My Optimal Unity Layout!
I’ve been working in Unity for a few years now, and have developed a panel layout that I feel generally works best for me. I’m currently using a very wide single monitor, so my layout is designed to make use of that.
I usually have an internet browser (Firefox) open on the left side, taking up just under 1/3rd of the screen, while Unity takes up the rest.
On the left-hand side of Unity, I keep the Inspector panel tall and thin (wider as needed). This allows me to easily see all the details displayed in the Inspector panel for anything I’m working on.
The Hierarchy and Project panels are stacked vertically next to the inspector. I usually have more files/folders in the Project panel compared to the Hierarchy, so that’s usually a bit bigger. I’ve also always got the Project panel set to “One Column Layout” mode.
By having them set like this, the GameObject details, scene details, and project files are all in the middle of my screen and easiest to see.
In the approximate center of my Unity window is where I keep the Scene view panel and sometimes the Asset Store panel. Like this, I can have a large amount of space to see, navigate, and interact with the game scene I am working on.
On the right side, I usually keep the Game view panel open at the top, with the Console panel open under it for viewing logs, warnings, and errors. Having the Game panel here lets me see how the game looks easily and without taking up any unnecessary space since I use the Scene view more. The Console is also left with enough width to nicely display any log messages.
Side Note:
I usually have Odin Inspector in all my personal projects because I like having clean and optimized scripts in the Inspector, and I often make and use my own Editor Windows too.
In these cases, I usually move the Game panel into the tab group where the Scene and Asset Store panels are, and put any project-specific Editor Windows where the Game panel used to be. Like Odin Inspector’s Attribute overview panel.
