create a pokemon go app

back4app.comCreate a Pokemon Go Game

How to Build a Pokemon Go App

• Back4app provides Parse server service to take care of your backend and APIs development.

• Parse also provides basic application activity APIs like Login-in, push notification, payment…etc.

• For this demonstration, we can use Parse Geo Point Service and back4app as our backend to build a simple Pokémon-Go.

• You can read the original publication on:

http://docs.back4app.com/docs/new-parse-app/how-to-build-a-pokemon-go-app/

Part 1: Setting up Back4app Parse

on your Unity3d

• Go to https://parse.com/docs/downloads

• Download Unity Blank Project (v1.7.0)

• Download https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7k7pGQXUypGTWRqS1BqVDBWQUU/view?usp=sharing for updated Parse SDK for Unity3d

https://parse.com/docs/downloads

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7k7pGQXUypGTWRqS1BqVDBWQUU/view?usp=sharing


on your Unity3d

• Open Unity3d Parse Blank Project -> Click Upgrade if required.

• Replace Asset/Parse/Parse.Unity.dll to the latest one.

• Go to Asset/Scene


on your Unity3d

• The Parse Initializer GameObject will miss some scripts.

• Add ParseInitializeBehaviour to it.


on your Unity3d

• Type your Application ID, dotNet Key, serverUrl to a parameter from your Back4app dashboard.


on your Unity3d

• Create a GameObject and add script component to the Scene for testing.


on your Unity3d

• Add following code to TestParse.cs


on your Unity3d

• using UnityEngine;• using System.Collections;• using Parse;• using System.Threading.Tasks;• public class TestParse : MonoBehavio

ur {• // Use this for initialization• void Start () {• ParseObject testObj = new ParseObje

ct("TestObject");

• testObj["a"] = "HI";• testObj["b"] = "Back4app";• Task saveTask = testObj.SaveAsync();• }• // Update is called once per frame• void Update () {• }• }


on your Unity3d

• Press Play Button on your Unity3d Editor

• Go to Back4app database dashboard to check the success or not.


on your Unity3d

• It is connected with your back4app account successfully if you find your uploaded data in the database.

Part 2: Integrate Google Map

to your Unity3d Project

• To generate the terrain like Pokémon-Go, we need to integrate Google map your Unity3d Project.

• First, create Plane and Name it as “Map”, create directional light.



• Second, Create a script “GoogleMap” and add to Map Game object.



• Second, Create a script “GoogleMap” and add to Map Game object.

• You can see the original script on: http://docs.back4app.com/docs/new-parse-app/how-to-build-a-pokemon-go-app/




• Untick the AutoLocateCenter.



• Type some dummy parameter to try the Google Map.



• If the plane shows the correct location as your parameter, the Google map is successfully integrated.

• You can use Refresh method to refresh the Google map to change location.

Part 3: Integrate Character and Interacting

with GPS Data

• Create LocationManager Gameobject and add the following code.

• This code is getting the GPS Data and updating the Google Map when GPS data is changed.

• You can see the full code on: http://docs.back4app.com/docs/new-parse-app/how-to-build-a-pokemon-go-app/



with GPS Data

• Let test the Google map again.

• It is successful if the Google map change when you change the GPS Data in Runtime.


with GPS Data


with GPS Data

• After that, create a Capsule as a character and a Cube as Direction of the character on top of the Google Map.

• (For me, I place the character at X:0 Y:0.07 Z:0)

• Add a compass to your character when you test with your mobile device.


with GPS Data

• Make sure your character is located correctly by checking Latitude and Longitude on Google Map.

Part 4: Generating Monsters on Map (Part A)

• For Generating Monsters, we need to do some calculation on placing the monster with their longitude and latitude location.

• Because the ratio between Google map, reality and Unity3d XYZ-world is different.

• To figure out how to calculate the relationship between them, we need dummy data.

• For more detail : how to calculate.http://www.movable-type.co.uk/scripts/latlong.html

http://www.movable-type.co.uk/scripts/latlong.html


• First of all, we need to set initial latitude and longitude on Google Map first (You can choose where you want) and set the Markers on the Google Map.


• Press Run, You will find the label on your Google map.

• PS: The reason why we cannot use the marker to be a monster because it is combined with the texture.

• The marker itself is a part of the texture but not a Gmeobject so we cannot do any implementation on that.


• Beside that, we will make some dummy GPS data of monster on Parse server, later on, so we need to know the corresponding ratio on the monster game object position.


• After that, we create a cube and place on top of the label.

• Record this position.


• Now, we need to find the exact distance between the player GPS location and the marker GPS location.

• The distance between start (37.38373, -122.0133) and marker (37.384782,-122.012893) can be calculated by this script.


• And then calculate the XYZ world distance between the CUBE maker and the Player Capsule. (-0.563,0.07,-1.915) and (0,0.07,0).

• This is a simple calculation, so I don’t list how to do it.

• After that, the ratio will be found by this equation

• Ratio = XYZ world distance / Exact Distance.


• Once we have this ratio, we able to calculate how far the monster should be placed according to the Player location.

• However, the possible location still undefined because we don’t have the bearing between the player and monster.

• To calculate the bearing.

• We can use this code. (You can see the full code on: http://docs.back4app.com/docs/new-parse-app/how-to-build-a-pokemon-go-app/)



• After we get the ratio and bearing, it is possible to convert Longitude Latitude location to be XYZ-world coordination, which means we can place any monsters with latitude longitude location to correct game world location.

• With the above code, we know the correct XYZ coordination to spawn monster.

Part 5: Generating Monsters on Map (Part B)

• While we are able to convert Longitude and Latitude data to the game world, it is time now to create some dummy monster data on Back4app parse server.

• Go to your Parse back4app dashboard and create a class call Monster.


• Add a column: Location with data type Geopoint.


• Insert some monster dummy row that around you.


• The dummy monsters are set, they are waiting for you to call.

• Then I create a MonsterSpawn GameObject with script Spawn.

• Drop the LocationManager GameObject to it (For getting updated GPS Data)

• M prefab monster for spawning a monster.


• It is time to fetch the dummy monster data from back4app to your program.


• The above code gets the result one by one and converting the GeoPoint data to be XYZ-world coordination, and then push the result to the List.

• After adding the result is fetched, spawn becomes true to allow program spawns the monster.




• After the Monsters are spawned, the monsters will keep updating when the player GPS data has updated.

• Testing. The monster is spawn at correct XYZ coordination with their Latitude Longitude data.

Part 6: How to move the Player (solve google

map texture slow problem!)

• Until Part 5, the movement of the player is relied on the Google Map texture updating. However, it is not effective to play it.

• The user experience is not good.

• To solve this problem, we “unlock” the player.

• Make player move on the map.



• The algorithm behind is similar to updating the monster.

• We apply on the capsule. compare the last GPS data and new GPS data to calculate how should the player move in the Game world.

• As we are updating the position of the player, therefore we don’t need monster update and google map refresh function anymore.

• What you need to do : Modify LocationMaganger.cs



• Second, attach following code to you camera make your cam follow you character ( Don’t forget to drag your capsule to inspector.



• To view source code and whole project -> Raw Unity Project

• Issues, comments or suggestions? Let’s discuss in our Developers Group Topic.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_94O-YNPLoRZF9wZzBkM2FLUE0

https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer#!topic/back4app/nG-DdAVTTdM

create a pokemon go app

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