Asset packages are bundles of assets grouped together. We can create packages to share our assets with others, or to save them for use in another game or Unity application. We can even create asset bundles to sell in Unity's Asset Store.

To create an asset package, you simply select all the assets you want in the package using the Project panel. Then you have two options. Your first option is to right-click and select Export Package. The second option is to select Assets | Export Package from the top menu. Both options result in the same outcome.

In addition to the ability to export packages from Unity, we can also import asset packages into our Unity games. To import an asset package, we simply select the Assets | Import Package menu option. That reveals the options shown in the following screenshot:

When importing asset packages, we can select from one of the standard asset packages listed: 2D, Cameras, Characters, CrossPlatformInput, Effects, Environment, ParticleSystems, Prototyping, Utility, and Vehicles. We can also import a custom package from our computer's filesystem. 

When a package is selected, Unity will decompress the package and then display the package contents to you. We will perform this operation later in this chapter.