getting‐started

Getting Started

This page introduces the fundamentals of Unity Access. It is not intended to cover every feature in depth. Instead, it explains the key concepts and workflows you need to get started.

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

1. Ensure NVDA is running.
2. Make sure you have Unity 6.3 LTS installed.
3. Ensure you have Unity Access installed. If you have not installed it yet, see [Installing Unity Access](installing-unity_access).

Creating a Scene

One of the most fundamental concepts in Unity is the scene.

A scene represents an area or part of your game. For example, a scene could be:

• A game level
• A title screen
• A game-over screen

To create a scene using Unity Access, press Ctrl+N.

This opens a menu where you can use the arrow keys to select a scene template.

After selecting your scene template and opening the scene, it is a good idea to save it.

To do this:

1. Press Ctrl+F.
2. Navigate to Save Scene.
3. Give the scene any name you like.
4. Make sure it is being saved in the correct folder.
5. Press Save.

Congratulations! You have created your first scene.

Adding Objects

Depending on the scene template you selected, your scene may be a little empty.

Let's add a cube.

To do this:

1. Press Alt or Alt+F.
2. If you are in the File menu, press Esc.
3. Navigate to GameObject using the arrow keys.
4. Press the Down Arrow until you find 3D Object.
5. Press Enter, then navigate down until you hear Cube.

Well done! You have added your first GameObject.

Unity Access also provides an Add Object option within the accessible Hierarchy. This is particularly useful when you want to add custom 3D models that you have imported into your Unity project, rather than creating one of Unity's built-in objects such as a cube.

Next, let's learn how to change the cube's position and add components.

Hierarchy and Component Viewer

To inspect our cube, we need to open the accessible Hierarchy.

To do this, while in Game Mode, press H.

Your screen reader should announce:

"Accessible Hierarchy."

If it does not, press Ctrl+2 to enter Game Mode and then try again.

Once the Hierarchy is open, use the arrow keys to navigate to the cube.

When you find the cube, press Enter.

You can now inspect and edit the cube.

One of the first things you may want to change is its X, Y and Z position.

Navigate to the labelled position fields and press Enter.

You can then edit the value and confirm it by pressing Enter again.

Adding Components

Another important part of working with GameObjects is adding components.

Components give GameObjects their properties and behaviours and are a fundamental part of Unity development.

To add a component:

1. Navigate down to Add Component.
2. Press Enter.

For this example, we will use the Character Controller.

The Character Controller is commonly used when creating characters that need to move around and interact with the game environment.

Navigate through the list of components until you find Character Controller, then press Enter.

Once it has been added, open the Character Controller and find the Radius property.

Most of the component's properties can be edited, but for this example we will keep things simple.

Set the Radius to any value you want.

The radius controls the width of the Character Controller's collision area. A larger radius means the controller will occupy a wider area when detecting collisions.

And that is it.

Congratulations! You have successfully created a scene, added a GameObject, changed its properties and added a component.