7.1 Designing Menus, HUDs, and Scoreboards with Unity’s UI System

In this module, you will learn to design engaging user interfaces (UI) and implement essential game mechanics to enhance player interaction. This includes creating menus, HUDs (Heads-Up Displays), and scoreboards, as well as adding interactive elements like buttons and sliders. You’ll also build core gameplay systems such as health, scoring, and progression mechanics, all while integrating visual and audio feedback for a polished gaming experience.

7.1 Designing Menus, HUDs, and Scoreboards with Unity’s UI System

Unity’s UI system allows you to create visually appealing and functional interfaces for your game.

Step 1: Introduction to the Canvas

• Add a Canvas to your scene (GameObject > UI > Canvas).
• Adjust the Canvas settings to match your game resolution and aspect ratio.

Step 2: Creating Menus

1. Add UI elements like buttons, text, and images to the Canvas.
2. Use Unity’s Button component to create functional menu buttons (e.g., Start, Settings, Quit).
3. Organize UI elements hierarchically for clarity and control.

Step 3: HUDs (Heads-Up Displays)

1. Create an in-game HUD to display player information such as health, ammo, or a minimap.
2. Use sliders or bars for dynamic indicators (e.g., health or stamina bars).

public Slider healthBar;
void UpdateHealth(float currentHealth) {
    healthBar.value = currentHealth;
}

Step 4: Scoreboards

1. Display the player’s score or rank on the HUD or an end-game screen.
2. Update UI text dynamically based on game events:

public Text scoreText;
private int score = 0;

void UpdateScore(int amount) {
    score += amount;
    scoreText.text = "Score: " + score.ToString();
}

Activity: Create a functional main menu, a HUD with a health bar, and a scoreboard to display player stats.