Last reviewed 31 Jul 2026

Applies to

Unity 2022.3 VRChat world projects Asset imports and project organization

Difficulty Beginner

Assets Folder, Importing, and Organization

Unity imports files placed in a project's Assets folder and displays them in the Project window. Each imported asset also receives metadata that Unity uses to identify it and preserve references from scenes, prefabs, materials, and other assets.

Import assets safely

Create a destination folder, import a small batch, inspect the result, and move or rename it only from Unity's Project window.

Create a project-owned folder such as Assets/World and add clear subfolders.
Drag source files into the correct Project window folder and let Unity finish importing.
Select each asset type, review its Inspector settings, and test its references before deleting anything.

VRChat packages

Add or update VRChat SDK and supported community packages through VRChat Creator Companion. Keep project-owned assets under Assets; do not reorganize package contents as if they were your own files.

Know the Main Project Folders

A Unity project contains several top-level folders. They do not serve the same purpose.

Folder	What belongs there	How to handle it
`Assets`	Scenes, prefabs, models, textures, materials, audio, scripts, and other project content.	Organize project-owned content in the Unity Project window.
`Packages`	The project's package manifest, lock data, and embedded packages.	Manage normal dependencies through Package Manager or Creator Companion.
`ProjectSettings`	Unity project configuration.	Keep it with the project and include it in a complete backup.
`Library`	Unity's imported, game-ready representation of project assets.	Do not organize or edit it manually. Unity can regenerate it while reopening a closed project.
`Temp` and `Logs`	Temporary editor output and logs.	Do not store project assets in these folders.

The Project window can be reopened from Window > General > Project. Its search field and one-column or two-column layouts help locate assets without moving them.

How Unity Imports an Asset

When a file is added to Assets, Unity:

detects the new or changed source file
reads the selected import settings
creates an internal, game-ready representation in Library
displays the imported asset in the Project window

The original source file remains in Assets. Changing its import settings or replacing its source data makes Unity import it again.

Examples of import settings include:

Asset type	Settings worth checking
Texture	Texture Type, Max Size, compression, mipmaps, alpha, and platform overrides.
FBX model	Scale Factor, normals, materials, rig, animation clips, and lightmap UV generation.
Audio	Load Type, compression format, quality, sample rate, and platform overrides.
Video	Codec, transcoding, dimensions, and target-platform settings.

Select the asset in the Project window to show its importer in the Inspector. If settings were changed, use Apply when the importer presents that button.

Create a Project-Owned Folder

A single root folder separates files you control from third-party content. For a world named Gallery, one workable structure is:

Assets/
├── Gallery/
│   ├── Audio/
│   ├── Materials/
│   ├── Models/
│   ├── Prefabs/
│   ├── Scenes/
│   ├── Scripts/
│   ├── Textures/
│   └── UI/
└── ThirdParty/

This is an example, not a Unity requirement. Use names that match the project and remain understandable to everyone working on it.

Keep package or asset-pack folders together when their prefabs, materials, scripts, and demo scenes refer to one another. Moving every file into a type-based folder can make later package updates difficult and can obscure which files came from the package.

Import Individual Files

For textures, models, audio, and similar files:

Create or open the intended destination folder in the Project window.
Drag the files from Windows Explorer into that folder.
Wait for Unity's import activity to complete.
Select the imported files and inspect their settings.
Place a test instance in a temporary scene when the asset affects rendering, animation, collision, or audio.
Save the project after confirming the result.

Dragging a file from the operating system into the Project window copies it into Assets. Editing the external original later does not update that copied file unless the project copy is replaced or edited.

Import a Unity Asset Package

A .unitypackage can contain a collection exported from another Unity project.

Make a project backup.
Open the package with Unity.
Review the full import list.
Clear files you know you do not need only when their dependencies are understood.
Import the selected content.
Inspect the folders and Console before opening demo scenes or adding prefabs.

Asset packages can contain scripts, project settings, or files with names that overlap existing content. Reviewing the list before import makes those changes visible.

Add VRChat and Community Packages

VRChat Creator Companion manages VRChat projects and VPM packages. For a curated community package:

Open Creator Companion.
Select the project.
Find the package in the project's package list.
Use Add or Update.
Open the project and let Unity finish importing.
Read package-specific setup instructions before adding its prefabs or components.

