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Dutchskull
Dutchskull

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Integrating Unity3D into .NET Aspire with `Aspire.Unity`

#opensource #gamedev #tooling #dotnet

.NET Aspire is a new application model for building distributed apps with cloud-native building blocks. It’s great for wiring together APIs, databases, and background workers.

But what if you also want to bring Unity3D into the mix? 🎮

That’s exactly what I’ve been experimenting with in Aspire.Unity. It’s an AppHost extension that allows you to start and stop Unity projects as part of your Aspire application.

⚠️ Heads up: This project is experimental — I’m not sure yet how far I’ll take it. But it’s already fun to play with, and it might spark ideas for others.

Why?

When experimenting with distributed apps, I wanted to:

  • Run a Unity3D project as part of the same lifecycle as my other Aspire services.
  • Eventually, be able to pass environment variables into Unity.
  • Treat Unity as “just another service” in my app topology.

Imagine a scenario where a Unity frontend visualizes data from Aspire-powered APIs, or where Unity runs simulations controlled by your backend services.

Installing the package

1. Add the .NET Aspire Unity package to your AppHost project 

dotnet add package Dutchskull.Aspire.Unity
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2. Add the Unity integration side

Open Unity and add this Git-based dependency in the Package Manager:

https://github.com/Dutchskull/Aspire.Unity3D.git?path=/AspireIntegration/Packages/AspireIntegration
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Usage

Minimal example

Adding a Unity project to your Aspire AppHost is just one line:

var unity = builder.AddUnityProject("game", "..\\..\\AspireIntegration", 1);
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This will:

  • Register a Unity project named game.
  • Use the relative path ..\\..\\AspireIntegration.
  • Start Unity on the default URL http://127.0.0.1:54021.
  • And open the scene with index 1 and start unity playmode.

Advanced usage

If you need more control, the method signature is:

public static IResourceBuilder<UnityProjectResource> AddUnityProject(
    this IDistributedApplicationBuilder builder,
    string name,
    string projectPath,
    int? sceneIndex = null,
    string url = "http://127.0.0.1",
    int port = 54021,
    string? customUnityInstallRoot = null) {...}

public static IResourceBuilder<UnityProjectResource> AddUnityProject(
    this IDistributedApplicationBuilder builder,
    string name,
    string projectPath,
    string? sceneName = null,
    string url = "http://127.0.0.1",
    int port = 54021,
    string? customUnityInstallRoot = null) {...}
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  • sceneName/sceneIndex → You can pass the scene index or name that should be playing in unity when starting the AppHost. Make sure it exists in the build settings.
  • url → The base URL for Unity (default: http://127.0.0.1).
  • port → The port Unity listens on (default: 54021).
  • customUnityInstallRoot → (optional) Custom path to your Unity installation.

Example with all arguments:

var unity = builder.AddUnityProject(
    name: "game",
    projectPath: "..\\..\\AspireIntegration",
    url: "http://localhost",
    port: 55000,
    customUnityInstallRoot: "E:\\Unity"
);
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Roadmap

Planned improvements include:

  • Passing environment variables into Unity.
  • Richer communication between Aspire and Unity (Open telemetry).

Wrapping up

This is still just an experiment, but it already shows what’s possible when bridging Aspire with Unity.

👉 Repo: Dutchskull/Aspire.Unity3D

I’d love to hear your thoughts — how would you use Aspire + Unity together?

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