In this tutorial, we’re embarking on an exciting journey to create an augmented reality basketball game using Unity. We’ll utilize Unity’s AR Foundation library, which seamlessly blends Google’s ARCore and Apple’s ARKit, allowing us to superimpose virtual objects onto the real world.
Our game will feature a virtual basketball hoop that we can place in our surroundings using our phone’s camera. Once the hoop is in place, we can flick a virtual basketball towards it, aiming for a perfect shot.
To achieve this, we’ll leverage two custom scripts: “PlaceHoop” and “BallControl.” The “PlaceHoop” script allows us to place the basketball hoop in the AR world using our phone’s touch input. The “BallControl” script handles the physics and controls of the basketball, enabling us to flick it towards the hoop.
We’ll start by downloading the AR Foundation sample project from Unity’s GitHub repository and importing it into Unity. This project provides us with a solid foundation for AR development. We’ll also download a 3D model for our basketball hoop.
Once we have the necessary assets, we’ll create a new Unity scene and set up the basic structure of our game. We’ll add an AR Session Origin object to the scene, which serves as the anchor for all our AR content. We’ll also create two empty game objects, one for the hoop and one for the ball.
Next, we’ll create the “PlaceHoop” script and attach it to the hoop game object. This script will handle the placement of the hoop in the AR world. We’ll also create the “BallControl” script and attach it to the ball game object. This script will control the physics and movement of the basketball.
With our scripts in place, we’ll configure them to work together. The “PlaceHoop” script will instantiate the hoop prefab when the user touches the screen. The “BallControl” script will allow the user to flick the ball by swiping their finger across the screen.
Finally, we’ll build our game for Android and test it out. We’ll be able to place the basketball hoop in our environment and flick the basketball towards it, aiming for a perfect shot. This simple yet engaging game showcases the power of augmented reality and provides a fun and interactive experience for users.