Animation Scripting and Interactions

Learning Objectives

• Understand the role of scripting in controlling animations.

• Learn how to script interactive elements that respond to user input.

• Gain hands-on experience in scripting animations and interactions.

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 Animation Scripting Basics Recap
Animation Components in Unity:


Overview of Animation, Animator, and Animation Controller.


How these components work together to create animated sequences.

Animator Controller Setup:


Introduction to setting up Animator Controller for controlling animations.


States, Transitions, and Parameters: Explanation of their roles in managing animations.

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Unity Animation System Integration

The process of "Animation System Integration" in Unity involves the seamless

incorporation of animations into the game development workflow. This integration
is achieved through various components and features provided by Unity's
animation system.

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Type of Unity Animation System Integration

Animator Controller: Unity's Animator Controller manages the flow of animations, states, and
transitions for game objects. It allows designers to create complex animation states and
transitions, controlling the playback of animations based on parameters, triggers, or script-
based events.


Blend Trees and Layers: Blend Trees provide a way to smoothly transition between multiple
animation states based on parameter values. Layers allow for combining different sets of
animations, enabling complex blending and fine-tuning of animation behavior.


Animation Events: These are key points in an animation timeline where specific actions can be
triggered. They are often used to synchronize animations with gameplay events or to call
functions within scripts.

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 Type of Unity Animation System Integration

Scripting Integration: Unity allows developers to control animations using scripting languages like
C#. This integration enables dynamic and interactive animations triggered by in-game events or user
input.


Physics Integration: Animations can interact with physics in Unity. The integration of animations
with physics components like Rigidbody or Colliders allows for realistic and responsive interactions
between animated objects and the game environment.


Inverse Kinematics (IK): Unity's Animation System supports IK, enabsling precise control over
character movements by manipulating specific bones or parts of a character while maintaining natural
motion.


Animation Rigging: This feature allows developers to create procedural character animation using
rigging tools and components, offering advanced control over character movement and deformation.
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Scripting Animation Transitions
Scripting transitions between animation states involves programming logic to manage the flow
between different animation states based on specific conditions or triggers. In Unity, this is
commonly achieved using the Animator Controller and C# scripts..
For instance, imagine scripting a character's movement: when the player presses the forward key,
the script sets a parameter in the Animator Controller to trigger a transition from the idle state to
the walk state, initiating the walking animation. When the forward key is released, the script
updates the parameter, transitioning back to the idle state smoothly.
Scripting transitions between animation states allows developers to create dynamic and
responsive gameplay experiences where characters react to player input or game events through
seamless animation changes.

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 Scripting Animation Transitions
An outline of the process to intergate Scripting and Animation

1. Animator Controller Setup: Create an Animator Controller in Unity and define different animation states
within it. These states represent various animations such as idle, walk, run, jump, etc. Set up transitions
between these states using conditions, parameters, or triggers.

2. Scripting Transitions: Write C# scripts to control the Animator Controller's parameters or triggers. These
scripts manage the transitions between animation states based on game events, user input, or other
conditions.

3. Accessing Animator Component: Attach the C# script to the GameObject with the Animator component.
This script will interact with the Animator Controller to trigger state changes.

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 Scripting Animation Transitions
An outline of the process to intergate Scripting and Animation

4. Defining Conditions: Within the script, define conditions that trigger state transitions. For example, if a
player presses a certain key, the script can modify parameters in the Animator Controller to transition from
the idle state to the walk state.

5. Updating Animator Parameters: Use methods like SetBool(), SetFloat(), SetInteger(), or SetTrigger() in
your C# script to modify parameters or triggers in the Animator Controller. These changes cause transitions
between animation states.

6. Testing and Refinement: Test the transitions in the Unity Editor, observing how the animations switch
between states based on the conditions set in your scripts. Refine the transitions to ensure they're smooth
and responsive.
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Scripting Animation Transitions
An example of Scripting Animation

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Interactive UI Animations

Scripting animations for interactive UI elements involves using code to control and trigger
animations applied to user interface components. This process allows for dynamic and engaging
user experiences by animating elements in response to user interactions like clicks, hovers, or
other events. This scripting can involve manipulating animation states, transitions, and properties
of UI elements to create visually appealing and responsive interfaces.

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 Interactive UI Animations
Example of dynamically changing the color of an image based on UI interaction
1. Setting up the UI:
1. Create a Canvas in your Unity scene.
2. Add an Image UI element to the Canvas.
2. Script for Dynamic Color Change:
3. Attach Script and Setup:
1. Attach the UIColorChange script to a GameObject.
2. Assign the Image UI element to the script's image
variable in the Inspector.
3. Create a UI Button or Toggle UI element.
4. UI Interaction Setup:
1. Add an onClick event to the UI Button or Toggle.
2. Link the ChangeColor function of the UIColorChange
script to the onClick event.
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Animation Events
Animation events in Unity serve as markers within an animation clip's timeline that trigger scripted
functions or actions at specific points during playback. They allow you to tie in custom C# scripts
with animations, enabling more dynamic and interactive content.

