Build industrial digital twins in Unity
realvirtual turns Unity into an engineering platform: CAD in, behavior simulated, real PLCs connected – one twin from sales pitch to running machine.
Why Unity for industrial digital twins
Unity brings what industrial 3D has been missing: real-time rendering performance for large scenes, a mature editor, and deployment to Windows, Linux, macOS, WebGL, mobile and every major VR/AR headset from one project. Machine models with thousands of parts stay interactive – on standard engineering PCs, with no GPU farm, no data center, no streaming infrastructure.
Use C# scripting and the Unity ecosystem to extend your twin with components, interfaces and user controls. realvirtual provides framework source code for customisation.
What realvirtual adds on top of Unity
realvirtual is the Unity-verified framework for industrial use: updateable CAD import (STEP, 3MF, JT via CADLink; native formats via Pixyz), drives and sensors as behavior models with acceleration, limits and timing, deterministic kinematics for closed chains, robot inverse kinematics, and material flow with sources, sinks and transport surfaces.
The controller side is built in: 25+ industrial interfaces – Siemens S7 and PLCSim Advanced, Beckhoff TwinCAT, OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus, EtherNet/IP, robot controllers from KUKA to Universal Robots, and FMI/Simulink – all on one PLCInput/PLCOutput signal architecture.
One twin, the whole lifecycle
The same Unity model carries you through four stages: sales and concept simulation, virtual commissioning against the real PLC, integration testing with MES, and finally the 3D HMI on the running machine. Build once, reuse everywhere – no rebuilds between departments.
Delivered applications are royalty-free on every platform. And as open GLB, your machine models and documentation additionally reach customers in the browser – free, no installation, no account.
AI assistance in the Unity Editor
The free, open-source MCP server hands AI agents like Claude or Cursor 150+ tools to work inside the Unity Editor: create components, wire signals, move drives. Because realvirtual ships with full C# source code, the AI understands the framework from the very code you read.
Let the agent handle repetitive modelling tasks. You review kinematics, signals and behaviour in the model and test the controller in the simulation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Unity suitable for industrial digital twins?
Yes. Unity delivers real-time performance for large CAD scenes and deploys to desktop, web, mobile and VR/AR from one project. realvirtual adds the industrial layer – drives, sensors, kinematics, PLC interfaces – and is an official Unity Verified Solution.
What does a Unity digital twin cost?
realvirtual Unity Plugin Starter is free on the Unity Asset Store (including the Siemens S7 interface). realvirtual Unity Plugin Professional is €1,250 net, one-time per developer, with no runtime fees for delivered applications. A valid Unity license is required. realvirtual Commercial includes the realvirtual Unity Plugin in the Starter and Professional variants. Obtain the Unity Editor licence separately from Unity. Professional is also available on its own; the browser application does not require Unity.
How do I connect Unity to a PLC for a real-time digital twin?
25+ interfaces: Siemens S7 and PLCSim Advanced, Beckhoff TwinCAT, OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus, EtherNet/IP, Bosch ctrlX, Keba, plus robot controllers from KUKA, Fanuc, ABB, Universal Robots, Denso and more – and FMI/Simulink for external behavior models.
How do I deploy a Unity digital twin to a web browser?
You can build a Unity WebGL application or export the model as GLB with realvirtual metadata for drives, sensors and signals. realvirtual opens the GLB in a supported browser. CONNECT adds live controller signals. Viewers do not need a Unity licence.
How do I simulate conveyor systems in a Unity digital twin?
Without code, using three components: a Transport Surface marks the face that moves parts, a Drive powers it, and a Source creates the parts. Sensors report parts to the PLC. Everything is included in the free realvirtual Unity Plugin Starter; the tutorial is on the realvirtual blog.
Do my customers need Unity licenses?
No. Compiled applications run royalty-free on Windows, Linux, macOS, WebGL, mobile and VR/AR headsets. Only engineering seats need Unity; machine models and documentation can additionally be delivered as open GLB to the browser.
Start building your digital twin
Free Starter on the Unity Asset Store – or see what Professional adds for virtual commissioning.