Learn from the Shipped Samples

Start with Text Studio 3D Showcase in 00_Entry, then choose a named lesson from Tools > Text Studio > Examples. Persisted native text, styles, Composed Effects, modules, sockets, prefabs, emission presets, and themes remain inspectable before Play Mode. Appearance lessons live in 01_Appearance, motion and interaction in 02_Effects, reusable production configurations in 03_ProductionExamples, and Letter Domino Workshop in 04_CompleteDemo.

Inspect the named specimens and reusable recipes directly. Use only the actions a lesson provides to teach its feature; native inspector edits stay authoritative and survive replay.

Shape and Appearance

1. Layered Signs: create a readable title, inspect the source host, and compare shared and local layer stacks.
2. Shape and Depth plus Font Preparation: inspect faces, bevels, bodies, supported font outlines, and mesh detail at the saved viewing distance, and change the rounded specimen's depth with its Rounded depth slider.
3. Readable Materials plus Hero Lettering: compare native material regions, premium surfaces, complete designs, and restrained lighting.
4. Contour Decorations: compare tubes that follow outline loops, an extracted centerline, and an authored drawn path, and inspect custom contours, strokes, repeats, sockets, and backing geometry as editable native recipes.

Motion and Live Feedback

1. Reveal and Motion plus Animated Materials: combine normal Text Studio lifecycle and effect playback with dimensional output; the CHROME specimen uses a registered custom shader and offers Pause sweep and Resume sweep.
2. Placement in Space: compare baseline placement, spatial forms, and front-to-back sweep with the shared source layout intact.
3. Spatial Fields in Depth: move the linked field targets with the X, Y, and Z sliders and compare Depth, Rotation, Glow, and Metal fields on native geometry.
4. Glyph Attachments plus Contours and Energy: compare semantic and named socket poses, exact Contour Trace, Runic Inlay, and electric paths through native animation, then click the BEND specimen to pin markers to its exact surface while the Bend surface slider bends it.
5. Growing Surfaces: compare frost, moss, and living flame surfaces, and inspect the nine coating recipes in Examples/02_Effects/Recipes/Growing Surfaces.

Output, Physics, and Extension

1. Output Structures plus Live Feedback: change native text, compare renderer ownership and outputs on rails that mark every generated renderer and Hybrid letter anchor, and inspect finite retained-letter Reactions.
2. Physical Letters: combine real Rigidbody behavior and native geometry effects, then reset the authored poses.
3. Modules and Spawned Effects: inspect geometry modules and topology-driven Glyph Decorations alongside shared finite Reaction recipes and typed host inputs.

Spatial Interfaces

1. Spatial Controls: inspect the editable controls, navigation, text input, and contextual native keyboard.
2. Spatial Menus: compare complete native equipment-card prefabs, themes, focus, selection, and optional input through their saved configuration.

Production Examples and Reusable Recipes

• Style Gallery: inspect the curated wall of editable finished designs, then compare alternatives in the editor gallery. Use the Appearance recipes to study construction choices.
• Typography: compare the seven bundled font families as editable extrusion, including Chinese ZCOOL lettering.
• World Space UI: inspect complete spatial controls and native layout rather than duplicating the component workflow.
• Atelier: refine a finished material-led composition while preserving its authored shared styles.
• Production Recipes: reusable Capability Workflows, Gameplay and Menus, Realtime, and Advanced Modules configurations live beside the four distinct production scenes. Open their named prefabs for the complete native setup.

Letter Domino Workshop

Letter Domino Workshop is the physics capstone. Fourteen persisted native letter hosts form a tabletop chain. One impulse begins real collisions, observed completion triggers the finale once, and reset restores the authored bodies and poses. The former Deep Signal showcase coverage now lives in focused lessons and reusable recipes.

Optional Integration Installation

Text Studio 3D integrations are optional nested unitypackages owned by Text Studio 3D. Install Text Studio, Text Studio 3D, and the required companion first. The matching archive is stored in the installed Text Studio 3D Integrations folder and imports a separate adapter or sample folder into the project's Assets folder.

The Integrations window reports the companion and the Text Studio 3D package separately. For example, Unity Input System installed means Unity's com.unity.inputsystem package was detected. Text Studio 3D Input System adapter not imported means TextStudio3D_InputSystem_Integration.unitypackage still needs to be imported.

Import available appears only when the nested archive was found. Package not found means the current Text Studio 3D installation lacks that file. Reinstall or update Text Studio 3D, then reopen the window. Integration Guide is the single help action for capabilities, coverage, setup, acquisition, validation, and troubleshooting.

An imported adapter is installed into this Unity project, not globally into Unity or Windows. Removing the adapter folder removes only the Text Studio bridge. It does not uninstall the companion package or Text Studio 3D.

Get the base product. Text Studio on the Unity Asset Store.

Get the 3D add-on. Text Studio 3D on the Unity Asset Store.

Input System

What it enables. The Text Studio 3D Input System adapter connects Unity Input System actions and focused keyboard text to editable spatial controls. It is an input bridge for Text Studio 3D, not a separate device system and not a replacement for Unity Input System.

