ISSN: 2321-7782 (Online)

Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2015

International Journal of Advance Research in
Computer Science and Management Studies
Research Article / Survey Paper / Case Study
Available online at: www.ijarcsms.com

Cross-platform Application Development using Unity Game

Engine
Pratik P. Patil1 Ronald Alvares2
Dept. of Computer Engineering, Dept. of Computer Engineering,
P.V.P.I.T, P.V.P.I.T,
Pune, India Pune, India

Abstract: In this paper, we present the design and implementation of the Cross Platform game called Air Hockey. It is a very
common game and was developed keeping the Android, Windows, and Windows Phone Operating System in mind. The aim
behind this project was to connect two players/users and enable them to play against each other with the help of Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth or Remote Server. The players too can play simultaneously unlike the alternate chance games like Pool, etc. The
game has been designed and implemented and soon will be available on the Google Play Market and Windows Store. The
game has been tested on Windows 7/8 for PC, Microsoft Lumia 620 running Windows Phone 8, Moto G (2 nd Gen), Moto X
(2nd Gen) running Android Lollipop and Samsung Note 3 running Android KitKat. So, it should run on other compatible
devices as well.

Keywords: Cross-Platform, Unity Game Engine, Air Hockey, Software Development, Android Development, Windows
Development, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Server

I. INTRODUCTION

Unity3D Game Engine is an integrated development tool used to develop interactive contents like video games,
architectural visualization and real-time 3D animations. Its editor runs on Windows and Mac OS X platforms. Though it runs on
only two platforms, it has the ability of developing applications for multiple platforms which are mentioned as follows –
Windows, Windows Phone, Mac OS X, iOS, Wii, Linux, Android, Web Player, etc. All we need for it to develop the
application on respective platforms is the software development kit (SDK) for it. There are various plugins to export the
application to different web players like Flash Player, etc.

The functions that are supported by Unity3D are very abundant. All type of game developments are possible with Unity3d
such as shaders, physics engine, network, terrain manipulation, audio, video and animation. Unity3D produces the applications
based on JavaScript and/or C#. These are used to assign the animation or real-time transition of the Game-Objects defined in the
application. GUI of Unity3D helps a new developer to approach easily, and script and program the transition of the Game-
Object.

This study aims to design and develop applications on multiple platforms using Unity3D Game Engine and with the help of
scripting and programming enable networking between any two devices so, the users of same/different devices running
same/different platforms can play against each other. For the efficiency of the game development process, this study aims to
plan, design, develop and test a smart game based on multi-platform game engine.

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Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2015 pg. 19-27
II. RELATED STUDIES

2.1 Introduction to Unity3D

Now-a-days the devices like Smartphones, tablets, iPad, iPhones have taken the application development to a whole
another level. The cameras on these devices can be used to recognize business card and decrypt encrypted codes like barcodes,
QR-codes, etc. by simply scanning them. Here in this era, networking is also a major factor, as many or mostly all applications
running no-a-days require a proper network connectivity. So, we have come up with an idea of using this network connectivity
to next level by using this cross-platform connectivity in the gaming applications. Usually, we have heard about handheld-to-
handheld connectivity (i.e. Android - Android, iOS - iOS, Windows Phone - Windows Phone, Android-iOS, Android -
Windows Phone, iOS - Windows Phone), but our aim is to enable all-to-all device connectivity so there can be Handheld – PC
along with above connections.

Unity3D is a cross-platform game creation system developed by Unity Technologies containing game engine and an
integrated development environment (IDE). It is used to develop games for websites, desktops, handheld devices and consoles.
Previously released on Mac OS in 2005, it was then expanded to target more than fifteen platforms. It can be run on Windows
or Mac OS X system. Supported Platforms include BlackBerry 10, Windows Phone 8, Windows, OS X, Linux(mainly Ubuntu),
Android, iOS, Unity Web Player (including Facebook), Adobe Flash, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox
360, Xbox One, Wii U, and Wii. It includes an asset server and Nvidia PhysX physics engine.

The latest version is the Unity 5 released on March 3rd 2015. It supports the real-time global illumination based on the
Geometrics Enlighten technology. Other major changes include physically-based shaders, HDR sky-boxes, reflection probes, a
new audio mixer with effects and enhanced animator workflows. Unity 5 brings support for Windows, Mac, Linux/Steam OS,
Unity Web player, Android, iOS, Blackberry 10, Windows Phone 8, Tizen, Windows Store apps, WebGL, PlayStation
3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U. Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Rift, and Gear
VR for a total of 21 supported platforms. The Unity3D game engine is downloadable from their website in two different
versions – Unity and Unity Pro.

