Unity Technologies has just announced the launch of Unity 2017.2 which is the most powerful content creation toolset to-date by the company. Unity’s popular creation engine currently reaches around 3 billion devices worldwide. The new 2017.2 toolset will deliver an end-to-end solution for 2D games and XR creation, as well as optimized support for ARCore, ARKit, Windows Mixed Reality and Vuforia. You will notice subtle changes from Unity 2017.1.
“Unity 2017 was the start of a new cycle that evolves the world’s most popular game engine into an ever-expanding creation engine for gaming and a wide range of real-time entertainment,” said Adam Myhill, Head of Cinematics, Unity. “Unity 2017.2 continues this evolution, by providing enhanced visual tools that truly empower and inspire artists and designers to do what they do best: create amazing content. We believe the power and flexibility within 2017.2 allows for improved experimentation, rapid iteration and a deeper collaboration between disciplines, which is the backbone for truly stunning creations.”
Unity 2017.2 key features include:
- 2D Tilemap and Cinemachine for 2D: Designed to empower 2D creators, 2017.2 offers a complete suite of 2D tools, including the new 2D Tilemap tool for fast creation and iteration cycles. In addition, the new Cinemachine for 2D offers intelligent, easy to create camera behaviours with automatic composition, tracking, priorities and blending
- Support and Further MR Optimization for the Latest Platforms: Unity currently powers 2/3rds of all AR/VR content, and now with further optimization for ARCore, ARKit, Windows Mixed Reality, and Vuforia, Unity developers will be able to reach over 1 billion AR-capable devices by the end of 2018. Unity makes it easy for developers to create MR experiences for supported devices, as well as add AR to existing apps to help drive user engagement and revenue growth
- Collaboration with Autodesk to Improve Creation Workflow: Unity 2017.2 is the first creation engine that has source code access to Autodesk’s FBX SDK and that provides improved creation workflow for better iteration and decision-making. Unity and Autodesk are working together to directly and dramatically improve FBX support, and enable high-fidelity round-tripping between Maya/Max and Unity
Unity stated that their platform exists to democratize development, solve hard problems and enable success — three core values that are the driving forces of Unity’s adoption by millions of creators. Unity powers more than 50% of all new mobile games and over 2/3rds of all AR and VR content.
There are three different subscription plans available for Unity 2017.2:
- Unity Pro – Unity Pro is for professionals who need complete flexibility and crave advanced customization. This option is for larger size studios.
- Unity Plus – Unity Plus is the best solution if your annual revenue or money raised is under $200K.
- Unity Personal – Unity Personal is a great place for beginners and hobbyists to get started. It includes access to all core game engine features, continuous updates, beta releases, and all publishing platforms.
Unity 2017.2 subscription plans are available with enhanced features and services to support customers’ needs. Unity Pro represents the top of the line in professional-grade tools while Unity Plus offers serious creators who intend to publish additional tools and services to help them succeed. Custom-tailored enterprise solutions are also available for teams of 21 or more. For hobbyists and aspiring creators, Unity Personal provides all the core features they need to get started for free.
All plans are royalty-free and include all platforms.