Covered Input System features. Pointer adapters consume Point and Press actions for hover, press, captured drag, release, and cancellation. Navigation groups consume Move, Submit, and Cancel. Focused Text Studio 3D input fields support keyboard character insertion, deletion, caret movement, selection, submit, cancel, and focus changes. The adapter can temporarily replace built-in polling and restore the previous state when disabled.

Coverage boundary. Unity Input System still owns devices, InputActionAssets, action maps, control schemes, bindings, rebinding UI, PlayerInput, and multiplayer users. Text Studio 3D owns pointer capture, focus, navigation state, text editing, validation, interaction feedback, and generated geometry. The adapter does not create project action assets or decide who enables shared actions.

Install and configure. Install com.unity.inputsystem 1.4.0 or newer for default spatial input. In Player Settings, set Active Input Handling to Input System Package (New). For custom action maps, import TextStudio3D_InputSystem_Integration.unitypackage from the Text Studio 3D Integrations folder. Select a 3D pointer, navigation group, or input field and choose Configure Selected on the Unity Input System for Text Studio 3D card. Assign Point and Press, or Move, Submit, and Cancel as appropriate. Focused keyboard text entry needs no action reference.

Validate and troubleshoot. Enable Manage Action Lifetime only when PlayerInput or another system does not own those actions. Open the Spatial Controls and Spatial Menus samples in the integration's Samples folder and test mouse, keyboard, gamepad, focus transfer, drag cancellation, text selection, submit, disable and re-enable, and two consecutive Play Mode sessions. If Unity Input System is installed but Import Integration is absent, the Text Studio 3D nested package is missing and the card should report Package not found.

Install the companion. Unity Input System Package Manager documentation.

XR Interaction Toolkit

What it enables. The Text Studio 3D XR adapter turns XR Interaction Toolkit interactors into native Text Studio 3D spatial pointer and navigation input for menus, buttons, sliders, text fields, and other spatial controls.

Covered XR Interaction Toolkit features. The adapter supports ray, Near-Far, direct, poke, and gaze interaction; hover, select, drag, release, and cancellation; exact hit context; pressure or interaction strength; handedness; optional haptics; directional navigation; submit; cancel; and collider fitting. Setup is idempotent and supports the relevant public API shapes in XRI 2 and XRI 3.

Coverage boundary. XRI owns XR Origin, cameras, locomotion, controller and hand bindings, interactors, Interaction Manager, OpenXR or platform configuration, and device simulation. Text Studio 3D owns its control hierarchy, pointer capture, focus, menus, feedback, editing, and geometry. The adapter does not create or own the project's XR rig.

Install and configure. Install com.unity.xr.interaction.toolkit 2.0.0 or newer, then import TextStudio3D_XRInteractionToolkit_Integration.unitypackage. Create GameObject > Text Studio > 3D > Spatial UI > XRI Menu, or select an existing compatible hierarchy and use Configure Selected. Assign haptic and navigation actions only when the project uses them.

Validate and troubleshoot. Test every interactor type used by the project, hover-to-select transitions, captured drag outside a collider, cancel, handedness, interaction strength, haptics, gaze dwell if configured, navigation, submit, and teardown. If world controls work in the sample but not the production scene, inspect the XR Interaction Manager, layers, colliders, action bindings, and XR Origin before changing Text Studio geometry.

Install the companion. Unity XR Interaction Toolkit Package Manager documentation.

UniText

What it enables. The Text Studio 3D UniText package is a sample package showing how the base Text Studio UniText backend's shaped-glyph output becomes solid Text Studio 3D geometry. Runtime conversion is already provided by Text Studio 3D's generic shaped-glyph contract.

Covered UniText features. The sample demonstrates shaped Latin, Arabic, and Hebrew, mixed bidirectional visual order, ligatures, fallback fonts, live typography styles, decorations, source colors, Text Studio effects, and solid extrusion from stable shaped glyph identities.

Mathematical notation. With UniText Folio 3.20.0 or newer, formulas become solid 3D too. Add the Math Profile component (Add Component > Text Studio > Integrations > UniText > Math Profile) to the UniText object, assign a static OpenType MATH font, and write formulas between \( and \), \[ and \], or <math> tags. Shaped math glyphs and the font's fraction and radical rules extrude with the rest of the text, including preparation, detail levels, and mesh export. Vertical filled rules, array column lines, document tables, and variable math fonts are not converted. The Math in 3D scene in the Folio sample shows an editable formula with Atelier Brass, Gilded Porcelain, and Arctic Rune styles and a Face depth control.

Coverage boundary. The package does not add a second UniText runtime bridge. It requires the base TextStudio_UniText_Integration package. UniText stroke, shadow, and layer blend remain flat renderer or material effects rather than physical 3D shells. Rolling and Scramble virtual glyphs, sprite media, object media, bitmap-only glyphs, and color-only glyph layers do not become durable solid geometry.