» Rendering:

The graphics engine uses Direct3D (Windows), OpenGL (Mac, Windows, Linux), OpenGL ES (Android, iOS), and
proprietary APIs (Wii). There is support for bump mapping, reflection mapping, parallax mapping, screen space ambient
occlusion (SSAO), dynamic shadows using shadow maps, render-to-texture and full-screen post-processing effects.[4] Unity
supports art assets and file formats from 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage, Blender, Modo, ZBrush, Cinema 4D, Cheetah3D, Adobe
Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks and Algorithmic Substance. These assets can be added to the game project, and managed through
Unity's graphical user interface.[5]

The ShaderLab language is used for shaders, supporting both declarative "programming" of the fixed-function pipeline and
shader programs written in GLSL or Cg. A shader can include multiple variants and a declarative fallback specification,
allowing Unity to detect the best variant for the current video card, and if none are compatible, fall back to an alternative shader
that may sacrifice features for performance.[6] Unity also has built-in support for Nvidia's (formerly Ageia's) PhysX physics
engine, (as of Unity 3.0) with added support for real-time cloth simulation on arbitrary and skinned meshes, thick ray casts, and
collision layers. [7]

» Scripting:

The game engine is based upon the JavaScript and C#. Unity’s scripting is built on Mono, an open-source implementation
of .NET Framework.[8] MonoDevelop is an open-source IDE for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. It supports Boo, C, C++, C#,
CIL, D, F#, Java, Oxygene, Python, Vala and VB .NET.[9][10]

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Pratik et al., International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies
Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2015 pg. 19-27
» Graphics:

 Physics: Unity utilizes the NVIDIA PhysX physics engine, which supports:

1. Cloth

2. Soft and rigid-body interactions

3. Ragdolls

4. Joint systems

5. Wheel collision system[11]

 Terrain:

1. Terrain Painting

2. Detail Texture Painting

3. Tree Creator [11]

» Networking:

Unity has a number of built-in features to facilitate creation of standard multiplayer games.

Some of the features State Synchronization, Real-time Networking, Remote Procedure Calls, Backend Connectivity. Web
integration allows the game to communicate with container web pages and services. Massive Multiplayer Online: Development
requires additional work by the developer or the addition of one of several third-party software packages designed for that
purpose. [11]

» Asset Tracking:

Unity also includes the Unity Asset Server - a version control solution for the developer's game assets and scripts. It uses
PostgreSQL as a backend, an audio system built on the FMOD library (with ability to playback Ogg Vorbis compressed audio),
video playback using the Theora codec, a terrain and vegetation engine (which supports tree bill boarding, Occlusion Culling
with Umbra), built-in light mapping and global illumination with Beast, multiplayer networking using RakNet, and built-in
pathfinding navigation meshes. [12]

» Platforms:

Unity supports deployment to multiple platforms. Within a project, developers have control over delivery to mobile
devices, web browsers, desktops, and consoles.[13] Unity also allows specification of texture compression and resolution
settings for each platform the game supports.[13]

Currently supported platforms include for Windows, Mac, Linux/Steam OS, Unity Web
player, Android, iOS, Blackberry 10, Windows Phone 8, Tizen, Windows Store apps, WebGL, PlayStation 3, PlayStation
4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U. Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Rift, and Gear VR.[3]

» Unity Asset Store:

Launched in November 2010, the Unity Asset Store is a resource available within Unity Editor. Store consists of over 7000
asset packages, including 3D models, textures and materials, particle systems, music and sound effects, tutorials and projects,
scripting packages, editor extensions and online services. The store also contains many extensions, tools and asset packages
such as the package NGUI: Next-Gen UI by Tasharen Entertainment,[14] and the visual scripting extension uScript by Detox

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Pratik et al., International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies
Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2015 pg. 19-27
Studios, Tidy Tile Mapper, a 2D/3D tile-based game design extension by Doppler Interactive and the input scripting package
FingerGestures.

