Animator controller for 2D in Unity - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Animator controller for 2D

📖 Scenario: You are making a simple 2D game character that can stand still or walk. You want to control the character's animations using Unity's Animator controller.

🎯 Goal: Create a basic Animator controller setup for a 2D character that switches between Idle and Walk animations based on a speed parameter.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create an Animator Controller asset with two animation states: Idle and Walk

Add a float parameter called Speed to the Animator Controller

Create transitions between Idle and Walk states based on the Speed parameter

Write a C# script to update the Speed parameter based on player input

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

2D game characters often need smooth animation changes based on player movement. Animator controllers help manage these animations easily.

💼 Career

Understanding Animator controllers and scripting animation parameters is essential for game developers working with Unity to create interactive and responsive characters.

1

Create Animator Controller with Idle and Walk states

Create an Animator Controller asset named PlayerAnimator. Inside it, add two animation states named Idle and Walk. Set Idle as the default state.

Unity

// Create Animator Controller asset named PlayerAnimator
// Add Idle and Walk animation states
// Set Idle as default state

Need a hint?

Use Unity Editor's Animator window to create the controller and states.

2

Add Speed parameter to Animator Controller

In the PlayerAnimator Animator Controller, add a new float parameter named Speed.

Unity

// Add float parameter Speed to PlayerAnimator
// Your code here

Need a hint?

Use the Parameters tab in the Animator window to add a float parameter.

3

Create transitions based on Speed parameter

Create a transition from Idle to Walk that triggers when Speed > 0.1. Also create a transition from Walk back to Idle when Speed <= 0.1.

Unity

// Create transitions between Idle and Walk based on Speed parameter
// Your code here

Need a hint?

Use the Animator window to create transitions and add conditions based on the Speed parameter.

4

Write C# script to update Speed parameter

Create a C# script named PlayerMovement. In the Update() method, get the horizontal input using Input.GetAxis("Horizontal") and set the Animator's Speed parameter to the absolute value of this input.

Unity

using UnityEngine;

public class PlayerMovement : MonoBehaviour
{
    private Animator animator;

    void Start()
    {
        animator = GetComponent();
    }

    void Update()
    {
        // Your code here
    }
}

Need a hint?

Use Mathf.Abs() to convert negative input to positive speed.