Bringing characters to life.
WHAT ANIMATION TYPES EXIST
Sprite sequences, for two-dimensional work Skeletal animation, driving a mesh by a hierarchy of bones Procedural animation, generated at runtime Blend shapes, for facial and deformation work
WHAT A STATE MACHINE PROVIDES
Transitions between animations, driven by game state.
WHAT BLENDING DOES
Mixes animations smoothly, avoiding abrupt changes.
WHAT BLEND SPACES PROVIDE
Continuous blending across parameters, such as speed and direction.
WHAT ROOT MOTION IS
Movement driven by the animation itself, rather than by code.
WHAT IT PROVIDES
Movement that matches the animation exactly, avoiding sliding feet.
WHAT IT COSTS
Less precise control, and complications with networking.
WHAT INVERSE KINEMATICS DOES
Positions a chain so an end point reaches a target.
WHERE IT SUITS
Feet on uneven ground, hands on objects, aiming.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH
Transition times, which determine responsiveness Animations that must complete before input is accepted
WHY THAT SECOND POINT MATTERS
It is a common cause of a game feeling unresponsive.
WHAT TO ALLOW
Cancelling animations where responsiveness matters.
WHAT TO TEST
Rapid input, and transitions between every state pair.