Install Text Studio, Text Studio 3D, and either UniText Open Source 1.x from 1.0.0 inclusive to below 2.0.0 or Folio 3.x from 3.3.0-pre.7 inclusive to below 4.0.0. Import TextStudio_UniText_Integration.unitypackage once. Then choose TextStudio3D_UniText_OpenSource_Sample.unitypackage for Solid Shaped Text, or TextStudio3D_UniText_Folio_Sample.unitypackage for Folio Material Bench and Math in 3D; the Folio sample requires Folio 3.20.0 or newer. The Integrations window checks the universal backend and matching edition before enabling sample import.

Validate and troubleshoot. Open the shaped-text showcase and test all included scripts, fallback faces, ligatures, decorations, color, live edits, extrusion, build preparation, and two consecutive Play Mode sessions. If flat output works but geometry is missing, verify that the selected face exposes usable outline font data and that the content is not sprite, object, bitmap-only, or transient virtual glyph output. For Math in 3D, also apply a new formula, switch the Hero style, and change Face depth.

Get the companion from the UniText Open Source repository or the UniText Folio Asset Store page. Confirm that the installed edition and version match the sample card. Runtime extrusion remains in Text Studio 3D's generic shaped-glyph contract; these archives contain persisted samples rather than a second backend.

Unity Splines

What it enables. SplineExtrusionPathProvider bends each Text Studio 3D glyph from front to back through an authored Unity Spline, enabling arched, curled, banked, tapered, looped, and path-shaped solid lettering.

Covered Splines features. The guarded Text Studio 3D runtime bridge samples a SplineContainer and supports rotation-minimizing orientation, banking or roll, endpoint scale and taper, and closed paths. The optional sample package persists editable spline containers and presentation controls that demonstrate those deformations.

Coverage boundary. Unity Splines owns spline assets, knots, tangents, editing tools, and path evaluation. Text Studio 3D owns generated contours, extrusion, materials, normals, colliders, LODs, and the final deformed glyph mesh. Base Text Studio spline placement is separate and arranges glyph origins along a baseline instead of bending glyph depth.

Install and configure. Install com.unity.splines 2.0.0 or newer. The guarded SplineExtrusionPathProvider in Text Studio 3D activates automatically. Import TextStudio3D_UnitySplines_Integration.unitypackage only for the optional showcase, then assign the desired SplineContainer to the extrusion path provider.

Validate and troubleshoot. Edit knots, banking, endpoint scale, and closed state while Live Preview is active, then inspect caps, sidewalls, normals, bounds, colliders, and LOD output. If the whole line follows a curve but individual glyph depth stays straight, the scene is using base spline placement rather than the 3D extrusion path provider.

Install the companion. Unity Splines Package Manager documentation.

Visual Effect Graph

What it enables. Combustion combines a heated text surface with flame, relit smoke, and embers. Cryogenic Ice adds frost, crystalline detail, cold vapor, and contact shards. Electric Discharge adds corona and contact sparks to the native staged bolt. Burn Away and Disintegrate add dust around native dissolve fronts; Acid Corrosion adds droplets and fumes around the corroding surface. These companions augment the native text effects.

Install and configure. Install Unity 6.3 LTS, Visual Effect Graph 17.3, Burst 1.8.26 or newer, and URP or HDRP with Linear color space. Import TextStudio3D_VisualEffectGraph_Integration.unitypackage from the Text Studio 3D Integrations folder. Select a 3D title and choose the matching Add action under Tools > Text Studio > 3D > Visual Effects.

Heat Haze requires Opaque Texture in URP or camera Distortion in HDRP. Optional Fire Lights uses up to four point lights; tune its contribution for the scene and pipeline. Verify both effects in the intended player configuration.

Preview and adjust. Use Play, Pause, Restart, and Step in the bridge inspector. Automatic mode follows compatible effects already on the text. Manual mode exposes Progress; External Driver accepts progress from a script. Setup supplies a temporary surface effect layer when needed and supports Undo. Choose Balanced, High, or Cinematic quality for the intended viewing distance.

Direct the effect. Move the shared Activation and Suppression fields to grow or remove the effect across the title. World Acceleration influences detached particles. Electric Source Anchor and Target Anchor transforms pin the main bolt to external objects. Reduced Motion restrains movement and flashes; None stops new particle emission.

Create a take. Open Render Studio from the bridge inspector to export PNG, MP4, or GIF. Capture freezes profiles, external inputs, endpoint positions, and released physical-letter poses at startup. Rewinding resets and replays the text and particles at a fixed step. GIF supports up to 50 frames per second; MP4 supports up to 60. Inspect the exported result at the target resolution.

Explore and validate. Open Elemental Materials Lab from the Visual Effects menu and enter Play Mode. An automatic tour introduces each bay and yields to interaction. The controls demonstrate growth, suppression, wind, contacts, quality, and camera views. Restart resets the view and effect controls. Verify the intended render pipeline, graphics API, source animation, and export format before shipping. The base Text Studio packages remain usable without this integration.