2.2 Autodesk 3ds Max:

Autodesk 3ds Max is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images.
It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It has modeling capabilities, a flexible plugin architecture
and can be used on the Microsoft Windows platform. It is frequently used by video game developers, many TV commercial
studios and architectural visualization studios. It is also used for movie effects and movie pre-visualization. In addition to its
modeling and animation tools, the latest version of 3ds Max also features shaders (such as ambient occlusion and subsurface
scattering), dynamic simulation, particle systems, radiosity, normal map creation and rendering, global illumination, a
customizable user interface, and its own scripting language.[15]

Modeler and texture artist could increase the speed of working and efficiency because of extensive polygon modeling and
texture mapping tool set. CAT (Character Animation Toolkit) that is completely integrated provides advanced rigging and
animation system that can be used immediately. Artist could create very realistic or great image by using mental ray renderer
and integrated 3ds Max scan line including mental ray network that can finish rendering faster. Since it supports C++ and .NET,
developer could customize and expand 3ds Max and also integrate it into the existing pipeline. Also, developer could create 3D
model with Autodesk 3ds Max, send it to Autodesk FBX exchange technology file after animating it, and then bringing it to
Unreal Editor Contents production software.

2.3 Importing from 3ds Max to Unity:

The things that are imported from 3DS MAX from Unity3D can be largely divided into five parts. First, it is every node
that has position, rotation, and scale. Second part includes pivot point, names, vertex, and meshes with colors. Third, they are
normal and one or two UV sets. Fourth, they are diffuse texture and materials with colors. Fifth, they are many materials per
mesh, animation, and bone based animations. Thus, these five parts are the ones that Unity recognizes from 3DS MAX. Also,
Unity3D could import FBX file. FBX provides supports for software and applications that are both independent and from
certain companies. FBX is used within entertainment pipeline or as a part of design production. Files can be sent more
smoothly, more data is maintained, and the work flow is more efficient. To send a file from 3DS MAX to Unity3D, first convert
to FBX file with export from 3DS MAX, and send it. Then the file can be imported from Unity3D. Only, if the name of FBX
file is in Korean, Unity3D cannot recognize it [1] [2].

2.4 Photon Unity Networking Plugin:

Photon Unity Networking (PUN) plugin is used to provide applications multiplayer support using networking. It
implements Unity’s well known networking API on top of Photon. Keeping API simple, this gives you standalone, dedicated
servers, fixes, tweaks and ongoing support. This plugin contains a setup wizard, the fully integrated API Editor extensions and a
client library. It is compatible with a Photon Cloud Service i.e. Photon’s Server. A developer can use this Photon Server or setup
a custom server for his developed game. There are two types of packages for Photon – Photon PUN Free and Photon PUN+.
[16]

The Photon PUN version can be downloaded for free from Unity Assets Store and has a few limitations. For a developer to
export his game to Standalone, Web, Win 8 Store, Win 8 Phone, he can use Photon PUN Free. But then if he needs to export to
Android and iOS, then he will need to buy Photon PUN+ or Unity Pro. Photon PUN+ has a limit of supporting over a 100 user
playing concurrently. [16]

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Pratik et al., International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies
Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2015 pg. 19-27
III. BODY

3.1 Summary of the Game Development:-

In this research paper

1. Game Name: Air Hockey.

2. Game Genre: Arcade, Board.

3. Platform: Supports Multi-platform (Windows PC, Android, etc.)

4. Game Characteristics:

Air hockey is a popular game of sliding the puck in the hole. Similar to Tennis and Football. It is played on a table top with
one player at either end. Each player holds a small mallet in their hand and uses it to hit the disc, known as a puck across the
table onto the opponent’s goal. The puck travels when the air is pushed through small holes in the table reducing the friction
between the puck and table. It then increases the speed of the puck enabling it to travel for a further or stronger distance as you
swipe the puck across.

There are two players involved in the game. Each player has to defend his pocket and score a goal by hitting the puck in the
opponent’s pocket. Each player controls a paddle with which he can move to defend his pocket and score a goal.

Method of playing involves utilizing a touch function for the Android devices and a mouse pointer function or keyboard for
a Windows PC.

5. Core Idea of the Game:

» Each player has the job of defending his own pocket in the game with the help of a round paddle.
» There are modes in the game:-

a. Single Player – A single real-time player plays with an artificial intelligent opponent.

b. Two Player – Two Players involved in one game, playing on the same device.

c. Multiplayer Online – A single real-time player plays with a random opponent available on the server on their own
respective devices. Option is also there for the player to connect to friends using Facebook connection.

» In the Single Player Mode, the Artificial Intelligence is coded in such a way that when a player is playing, it will adjust
according to the game of the player making it hard and challenging for the player.

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Pratik et al., International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies
Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2015 pg. 19-27
The game working can be seen from following chart:

Fig. 1 Game
3.2 Graphic Concept Art:-

Table 1. Character Designing and Modelling

Description Image

This is the design of the how the table will

look like. This will be in the background and
there will be colliders added to it along the
inner edges of table. These table surfaces are
frictionless. So the paddles and puck move
freely. This layout has been created in Adobe
Photoshop and Autodesk 3ds Max

Fig. The Air Hockey Table

This is the design of Paddles that the players
will be controlling. This will be moved by the
players using touch on handheld devices or a
mouse pointer on their computer systems.
Designed in Adobe Photoshop and modeled in
Autodesk 3ds Max. Fig. The Paddles of Two Players

This is the design of the Puck that the players

have to hit and score a goal and prevent it
from entering their goal pocket. Designed in
Adobe Photoshop and modeled in Autodesk
3ds Max.
Fig. Puck

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Pratik et al., International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies
Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2015 pg. 19-27
Table 2. Animation
Description
Now, here we will apply animations to the paddles and puck using the scripts like Boo, JavaScript
and/or C#. We can apply transition animation, assign keys to move the paddles. Adjust the
animation keys with the auto key and put in the motions appropriate to the plan that has been set
up.

Table 3. Interface
Description
The menu was designed in Adobe Photoshop with a next gen gaming font and animations. The
game being played in the background of menu was pre-recorded. The buttons were also designed
in Photoshop with an Inactive, Hover and Active State in mind. When clicked there is a sound and
a special effect given to each button.

3.3 Game Development

3.3.1 Game UI Screen

1. Main Menu: It is the very first menu that is displayed when the game is executed. It shows the story and instructions of
how to play the game. There are different modes for the user to select – Single Player, Two Player, Multiplayer,
Options and Quit.

2. Single Player: When this mode is selected, the difficulty menu is displayed which displays three modes – Easy, Normal
and Difficult. The opponent will then be adjusted according to the mode selected. Once selected there is one more
menu displayed before game starts. This menu asks if you want to play 5 goals match or a tournament. Once selected,
the game can be played.

3. Two Player: When this mode is selected, one more menu is displayed which asks if you want to play 5 goals match or
a tournament. Once selected, the game can be played.

4. Multiplayer: Once selected there is a menu in which you can play with a random opponent or log in with Facebook and
play with friends. After this one more menu displayed which asks if you want to play 5 goals match or a tournament.
Once selected, the game can be played.

5. Options: This is a menu in which you can change the volume of music and sfx. You can also change the sensitivity of
the paddle.

6. Quit: Confirm whether to end game or not.

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Pratik et al., International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies
Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2015 pg. 19-27
3.3.2 Gameplay

Single Player:

Single Player: When this mode is selected, the difficulty menu is displayed which displays three modes – Easy, Normal and
Difficult. The opponent will then be adjusted according to the mode selected. Once selected there is one more menu displayed
before game starts. This menu asks if you want to play 5 goals match or a tournament. Once selected, the game can be played.

Two Player:

Two Player: When this mode is selected, one more menu is displayed which asks if you want to play 5 goals match or a
tournament. Once selected, the game can be played.

Multi Player:

Multiplayer: Once selected there is a menu in which you can play with a random opponent or log in with Facebook and
play with friends. After this one more menu displayed which asks if you want to play 5 goals match or a tournament. Once
selected, the game can be played.

IV. FUTURE SCOPE

Cross platform Applications have a great future ahead. But there are few drawbacks when compared with single-platform
regarding fluidity, seamless and device-optimized experience. When an application is developed on a single-platform, then
using the same logic / code the developers can develop same app for multiple platforms and enable them to connect with each
other. Hence there is bright future ahead regarding the Cross Platform Application Development.

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Pratik et al., International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies
Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2015 pg. 19-27
V. CONCLUSION

This study aims to design and develop a cross-platform gaming application using Unity Game Engine. The functions that
Unity3D supports autonomously are very abundant. All game developments are possible such as shader, physics engine,
network, terrain manipulation, audio, video, and animation, and it is enabled so that it is possible to revise, meeting demand of
user according to the need. For the efficiency of game development process, this study aims to plan, design, and develop a game
based on multi-platform game engine using unity networking plugin called the Photon Unity Networking.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We, Pratik Patil and Ronald Alvares, acknowledge that this research paper is made possible through the help and support
from everyone. We especially, Prof. Yogesh Gurav, for his great efforts of guiding, supervising and leading us, to accomplish
this fine work. Also our friends and families, they were a great source of support and encouragement, we thank them all and
wish them all the best in their lives. To our parents, for their warm, kinds encourage, and love. To every person gave us
something to light our pathway, we thank them for believing in us.

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