Unity Engine is Great for Non-game Apps Development Too

With so many high-quality games being created with the Unity engine, it’s easy to think that this is what it has been designed for, and it fails at everything else, but the fact is that this highly versatile engine is a great all-rounder, and can push the best non-gaming apps too.

When it was first released in 2005, Unity was originally marketed as a game engine, and took many of its programming features from the point of view of game development, and it has always worked very well as that. Unity is typically cited alongside Unreal and the CryEngine as a software package of choice for those designing high-level games and is used for a growing number of polished titles that hit our shelves.

But the nature of the Unity engine makes it far more flexible and that means that it is a great basis for non-gaming applications too. A number of leading developer houses are now using Unity as a credible tool for the development of both everyday Apps and AR/VR/MR applications. Among the best currently on the market include:

• Shapes. This educational-based program if finding increased credibility in classrooms as a means of demonstrating geometry and geometrical features to schoolchildren. Shapes 3D arouses pupils’ interest in geometric solids and aids with their understanding of spatial geometry. The programme supports instructors in teaching complex issues in three-dimensional geometry and in igniting student interest in math via the creation of exciting math moments.
• Kavtek. This up-and-coming AR home design package allows users to easily place digital flooring, walls, furniture, cabinets, appliances, and even paint walls in the real world, creating a virtual backdrop on an existing construction.  Using Kaytec, it is possible to virtually completely redecorate or refurbish an area without having to lift a paintbrush, and the graphics are of such a high quality, that the end results are utterly believable.
• Grib3D. This solid modelling App has been developed to democratise 3D modelling, and make it something that anyone can do with minimal training and with great results every time. The platform is so easy to use that it has won awards for its ability to engage young people, and get them interested in 3D development.

And it is this ability to cross over from pure gaming to mainstream Apps makes Unity far more attractive to developers that simply using the CryEngine or Unreal, but it doesn’t end there. Unity’s ability to stretch across multiple platforms, such as desktops, mobile devices – both iOS and Android too – and even major consoles adds to its inherent flexibility, allowing designers to plan Apps that can run across a variety of devices. But more than just being a cross-platform solution, Unity routinely does plenty those other systems don’t do or struggle with at best. Touchscreen systems are becoming increasingly prevalent, and Unity makes it easy to develop applications that make the most of touch features. 

However, Unity is also an exceptional package when it comes to movie-making. The Unity game engine is emerging as a viable alternative suite for animators. At the pace at which film production is progressing, pre-rendered images and real-time created graphics will pretty soon become indistinguishable from reality.

While the usage of 360-degree media is growing quickly, VR was designed for real-time rendering, and in the next few years we are likely to see a whole new style of filmmaking arrive. One in which you are smack in the heart of the action and have the ability to glance about. This requires real-time rendering. However, Unity’s excellent graphics engine makes it perfect for generating more conventional animated films as well. The Unity development team created the eerily beautiful short film ‘Adam‘ to demonstrate the system’s capabilities. When combined with a professional time-line product such as Cinema Director, the Unity package creates a formidable combo that surpasses what even professional studios can create.

The Unity engine is a magnificent game development platform, but it is much more than that too, and if you are considering a non-game App, then it is well worth looking at, particularly if you want or need XR features or animations.