long list of developers, some of which are the ones who help with the betas so that Unity can release a piece of software that is, at least when it comes to blank projects, bug-free.

Also, I did read what you wrote. You compare Windows to Mac, which suggests you think the issue is the OS, not Unity.

 

sigh... this is going nowhere. If you have to say a half dozen times that you aren't being defensive, well.. that pretty much says it all. Clearly you don't actually want help, so this thread is done.