Unity has launched the first of its major updates under its new yearly numbering scheme with Unity 2017.1.

The update adds Timeline and Cinemachine to the editor, bringing better control over animations and in-game cameras. Both tools are drag-and-drop and don't require any code to implement in a project.

For developers interested in analytics, a new suite of Live Ops tools have been added to better track a game's performance. This includes Remote Settings, which allows developers to alter parts of their game without the need to redeploy it.

New year, new Unity

Unity Collaborate has also now exited beta, and merged to be part of Unity Teams. The feature allows multiple users to work on one project simultaneously and automatically deploy new builds to each member of the team.

Unity made the decision to abandon its traditional update numbering system from Unity 5.6 onwards in December 2016. The change was made to signify the developers commitment to more regular updates to its platform.

A full list of changes can be found on Unity's website. For more on Timeline and Cinemachine, along with Unity's plans for the future of its platform, check our interview with Product Manager Mike Wuetherick from Unite Europe 2017.