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External .prefab/.mat viewer ?
Hi all. I was thinking about way how to show only small part of developed game to fed news-hungry fans. Is there any software capable of loading .prefab files with animators, particle systems, lights and all the stuff ? Just to show it exactly how it look in-editor/game (exept Gizmos). It will load .prefeab with all components and hiearchi, load resources (like texture and material) from same location as in editor (project folder) and show it just like it look in game/editor but it will don'd have game-dev features instead it will have thinks like anim.clip player, particles controller, lighting setup, view setup(like 4-windows, 2-windows, ortho-side(like left,top,bottom,front and so), prespective-side etc.) or recording/capture features. It can be realy good to have thing like this and i think it will be realy good tool for showing actual work.
-Garrom
Answer by Bunny83 · May 02, 2017 at 12:23 PM
No, prefabs are an editor feature. They can only be loaded by the Unity editor. Also, depending on where those prefabs come from, you may not be allowed to distribute the assets in their "raw" form. All assets from the assetstore fall under that category. Those assets may only be used in "compiled form". So either in a built game or inside an asset bundle.
You could create a "viewer" application with Unity that will load assetbundles and show the dynamically loaded content.
If only unity guis can acess features of editor, they are ones who may create it. And i think it will be good to have viewer like this to don't need shere "raw" asset but only image / video how it look ins$$anonymous$$d of shere "raw" asset and let others look at it in editor. And this letting others view how exactly prefab look with all lights, particles and animations on it become #1 reason why have viewr like this. And these assets are most time created by one who making game and want show only this one asset by taking picture of it or making video. But editor is extremely uncomfortable to creating "visual materials" like pictures or videos.
btw. Do you know where i can suggest features or new piece of software like this. I know i saw i somewhere on page but i can't find it agin.
If i think about it, it will be best if unity technology guys do something like "Asset viewer" because creators of engine have (surprisingly huh?) acess to all shaders and they know best how materials, prefab, lights, particles, animations works and most propably be able to implement (almost) same code into different software. In fact it will be tool for unity editor because if you want load prefab you must create one first, then post image or video of prefab to some page about developed game, something like facebook or google+. Simply upload image or video (alternatively i can convert avi to gif myself) and write somethik like "Actualy developed weapon, the TS-33 granade launcher" and news-hungry fans will be fed for next 24 hours.