Quick Start Guide
Last updated
Last updated
Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 is currently in its beta phase, and this guide is here to help you quickly get started with exploring its powerful features. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, the Quick Start Guide will walk you through the essential steps for integrating and working with the asset effectively.
Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 requires the following Unity Package Manager dependencies to function properly:
Cinemachine
New Input System
Spline Package
Shader Graph
TextMeshPro
When you import EGB Pro 2 from the Unity Package Manager, Unity will automatically prompt you to install or upgrade these packages if they aren't already set up. Simply follow the prompts to complete the process.
After importing the Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 package into your project, go to the Window menu, select TextMesh Pro, and click Import TMP Essential Resources
If you prefer to add the dependencies manually, First open the Unity Package Manager. In the 'Packages: Unity Registry' category, locate the required packages and install them in the following order:
Cinemachine: Find the Cinemachine package and click 'Install'.
Splines: Locate the Splines package and click 'Install'.
Shader Graph: Locate the Shader Graph package and click 'Install'.
TextMeshPro: Locate the TextMeshPro package and click 'Install'. After installing TextMeshPro, go to the 'Window' menu, select 'TextMeshPro', and click 'Import TMP Essential Resources'.
Input System: Locate the Input System package and click 'Install'. After installing the New Input System package, Unity may prompt you to restart the editor. Save your work and restart Unity as required.
Next, ensure that “Active Input Handling” is set to "Both" in Edit > Project Settings > Player. This will resolve any console errors you may have encountered.
To set up the Tag and Layer Manager:
Select any object in your currently opened scene.
Click on Tag in the Inspector.
Select Add Tag from the dropdown.
In the newly opened window, click the preset icon (located in the top-right corner).
From the list, select EGB Pro 2 TagManager. This will automatically configure the necessary tags and layers for Easy Grid Builder Pro 2.
This will add three new layers required for Easy Grid Builder Pro 2.
Layer 29:Character
Layer 30:Terrain
Layer 31:Grid
These layers are essential for the asset's functionality and integration with your project. If you don’t want to overwrite your existing Tag Manager preset, you can manually add these three layers instead.
Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 only supports Universal Render Pipeline (URP) and High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP).
By Default EGB Pro 2 is configured for Universal Render Pipeline (URP). To ensure proper functionality with URP, follow these steps:
Open the Universal Render Pipeline Global Settings asset. In the Rendering Layers 3D section, rename Layer 1 to Decal.
If you're using Unity 6 or above, adding the Decal Layer manually is unnecessary. It will be added automatically when you import the provided 'EGB Pro 2 TagManager.' Rendering layers can be found in the Tags and Layers section in Unity 6
Go to your URP Render Pipeline Asset (e.g., High Fidelity, Balanced, Performance, or any custom URP Renderer Asset you are using).
Inside the Renderer Features section, add a new Decal renderer feature. Then configure the following settings for the Decal renderer feature:
Technique: Set to DBuffer.
Surface Data: Set to Albedo.
Max Draw Distance: Set to 1000.
Use Rendering Layers: Enable this option (tick True).
Follow these steps to configure EGB Pro 2 in High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP):
First Add the EGB Pro 2 HDRP Package to your project in the SoulGames folder. This will override the exciting files with HDRP compatible files.
Then go to your HDRP Render Pipeline Asset (e.g., High Fidelity, Balanced, Performance, or any custom HDRP Renderer Asset you are using)
Inside the Rendering section, enable the Decal renderer feature. Then configure the following settings for the Decal renderer feature.
Draw Distance: Set to 1000.
Layers: Enable this option (tick True).
These steps are essential for enabling Custom Surface Projection in EGB Pro 2 Grids. For example, they allow you to project your grid onto custom surfaces like a Terrain or any other object.
To quickly create a new scene with Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 first open or create a new scene you want to set up in your Unity project. Then in the Project window, navigate to SoulGames > Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 > Prefabs. Locate the prefab named Grid Managers and drag and drop it into your scene. Next, locate the EGB Pro 2 Grid XY or EGB Pro 2 Grid XZ prefab in the same folder.
The EGB Pro 2 Grid XZ prefab is primarily designed for 3D games as it operates on the XZ plane.
The EGB Pro 2 Grid XY prefab is mainly for 2D games as it operates on the XY plane
Both prefabs can be used interchangeably in either 2D or 3D games depending on your project’s needs.
Navigate to SoulGames > Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 > Prefabs > Built-in UI. Inside this folder, you will find three prefabs:
EGB Pro 2 UI Prefab
EGB Pro 2 UI Prefab Vertical Layout
EGB Pro 2 UI Third Person Cursor
If you are not using a Third-person or First-person setup, you can simply just drag and drop the EGB Pro 2 UI Prefab into your scene.
EGB Pro 2 UI Prefab can also be used in a Third-person or First-person setup with the combination of EGB Pro 2 UI Third Person Cursor prefab.
The EGB Pro 2 UI Prefab Vertical Layout is designed primarily for mobile or touchscreen devices, but for this quick guide, we’ll use the EGB Pro 2 UI Prefab.
