New Book on Artificial Intelligence and 3D Character Animation with Unity

If you are interested in learning (or teaching) how to implement Artificial Intelligence for 3D games using Unity and C#, then this new book should help.

This is the first book in a series called “Unity from Proficiency to Mastery” that will focus on specific features and skills necessary to develop games with Unity (e.g., AI, UI, Animation, etc.). 

This book series follows the previous series called Unity from Zero to Proficiency, where readers learn core skills to become comfortable with Unity’s Interface and programming, and to also create a 3D First-Person Shooter with indoor and outdoor scenes from scratch, using both JavaScript and C#.

Unity from   Proficiency to Mastery (Artificial Intelligence) includes 6 chapters that show how to import, animate, and control 3D characters in Unity, and it also explains how to apply common AI techniques, to make NPCs more challenging, using Unity and C#.

This book helps with the creation of NPCs that navigate the scene (e.g., using a random or set path), sense the world around them (e.g, hear, smell, or see the player), make smart decisions based on their senses or their current state (e.g., look for ammunition or health when these run low) or react to the players’ moves (e.g., set an ambush, follow and attack the player, or flee).

The book includes over 350 pages, with plenty of explanations and screenshots, as well as the code solutions for each chapter, and it covers interesting topics such as Finite-State Machines in Unity, Animator Controllers, 3D character animation, Navigation costs and areas, State Behaviors, Group movement, and much more. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about the intricacies of animation and game development and could be especially useful for individuals and animation companies looking to improve their skills and stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends.