Javascript Module

Module 2 : Setting Up Development Environment 

🧠 1: Introduction to Development Environments

🗒️ Topics Covered:

What is a development environment?

Local vs. cloud-based environments

Common tools used in game development

🎓 Explanation:

A development environment is the combination of tools, libraries, configurations, and hardware where game developers write, test, and debug their games. The goal is to make development smooth and error-free. A poorly set-up environment leads to wasted time and unnecessary bugs.

🛠️ Tools Overview:

Tool

Purpose

Game Engine (Unity/Unreal)

Core framework for building games

IDE (VS Code / Visual Studio)

Code editor and debugger

Version Control (Git + GitHub)

Source code management and team collaboration

Asset Tools (Blender / Photoshop)

Create/import 2D/3D assets

Terminal / CLI

Running scripts and build commands

Exercise 1: Identify Your Tools

Objective: Create a checklist of tools required for your game project.

Instructions:

Choose the game engine you will use (e.g., Unity).

Research and list the tools required for:

Programming

Asset creation

Sound editing

Version control

Expected Outcome:

A personal development tool stack list like:

yaml

 code

Game Engine: Unity 2023.2.0

IDE: Visual Studio 2022

2D Art: Aseprite

3D Modeling: Blender

Audio Editor: Audacity

Version Control: Git + GitHub Desktop

🧠  2: Installing and Configuring a Game Engine

🗒️ Topics Covered:

Setting up the engine

Creating your first project

🎓 Explanation:

Unity Setup (Example):

Install Unity Hub from unity.com.

From Unity Hub, install the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version.

During installation, include modules like:

Windows/Mac build support

Android/iOS build support (if needed)

Create a new 2D or 3D project.

Open the project, and Unity will initialize the necessary folders.

⚠️ Common Issues:

Missing build support? → Re-run Unity Installer and select “Modify”.

Can’t run Unity? → Make sure GPU drivers are updated.

 Exercise 2: Create Your First Game Project

Objective: Create a basic 3D game project.

Instructions:

Open Unity Hub → Create new 3D project → Name: “MyFirstGame”

Add a terrain, a cube, and a light source.

Run the scene (press Play).

Expected Outcome:

A working Unity project with basic objects visible in the scene.

🧠  3: Setting Up the Code Editor and Debugging Tools

🗒️ Topics Covered:

Installing Visual Studio / VS Code

Adding Unity/Unreal support

Setting breakpoints and using the debugger

🎓 Explanation:

Visual Studio with Unity:

Unity installs Visual Studio with required plugins.

Open Edit > Preferences > External Tools, and link Visual Studio.

Setting Breakpoints:

In VS, open PlayerController.cs

Add Debug.Log("Player Jumped");

Set a breakpoint → Run game → Trigger the log

Why it matters: Debugging helps trace logic errors and understand program flow.

 Exercise 3: Debug Your Game

Objective: Debug a basic player movement script.

Instructions:

Create a new C# script in Unity named PlayerController.

Add basic movement logic using Input.GetAxis().

Set breakpoints in your movement code.

Use the Unity Console to observe logs.

Expected Outcome:

A script that moves a cube and logs messages as the player interacts.

🧠  4: Version Control and Project Management

🗒️ Topics Covered:

Introduction to Git

Initializing a Git repository

Using GitHub

Collaborating in teams

🎓 Explanation:

Git Basics:

git init: Start a new repository

git add .: Add changes

git commit -m "Init": Save a snapshot

git push: Send to remote (GitHub)

Unity Git Best Practices:

Use .gitignore to exclude /Library, /Temp, and /Builds

Enable Visible Meta Files in Unity Editor settings

🔧 Tools:

GitHub Desktop (GUI tool)

Sourcetree

Git CLI

 Exercise 4: Set Up Git for Your Game

Objective: Set up version control for your Unity project.

Instructions:

Initialize Git in your Unity project folder.

Create a .gitignore file (you can generate one from gitignore.io).

Push the project to GitHub.

Expected Outcome:

Your game project is now safely versioned and backed up.

🧠 5: Troubleshooting and Environment Maintenance

🗒️ Topics Covered:

Common setup issues and how to solve them

Maintaining up-to-date environments

Backups and workspace management

🎓 Explanation:

Key checks:

Check logs (Unity: Editor.log)

Update software

Reinstall components selectively

Reboot or reset cache

Maintenance Tips:

Backup project weekly

Use cloud storage (GitHub, Google Drive)

Document your setup in a README

 Exercise: Complete Setup Walkthrough

Objective: Complete a game development environment setup, create a project, integrate version control, and share a project overview.

Instructions:

Install Unity or Unreal Engine.

Create a new project.

Write a simple script or Blueprint.

Use Git to commit and push to GitHub.

Create a README.md explaining:

Tools used

Setup steps

Project structure

Expected Outcome:

A shared GitHub repository with a working starter game, version-controlled and documented.

 Preparation for Instructors

Slide Structure:

Slide 1: Introduction and Objectives

Slide 2: What is a development environment?

Slide 3–5: Tool overview and comparisons

Slide 6–8: Engine installation walkthrough

Slide 9: Common issues & fixes

Slide 10–12: Git and version control demo

Slide 13–14: Final project exercise preview

Live Demos:

Walk through Unity installation

Show opening a new project

Live code + debug demo in Visual Studio

GitHub commit and push example