By utilizing animation events in conjunction with C# scripts, developers can create intricate and
responsive interactions, enabling animations to drive game mechanics, trigger sound effects,
spawn objects, or initiate any desired action within a Unity project.

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Animation Events
Working with animation events and C# scripts
1. Setting Events: In the Animation window, you can add
events at precise frames in an animation clip.

2. Event Parameters: Each event can contain a function

name to call and optionally pass parameters.

3. Timing Precision: Events help synchronize game logic or

scripted actions precisely within an animation sequence.

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 Scripting Physics-Based Animations
Physics-based animations in Unity involve leveraging the physics engine to animate objects or
characters realistically based on dynamic forces and interactions. Combining this with C#
scripting allows for more control and customization over these physics-driven animations.

Physics-Based Animations Overview:


Realistic Motion: These animations simulate physical properties like gravity, collisions, and forces to
generate lifelike movements.


Dynamic Interactions: Objects respond to external forces, environmental elements, or user input.


Natural Dynamics: Physics-based animations mimic real-world behavior, allowing for more authentic and
organic movements.
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Scripting Physics-Based Animations
Using C# Scripts

1. Scripting Control: C# scripts can enhance or modify the behavior of physics-based animations.

2. Controlling Forces: You can use scripts to apply forces, adjust gravity, or create custom
interactions between objects.

3. Triggering Actions: Scripts can respond to physics events (collisions, triggers) and change
animation behavior accordingly.

4. Modifying Animation Properties: Dynamically adjust animation properties based on gameplay

conditions using scripts.

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 Scripting Physics-Based Animations
Using C# Scripts

Attach Script: Attach a C# script to

GameObjects with Rigidbody components.

Implement Physics Logic: Use the script to

apply forces, torque, or manipulate physics
properties.

Interact with Animations: Combine physics-

based interactions with animations to create
dynamic and responsive character or object
movements.

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Scripting Physics-Based Animations

By incorporating C# scripting with physics-based animations in Unity, developers can

create dynamic, interactive, and more lifelike simulations, providing engaging experiences
for games or simulations.

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Coding Exercise: Animation Scripting and Interactions
To understand Animation Scripting, let's work on an Animation Event exercise.
Perform the task of logging a debug message "Hello World!" when the Xbot from Mixamo raises its hand
to greet.
1. Download the “Standing Greeting” animation from Mixamo.

2. Create a scene, add the Xbot character model to the scene, and add the Greeting animation to the
character similar to the previous exercise.

3. As Mixamo's Animation is read-only, duplicate the Animation Clip and create a reference for the model.

4. In the Animation window, at frame 60, select Add Animation Event.

5. Create a C# script 'AnimationEventScript' with a function 'AnimationEventFunction' to log a debug

message using the function's parameter.

6. In the Animation Event, reference the created function.

8: Unity Technologies, Unity Manual, 2023 19

Coding Exercise: Greeting Animation

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 Coding Exercise: Greeting Animation
3. As Mixamo's Animation is read-only, duplicate the Animation Clip and create a reference for the model

duplicat
e
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Advanced Topics: Blend Trees and Animation Layers
Blend Trees and Animation Layers are crucial components in Unity's animation system,
enabling sophisticated control over character animations.

Blend Trees:


Purpose: Blend Trees allow the smooth transition between different animations based on
parameters.


Functionality: They interpolate between animations based on varying parameters like speed,
direction, or any other custom parameter.


Usage: Ideal for handling complex animations, such as transitioning between walking and
running based on character speed.

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Advanced Topics: Blend Trees and Animation Layers
Animation Layers:


Purpose: Animation Layers enable the overlay of multiple animations simultaneously.


Functionality: Layers stack animations on top of each other, allowing independent control over
specific body parts or aspects like facial expressions, upper/lower body movements, etc.


Usage: Useful for creating intricate animations where various body parts have different
behaviors simultaneously, like idle animations while walking, or upper body gestures while
running.

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Conclusion and Next Steps

Explored Unity's Animation System integration, demonstrating practical
application and script-based control of animation clips.


Delved into the specifics of scripting animation transitions, showcasing seamless
transitions based on user input or triggers.


Introduced scripting for interactive UI animations, showcasing examples of
dynamic and responsive UI behaviors.


Explored animation events and their role in triggering scripted actions,
demonstrated through interactive sequence examples.

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