To create a complete project in Unity, we often need 3D models, audio, and visual effects. These components, along with others that are supported by Unity, are known as assets. Assets can be sourced from external sources such as the Unity Asset Store, Sketchfab, and Mixamo, or we can hire a 3D artist to create custom assets from scratch.
Low poly and high poly
There are generally two types of assets: low poly and high poly. Poly refers to the number of polygons used to create a 3D model. Polygons are small, closed geometric shapes that are combined to form a mesh that forms the surface of a 3D model. High poly models have more polygons than low poly models, which makes them more detailed but also slower to render. Low poly models, on the other hand, are less detailed but are more performant and have faster rendering times.
If we’re looking for highly detailed models for our game design, we might want to use high poly models. However, if we want better performance on a wide range of devices with faster rendering times, low poly models might be the better choice.
Packages
To use a group of assets or pieces of code from other projects, we can use packages, which are similar to zip files. We can import packages from external sources, and they can also be found in the “Package Manager,” along with any built-in packages and packages we’ve already imported.
Package Manager
The “Package Manager” is a tool for managing and organizing our project’s packages. To access the “Package Manager,” we can go to “Window” > “Package Manager” in the main menu. The “Package Manager” allows us to view and manage all of the packages that are included in our project.