Animation Rigging & Timeline

Animation Rigging & Timeline

For complex multi-track sequencing and detailed runtime procedural animations, Unity provides the Animation Rigging package and the Timeline tool.

Animation Rigging Package

The Animation Rigging package offers procedural rig constraints that allow you to modify animations dynamically at runtime:

• Rig Builder component: Attached to the character root, it evaluates rig layers.
• Constraints:
• Two Bone IK constraint: Solves limb IK (e.g. arms or legs) using a target and hint GameObject.
• Multi-Aim constraint: Directs a bone (like the head or eyes) to rotate and look towards a target.
• Damped Transform constraint: Adds physical lag or secondary motion (like hair, chains, or tails).

Timeline Editor

The Timeline window (Window -> Sequencing -> Timeline) sequences assets, animations, audio, and custom scripts:

• It creates a Playable Director component on a GameObject that controls the playback of the Timeline asset.
• Tracks:
• Activation Track: Toggles GameObject visibility active/inactive.
• Animation Track: Blends animation clips on game elements.
• Audio Track: Plays sound effects and ambient tracks.
• Signal Track: Triggers methods in other scripts at specific timestamps.

TL;DR

• Animation Rigging provides procedural rig constraints like Two Bone IK and Multi-Aim.
• Rig constraints modify skeletal bones procedurally during runtime evaluation.
• Timeline compiles audio, animation, and activation tracks into linear sequences.
• Use Playable Director components to run cutscenes and trigger scripts.