VRChat warns that initial migration can remove old folders belonging to curated community packages. Move your own modified files out of those package folders and make a backup before migrating.

Move and Rename Assets Safely

Move or rename assets inside Unity's Project window. Unity then moves or renames the corresponding .meta file with the source asset.

Avoid routine asset reorganization in Windows Explorer. If an asset is moved outside Unity without its matching .meta file, Unity may create new metadata and treat it as a different asset. Existing references can then appear missing.

Use this sequence for a larger reorganization:

Save all open scenes.
Make a backup or source-control checkpoint.
Move one folder or asset group in the Project window.
Wait for Unity to finish.
Open the scenes and prefabs that depend on those assets.
Check the Console and missing-reference fields.
Continue with the next group only after the first group is sound.

What `.meta` Files Do

Unity creates a .meta file for each asset and folder. The metadata includes the asset's import settings and a GUID used by references elsewhere in the project.

Keep each asset and its matching .meta file together when:

copying content between project folders
synchronizing a Unity project
committing project changes to version control
restoring files from backup

Do not intentionally delete .meta files to fix a reference problem. That gives Unity a reason to generate new identity data and can make the reference problem worse.

Search Before Duplicating

The Project window search supports names and asset-type filters. Before importing or copying another version:

Search for the filename or a distinctive part of it.
Search the likely asset type.
Inspect the path shown in the Project window.
Confirm whether the existing asset is referenced by a prefab, scene, or material.

Use versioned names only when the files are genuinely separate assets. Names such as LobbySign_v02 are useful when both versions must coexist; names such as final_final_copy make later identification harder.

Review Platform Overrides

Unity importers can store different settings for each target platform. This matters for VRChat worlds with both Windows and Android versions.

For textures, audio, models, and video:

Select the asset.
Inspect its default import settings.
Open any Windows or Android override sections provided by that importer.
Confirm the override is intentional.
Apply changes and test on the target platform.

An Android override can reduce a texture's imported resolution or change its compression without altering the Windows version. The selected platform version should be tested after any override changes.

Delete Assets Carefully

Items in the Project window normally represent files on disk. Deleting one in Unity deletes that project file from the computer.

Before deleting an asset or imported folder:

make a backup
check whether scenes, prefabs, materials, animations, or scripts refer to it
confirm it is not part of a package you plan to update
delete a small group at a time
inspect open scenes and the Console afterward

Do not delete files from Library as a substitute for removing content from Assets. The Library folder contains generated import data, not the project-owned source asset.

Troubleshooting

A material, prefab, or script reference became Missing after a move.

Stop reorganizing the project. Undo the move in Unity if possible, or restore the asset together with its original .meta file. Then reopen the affected scene or prefab and inspect its missing fields.

Unity imported a second copy of an asset.

Compare both Project window paths and their references before deleting either copy. Keep the asset used by your scenes and prefabs, then remove the unused copy only after a backup.

An imported texture or model looks wrong.

Select the source asset in the Project window and inspect its importer. Check the relevant texture type, colour data, scale, normals, materials, rig, or platform override, then apply the change and retest it.

A package update replaced or removed modified files.

Restore your changes from backup. Keep project-specific copies outside package-owned folders, and read the package's migration instructions before updating it again.

Unity keeps reimporting a file.

Check whether another application, sync tool, or export process is repeatedly changing the source file or its timestamp. Finish the external edit, let synchronization settle, and then allow Unity to complete one uninterrupted import.

I deleted an asset from the Project window by mistake.

Restore the asset and its matching .meta file from backup or version control. Restoring only the source file can generate a new GUID and may not reconnect existing references.

Import Checklist

Before import	After import
Back up the project.	Wait for Unity to finish importing.
Create the destination folder.	Read Console messages.
Check the source and licence.	Inspect asset import settings.
Review package contents and instructions.	Test a representative asset in a scene.
Confirm Unity and package compatibility.	Save the project and verify references.

Continue Learning

Official References

Next Step

Create one project-owned root folder, move one small asset group into it from Unity's Project window, then open the affected scenes and prefabs to verify their references.