UniChat

UniChat is a Unity asset designed to enable developers to communicate directly within the Unity editor. It provides real-time chat functionality and file transfer capabilities, making it easier for team members to collaborate during development.

This asset is still in development

Features

• Real-Time Chat: Enables instant communication between team members.
• File Transfer: Send and receive files directly within the Unity editor
• Progress Bar: Shows progress during file sending and receiving.
• Customization Options: Configure message colors.
• Persistent Chat Log: Automatically saves and loads chat history.

How It Works

Installation

The asset depends from UniTask so go at https://github.com/Cysharp/UniTask and follow instruction

1. Clone or download the UniChat repository.
2. Place the UniChat folder into your Unity project's Assets directory.

Note: A Unity Package is available

Usage

1. Opening UniChat:

   • Go to Tools > UniChat in the Unity menu to open the UniChat window.

2. Chatting:

   • Enter your username and start typing in the chat input field.
   • Press the "Send" button or hit Enter to send your message.

3. Sending Files:

   • Click the "Send File" button and select the file you want to send.
   • The file transfer progress will be shown in the chat window.

4. Customizing Settings:

   • Click on the "Options" button at the top of the window to open the Options window.
   • Options in the Options window:
     • User Message Color: Choose the color for your messages.
     • Log Message Color: Choose the color for log messages.
     • Chunk Size: Select the size of file chunks for transfers.

5. Viewing Logs:

   • The chat log is displayed in the main window, showing the current session's messages and logs.
   • Previous chat logs are automatically loaded when the window is opened.

Connecting Users

To use UniChat, users need to connect to each other over a network. For simplicity, you can use a VPN service like Hamachi to establish a virtual local network.

Using Hamachi

1. Download and Install Hamachi:

   • Download Hamachi from the official website and install it on each user's computer.

2. Create a Network:

   • One user should create a new network in Hamachi by clicking "Network" > "Create a new network".
   • Provide a network ID and password, then share these details with other users.

3. Join the Network:

   • Other users should join the network by clicking "Network" > "Join an existing network".
   • Enter the network ID and password provided by the network creator.

4. Find IP Addresses:

   • In Hamachi, each user will have a virtual IP address displayed. Use these IP addresses to connect.

5. Connect in UniChat:

   • Server:
     • One user should start the server by entering their username and clicking the "Start Server" button.
   • Client:
     • Other users should enter the server's Hamachi IP address, their username, and click "Connect as Client".

6. Start Chatting:

   • Once connected, users can start chatting and sending files as described in the usage instructions.

Visualizations

• Progress Bar:
  • Shows the progress of file transfers, both for sending and receiving files.

Known Issues

• This asset is still early in development

Limitations

• For now it does not support when unity recompile.