Creating a Top-Down 3D Player Controller in Unity: Step-by-Step Guide

In this blog post, we will discuss how to create a 3D top-down player controller in Unity. This tutorial will be divided into two parts. In this first part, you will learn how to make your player move and look in the direction of input using various forms of input. The second part will focus on creating a more advanced controller allowing independent movement and rotation with automatic device detection. By the end of this mini-series, you will have a solid foundation for movement in your top-down game.

Setting Up the Player

To begin, you need to set up your player in Unity. Follow these steps:

Create a new Unity project with a ground plane and a camera.
Add a cylinder named "Player" and adjust its position.
Create an arrow object to indicate the player's facing direction.
Set up materials for the player and the arrow.

Implementing Input Actions

Next, you need to set up input actions for the player using the new Input System. Here's how:

Install the Input System via the Package Manager in Unity.
Create an action map named "Input Manager" for the player.
Define input actions for movement using keyboard, gamepad, and mobile touch controls.

Writing Player Controller Script

Now, it's time to create a script for player movement. Follow these steps:

Develop a script named "Player Controller" and attach it to the player object.
Define variables for speed and movement inputs.
Implement functions to read input and move the player accordingly.

Implementing Camera Follow

For a top-down game, it's essential to have a camera that follows the player smoothly. Here's how:

Create a new script called "Camera Follow" for the camera.
Set up variables to determine the smoothness of camera movement and the offset from the player.
Code the camera to smoothly follow the player's movements with the specified offset.

Enhancing Camera Control

To improve camera control, create a camera holder object to maintain the camera's position relative to the player. This setup allows you to freely adjust the camera angle without affecting its follow behavior.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can create a functional top-down player controller in Unity. This setup allows your player to move in specific directions based on input while ensuring the camera follows smoothly. Stay tuned for part two of this series, where we will add more features to enhance the player controller further.

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Meta description: Learn how to create a 3D top-down player controller in Unity with this step-by-step guide. Set up input actions, implement player movement, and create a smooth camera follow system.

Keywords: Unity tutorial, 3D player controller, top-down game, input actions, player movement, camera follow, game development, Unity scripting.

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