Select all the prefabs you have dragged into your scene, including the Grid Managers, EGB Pro 2 Grid XY/XZ, and EGB Pro 2 UI Prefab. Then right-click on the selected prefabs, go to Prefab, and choose Unpack Completely.
Select the EGB Pro 2 Grid XZ or EGB Pro 2 Grid XY object you dragged into your scene. In the Inspector window, locate the EasyGridBuilder Pro XZ or EasyGridBuilder Pro XY component attached to this object. Inside this component, go to the Core Grid Properties section. Find the property called GridUniqueID. To the right of this property, there is a small refresh icon. Click on the refresh icon to generate a new Unique ID for the grid.
At this stage, you may notice there is no visual indication of the grid in your scene. To enable the grid view, In the Easy Grid Builder Pro XZ component, go to the Core Grid Properties section. Find the property called Update Grid In Editor. Tick the checkbox next to Update Grid In Editor to enable the grid view in the scene.
If you still don’t see the grid visual after enabling the Update Grid In Editor property, follow these steps to troubleshoot:
Navigate to SoulGames > Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 > Prefabs > Grid Visuals. Locate the Object Grid (Object Prefab). Double-click the prefab to open it, then close it. This will refresh the prefab and may resolve the issue.
If the issue persists, go to SoulGames > Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 > Misc Assets > Materials. Locate the Grid Plane Shader Graph Material, right-click on it, and select Refresh. This will refresh the material and should resolve the problem.
Now to add buildable objects to your grid system, If you are using an XY Grid, which is primarily for 2D games, you can use 2D-based Buildable objects. If you are using an XZ Grid, you can use 3D Buildable objects.
Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 provides some example buildable objects that you can use. Navigate to SoulGames > Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 > Examples > Example Grid Assets in the Project window. Inside this folder, you will find several subfolders containing example Buildable Assets.
2D Grid Inventory Parts
2D Platformer Buildings
2D Top Down Buildings
3D Buildings
3D Modular Building Parts
If you are using Easy Grid Builder Pro XY (the 2D version), follow these steps to add Buildable Assets. Navigate to Soulgames > Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 > Examples > Example Grid Assets > 2D TopDown Buildings. Inside this folder, open the SO Assets subfolder.
You will find three Buildable Grid Object SO Assets in this folder. Select these three Buildable Grid Object SO Assets and drag and drop them into the Buildable Grid Object SO List property of the Easy Grid Builder Pro XY component Grid Buildables section in your grid object.
In the same SO Assets folder, locate the Buildable Free Object SO asset. Drag and drop the Buildable Free Object SO asset into the Buildable Free Object SO List property of the Easy Grid Builder Pro XY component Grid Buildables section in your grid object.
If you are using Easy Grid Builder Pro XZ (the 3D version), follow these steps to add buildable assets. Navigate to Soulgames > Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 > Examples > Example Grid Assets > 3D Buildings. Inside this folder, open the SO Assets subfolder. In this folder, you will nd several Buildable Object SO Assets, including:
Buildable Grid Object SO Assets
Buildable Free Object SO Assets
Buildable Edge Object SO Assets
Buildable Corner Object SO Assets
Select all the Buildable Grid Object SO Assets and drag and drop them into the Buildable Grid Object SO List property of the Easy Grid Builder Pro XZ component Grid Buildables section in your grid object.
In the same SO Assets folder, Select all the Buildable Edge Object SO Assets and drag and drop them into the Buildable Edge Object SO List property in the EasyGrid Builder Pro XZ component's Grid Buildables section. Do the same with the Buildable Corner Object SO Asset and drag and drop it into the Buildable Corner Object SO List property. And select all the Buildable Free Object SO Assets and drag and drop them into the Buildable Free Object SO List property
Quick Tip: You can streamline the process of adding Buildable SO Assets by locking the
Select your EGB Pro 2 Grid XY/XZ component in the Scene.
In the top-right corner of the Inspector window, click the lock icon to lock the Inspector
Navigate to the SO Assets folder and select all the assets in the folder.
Drag and drop them into the four Buildable Lists in the Easy Grid Builder Pro XZ component.
The appropriate Buildable SO Assets will be added automatically to their respective lists.
Let's add the Camera Controller, First delete the existing Main Camera from your scene. Navigate to SoulGames > Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 > Prefabs > Sample Camera Controller. Locate the prefab named WASD Camera Controller Prefab. Drag and drop this prefab into your scene.
Now hit the Play button to enter Play Mode. Use the provided UI to place objects on the grid.
As you explore the UI, you will notice buttons to Increase Grid Width, Decrease Grid Width, Increase Grid Length, and Decrease Grid Length. These buttons allow you to adjust the grid's dimensions dynamically. To ensure these buttons work properly:
Go to the Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 component in your grid object.
In the Core Grid Properties section, enable the property called Update Grid Width and Length.
Explore over 15 different demo scenes located in the SoulGames > Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 > EGBPro 2 Examples folder. These demo scenes showcase various components and features, helping you understand how to use Easy Grid Builder Pro 2 effectively.
This concludes the Quick Start Guide for setting up a scene with Easy Grid Builder Pro 2.
