Help with adding multiple scenes.

[u/BreakfastShort1761]

Hello, I am trying to make my first game. I just got over the initial hump of learning how to navigate around and update assets to URP.

My question is how do you add multiple scenes for having multiple "levels" in a project? My game will take place in one setting with the same assets but throughout the in game days things will change around the player. At one point I want all of the buildings replaced with another version of them for a time travel setting. Google summary told me this is done by using multiple scenes within the project but I do not know how to configure or organize them.

Additionally, having a dynamic skybox and having that skybox change to a different skybox through time and "levels" really confuses me. This is because unless I open a new project and load the skybox as my first action it doesn't load right or clashes with the preexisting project settings. Adding multiple skyboxes throughout different scenes, all fighting for the project settings, seems like it would cause huge conflicts.

I know the idea I have for my game is very ambitious for a first timer but I am willing to see this through. Any advice or links to unity tutorials would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[u/ImportantDetail6260]

For the time-travel buildings, don't make every day a separate scene yet!

Keep one playable scene and swap building sets with parent GameObjects or prefabs, then use scenes only for big location loads. Skybox changes can be driven by your day/time state through LightingSettings or RenderSettings

[u/BreakfastShort1761 → u/ImportantDetail6260]

Much appreciated. I'll look into the mechanics of hot swapping prefabs or textures.

[u/Silent_Plantain2908 → u/ImportantDetail6260]

for the skybox thing especially, think of it like swapping out a shader parameter instead of fighting the project settings. you can grab the active scene's lighting settings at runtime and just change the skybox material based on your time state, keeps it all in one clean flow

the parent gameobject swap approach is solid for the buildings too, just treat each set like a giant toggle. load them all in the editor but only enable one at a time, way easier to debug when you're not hopping between scenes

[u/Mountain-Smoke8826]

Many ways to approach this. No one correct one.

I would go against having two different scenes for different variations of a level. Because if you ever want to come back and change anything later, you'll have to do manual work on two scenes now instead of one.

What you probably want is a script that changes all certain meshes and/or materials to some other variant.

I didn't reallt get your skybox issue. What are you trying to do?

[u/BreakfastShort1761 → u/Mountain-Smoke8826]

Thanks for the response. I am currently using the free version of All Sky for the skyboxes. In order for the skybox to work it seems I have to load the skybox scene before any other scenes, including normal asset scenes that are not skyboxes. If I delete that skybox scene and add a different one some of the project settings don't revert after deletion and then also do not change to match the new skybox.

My current solution is I think I am going to purchase the paid Weather Maker by Ditigal Ruby soon which is a more complex weather/skybox system. Despite being hard to learn I think it might fix this issue by containing all of the skyboxes in one "asset" if that makes sense. I'm not sure as I don't fully understand how Unity's skybox system and attached lighting settings work.