Creating 3D Models in Unity Might Seem Difficult, But It’s Easy with ProBuilder!
This article introduces how to create a simple 3D house model using ProBuilder.
Even if you’re a Unity beginner, you can follow along step-by-step and learn as you go!
What is ProBuilder?
ProBuilder is a powerful tool that lets you create and edit 3D models directly inside Unity.
You don’t need programming skills—its simple interface allows you to quickly shape 3D objects and design your scenes.
Since it enables modeling work for buildings, landscapes, and more right inside the Unity Editor, it’s widely used by developers ranging from beginners to professionals.
ProBuilder is a great tool to help bring your ideas to life, so be sure to make the most of it!
Installing and Setting Up ProBuilder
ProBuilder is not included by default in Unity, so you need to install it via the Package Manager first.
Follow these steps to install ProBuilder:
Open Unity and click Window > Package Manager from the top menu.
Select Unity Registry from the dropdown menu, then search for ProBuilder in the list.
Choose ProBuilder from the search results and click the Install button to start the installation.
Once the installation is complete, ProBuilder will be available for use in your Unity project.
Setting Up ProBuilder
Next, set up ProBuilder so you can start using its tools.
Make sure the Tools menu has been added to the top menu bar of the Unity Editor.
Select Tools > ProBuilder > ProBuilder Window to open the ProBuilder window.
This window contains basic shape creation and editing tools, allowing you to begin modeling right away.基本的な形状作成や編集ツールが揃っており、ここからモデリングを開始できます。
Basic Usage of ProBuilder
Let’s Create a Basic Shape
With ProBuilder, you can quickly create various basic shapes. Before building a house, let’s get familiar with the basic operations.
Click the New Shape button on the toolbar of the ProBuilder window.
A window will appear in the Scene view.
Select your desired shape (such as cube, sphere, cylinder, etc.) and drag it into the scene to create it.
Editing Object Shapes
One of ProBuilder’s strengths is the ability to edit created shapes in detail. You can manipulate an object’s vertices, edges, and faces individually.
Use the icons that appear at the top of the Scene view to switch between editing modes.
Select vertices, edges, or faces to freely modify the object’s shape. For example, by selecting and pulling a face, you can create a rectangular prism.
If you want to enter values numerically, click the bottom-most icon.
A window will appear in the lower-left corner, allowing you to specify values precisely.
Now that you understand the basic operations, let’s actually start creating the “house”!
Let’s Create a 3D House Model
Creating the Floor and Walls
First, let’s make the walls of the house.
To create the floor, select Cube in the ProBuilder window and scale it to an appropriate size.
Next, create the walls.
Use the Cube shape again and adjust the scale to fit the size of the walls.
Create and place the walls following the same steps.
Creating the Roof
Next, let’s create the roof. The roof can be represented using a triangular shape.
Instead of using a Cube, the Prism shape fits the roof well, so we’ll use that.
Adjust its size and position accordingly.
Cutting Out Walls to Create Windows and Doors
You can finely adjust window and door frames using ProBuilder’s Insert Edge Loop feature.
Switch to edge editing mode, select one edge, and click Insert Edge Loop. This will create a new edge loop that runs around the object intersecting the selected edge.
You can freely move this new edge to shape the window or door openings.
Perform Insert Edge Loop three times to create edges outlining the door shape.
Select the middle face and delete it.
Do the same for the back side to create an opening.
How to Delete Faces
Select the face you want to delete, then click Delete Faces in the ProBuilder window to remove it.
When you delete a face, you’ll see through the opening where the door was. To fill these openings, select two edges of the area you want to fill while holding Shift, then click Bridge Edges to create a new face.
A new face has been created!
Fill in the other parts in the same way to create the door wall.
The windows are also made by cutting holes in the walls.
Finishing the 3D model
Material settings
Add color to the house you created to make it look more realistic.
Right-click in the Project View and select Create > Material to create a new material.
You can freely set the color of the material in the Inspector.
Once you have set the colors, drag and drop them onto each part of the house to apply them. For example, use white material for the walls and red material for the roof to make it look more like a real house.
Realistic textures with material assets
In this example, we created a new material, but you can also obtain materials with realistic textures from the Unity Asset Store and other sources. Let’s take advantage of these resources.
For example, here is a free material for realistic wooden flooring.
Yughues Free Wooden Floor Materials
To improve graphics
Please refer to this page to make 3D scenes look even more beautiful.
How to export created 3D models
You can export the created mesh for use in other 3D modeling tools.
Click the “+” to the right of Export in the ProBuilder window.
Select the format you want to use at the export destination and export.
You can open the exported mesh in other tools for additional editing and rendering.
Summary
In this article, we introduced how to create a simple house using Unity’s ProBuilder. With ProBuilder, even beginners can intuitively create 3D models, which can be utilized in various projects such as games and simulations.
Next, let’s try creating more complex buildings and exploring ProBuilder’s advanced features. Unleash your creativity and create amazing works!
