After initially making the Editor Pack 14.239 update available in the #Alphas channel of the SineSpace Discord earlier in the week, the SineSpace EP14 Update has been released on the Asset Store. There are a couple different way you can get it, and a couple things to be mindful of. If you already have your Unity Editor sorted, skip ahead to the section titled Editor Pack Flavors.
The Obvious Part
This post assumes a few things. You already have a Unity account, a SineSpace account, and you’ve registered in the SineSpace Creator Program. If you don’t have all that, the tutorial on this page will take you through the steps.
Which Version Of Unity Should You Use?
The SineSpace EP14 Update works with Unity versions 2017.2 through 2018.3. It does NOT work with version 2019.1 yet, so don’t even attempt to install it with that version.
Which one is best? Honestly, your mileage may vary. I’ve been testing for a while, and each one does have issues and quirks. If you are really feeling adventurous and like living on the bleeding edge, then give Unity 2018.3 a try. That version does have more issues and quirks, but if you have the patience and are willing to chat about EP14 bugs and (more importantly) file bug reports on issues.sine.space, then by all means give it a try.
Important Update: see this post regarding the newly released Unity 2018.4LTS and SineSpace.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have different SineSpace projects set up in multiple Unity versions. I use the Unity Hub to help manage that. I primarily work with Unity 2018.3, and things have gotten a lot better in the last few updates.
2018.3.14 Has Been Released
Earlier today, Unity released 2018.3.14f1. It contains a handful of additional bugfixes and patches from the previous release. You can read the release notes on this page. If you use 2018.3, make sure to back up your project and then update your Unity installation. I prefer to use the Unity Hub to manage the different installations – this post will show you how that works.
Important Update: see this post regarding the newly released Unity 2018.4LTS and SineSpace.
You need to back up your Project. When you open it in a newer Unity version the project is updated, and there is no way to downgrade. If you run into serious problems and need to go back to a previous version, you will either need to restore your backup or manually rebuild your project. I’ve done it both ways several times – believe me, restoring a backup is a lot easier.
Editor Pack Flavors
The SineSpace EP14 Update is available in a couple different flavors. You can either get the whole enchilada from the Asset Store, or you can get just the version you need from the SineSpace Discord.
If you’re not concerned about bandwidth or data caps with your internet provider, and you aren’t concerned about download file sizes, then the Asset Store route is the easiest.
from the #alphas and #betas channel on the SineSpace Discord
Head on over to the #alphas or #betas channel and just download the Editor Pack download for the Unity version you’re using if you’re already signed up for the SineSpace Discord. Just grab the Editor Pack for Unity 2017.3 if you’re using 2017.4.
Just download it and import it if you grabbed the SineSpace EP14 Update from the Asset Store, then skip to the next session. If you downloaded from Discord, then use the Assets menu and choose Import Package -> Custom Package (as shown in the image at right). Now just pick the file you just downloaded from Discord and install.
Expect The Unexpected!
Update – this post will show you how you can preserve your project settings!
Your mileage may vary, but my experience has been that this process is quirky. Even if you carefully followed the steps in my Getting Started tutorial and you’re absolutely sure that your project is configured properly, adding that new Editor Pack version will cause the settings to change.
Take a few moments to double check your project settings. It will save you from a lot of headaches and frustration later. The most important thing to check is the Scripting Runtime Version. You can find it in Edit -> Project Settings -> Player.
Newer versions of Unity will want to default to .NET 4.x Equivalent, and sometimes installing a new editor pack ‘flips’ it to that setting. If that happens, just change it back. When you change that setting, you’ll see the following popup message – this is perfectly normal, go ahead and click the Restart button.
If you ever find that the SineSpace menu and other options have disappeared from your Unity Editor, it’s probably because of this. Once you change it to .NET 2.5 Equivalent, you should be okay.
After installing the SineSpace EP14 Update or changing the Scripting Runtime Version you may see the above message about Re-serializing Assets. That’s okay, Unity will take care of that and once it’s finished you can move on.
Rendering Path Always Changes
In Project Settings -> Editor, check to make sure Asset Serialization is set to Force Text. On the Graphics tab, make sure that the Rendering Path is set to Deferred for Low (Tier 1), Medium (Tier 2), and High (Tier 3).
On the Player tab, in the Resolution and Presentation section make sure Run in Background is checked. Further down in the Other Settings, make sure your Color Space is set to linear.
On a normal day-to-day basis, these settings don’t randomly change. And ideally they should stay the way you’ve set them when you update your Editor Pack. Most of the settings don’t change, but for me at least one setting seems to get changed whenever I update. Hopefully knowing what to expect and what to check for makes things a little easier for you.
That’s It!
Well, that’s it for this post and tutorial. The updates aren’t perfect, but they are solid improvements over the previous releases and worth checking out. Check the SineSpace Youtube channel for tutorials on a wide range of content, and watch this space for additional tutorials in the future!
If you have questions or comments, please post in the comments below! If you want personal help or private training, please see this post. Good luck with your projects!
Latest Tutorials
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- Unity 2019.3 Released
- Unity Hub 2 Now Available
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