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Scene view

The main window where you build and arrange your 3D scene.
Read time 4 minutesLast updated a day ago

The Scene view is the main area where you build, arrange, and preview your 3D project. It's where you can interact and manipulate objects in your scene, and view how your final application might look.

Video tutorial

The following video gives an overview of how to navigate around the Scene view.

Unity Studio – Scene View Navigation

GameObjects in a new scene

When you create a new draft in Unity Studio, your scene starts with a few essential objects already in place:

Object

Description

CameraUse the camera to capture and display the scene from a specific viewpoint. For more information about this GameObject, refer to Camera.
PlaneFlat surface at the bottom of your scene, which acts as the ground. Select it in the Hierarchy window to open its properties.
Directional LightThe light in the scene which emulates sunlight and brightens up the whole scene. Refer to Lights for more information.
Animation DirectorUse the Animation Director to animate multiple GameObjects from the hierarchy in a shared timeline. For more information, refer to Animation Director.
UI CanvasThe base area for placing user interface elements (like buttons and text). For more information, refer to UI Creator.
Use the following controls for a quicker way you move around your scene and edit objects:

Camera movement

Use the following hotkeys to control the camera and move around your scene:

Actions

Hotkeys

Rotate cameraHold right-click and move your mouse.
ZoomUse the scroll wheel on your mouse.
PanHold the scroll wheel and drag.
MovePress the following keys to move the camera in the following directions:
  • W key: Forward
  • A key: Left
  • S key: Backward
  • D key: Right
  • Q key: Up
  • E key: Down
Increase camera movement speed (x2)Shift key + any camera movement.

Mode selection

The toolbar at the bottom of the Scene view allows you to switch between Move mode and Comment mode.
2 buttons in a toolbar, one for Comment mode and the other for Move mode. The Comment button has a message icon while the Move button has a cube icon.

Move mode and Comment mode toolbar buttons.

Mode

Hotkey

Description

MoveVUse this mode to interact with and manipulate objects in your scene. Refer to Move mode for more information.
CommentCUse this mode to add annotations to your scene. When you select an area in the scene, you can add a comment that's linked to that specific location. For more information, refer to Annotations.

Move mode

Select Move mode (or press V) to interact with and manipulate objects in your scene. When you select an object in the scene, you can move, rotate, or scale that object using the gizmo handles. The Toolbar for selected assets section gives more information about the different tools you can use to manipulate your objects when in Move mode.

Toolbar for selected assets

While in Move mode, when you select an object in the Scene view, a toolbar appears. This toolbar gives you quicker access to essential tools that allow you to edit that asset:
Shows a toolbar with various transformation options for the selected object.

Object toolbar in Move mode.

Property

Hotkey

Description

CommentCSwitch to Comment mode to add annotations to your scene.
MoveVWhen this toolbar is visible, this option is highlighted because you're already in Move mode.
Free transform1 (top of keyboard)Switch to a mode where you can move the object on all axes at once.
Move2 (top of keyboard)Move the selected object around in the scene on the x, y, or z-axis.
Rotate3 (top of keyboard)Rotate the selected object to change its orientation.
Scale4 (top of keyboard)Make the object larger or smaller.
Toggle handle positionZSwitch between moving the object from its center or from its pivot point (the spot it rotates around).
Toggle handle rotationXSwitch between global (world) and local (object-based) rotation controls. When you select you get the following options:
  • Global: Rotates the object along the scene's axes.
  • Local: Rotates the object based on its own orientation.
DuplicateCtrl + DCreate a copy of the selected object.
DeleteDeleteRemove the selected object from your scene.

Object selection

Use the following hotkeys to select, copy, and paste objects in your scene:

Action

Hotkeys

Select objectsLeft-click to select. To select multiple objects, hold left-click and drag your mouse across the objects.
Focus on selected object in sceneF key
Copy selected objectCmd + C (macOS) or Ctrl + C (Windows).
Cut selected objectCmd + X (macOS) or Ctrl + X (Windows).

Scene view buttons

The following buttons are at the top of the Scene view:
Shows the main buttons available in the Scene view.

Scene view buttons.

Button

Description

ScreenshotCapture a screenshot of your scene and open the AI Screenshot Enhancements window where you can add AI enhancements to your image. For more information, refer to AI Screenshot Enhancement.
PlayPress Play to run your scene. Press Stop to return to editing mode.
Bug notificationA bug icon that notifies you of any issues in your scene. For more information, refer to Bug notification details.

Bug notification details

When you select the bug icon, a panel appears with more information about the warnings or errors in your scene. There are two types of notifications:

Yellow notifications (Warnings)

Yellow notifications are warnings about issues in your project that might cause problems, but won’t stop your scene from running. For example, there might be a warning if a reference is missing in a Logic component. You can still play your scene with warnings, but it’s a good idea to fix them for best results.

Red notifications (Errors)

Red notifications are critical errors that you must fix before you can play your scene. For example, a logic error in a script will trigger a red error notification. If there's a red notification, you need to resolve the issue before you can run your application. Select Show on a notification to bring you to where you can fix the error.

Additional resources