Third Person Shooter (Unity Tutorial) Ep 2 Animation Blend Trees

Introduction

In this tutorial, you will learn how to animate a player character in Unity using blend trees. This guide is based on Episode 2 of the Third Person Shooter series by Gadd Games. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a player model set up with various animations that are primed for integration with a finite state machine in the next episode.

Step 1: Downloading Player Model and Animations

1. Go to Mixamo to find and download animations and a player model.
2. Select a character model you like and customize it as needed.
3. Download the character with the desired animations in FBX format.
4. Save the files to a location on your computer for easy access.

Step 2: Setting Up the Player Model in Unity

1. Open your Unity project and navigate to the Assets folder.
2. Import the downloaded FBX model into Unity:
   • Right-click in the Assets window and select "Import New Asset."
   • Locate your FBX file and click "Import."
3. Create a new folder in the Assets directory for organization, e.g., "PlayerModel."

Step 3: Setting Up the Animations

1. In Unity, select the imported player model.
2. In the Inspector window, find the "Animation" section.
3. Ensure the animations are set to loop if required (e.g., for walking or running).
4. Drag and drop the animations into the Animator window to prepare for blend tree creation.

Step 4: Adding the Player to the Scene

1. Create a new GameObject for the player:
   • Right-click in the Hierarchy window, select "Create Empty" and name it "Player."
2. Drag the player model from your Assets into the Player GameObject in the Hierarchy.
3. Adjust the position and scale of the player model as needed.

Step 5: Animator Setup

1. Select the Player GameObject and open the Animator window.
2. Right-click in the Animator window and select "Create Blend Tree."
3. Name the blend tree (e.g., "MovementBlendTree").
4. Double-click the blend tree to edit it and add parameters for various movements.

Step 6: Creating the Walking Blend Tree

1. In the Blend Tree, add a new animation for walking.
2. Set up the blend parameters:
   • For example, use the speed of the player to determine the blend between idle and walking animations.
3. Adjust the thresholds to achieve smooth transitions between animations.

Step 7: Creating the Crouching Blend Tree

1. Add a crouching animation to the blend tree.
2. Set up conditions for transitioning into and out of the crouch state based on player input.
3. Ensure that the crouch animation blends smoothly with the walking and idle states.

Step 8: Creating the Running Blend Tree

1. Add a running animation to the blend tree.
2. Configure the parameters to allow for a seamless transition from walking to running based on speed.
3. Test the transitions to ensure they feel natural.

Step 9: Setting Up Transitions

1. In the Animator window, create transitions between the blend trees (e.g., from idle to walking).
2. Set the conditions for these transitions based on the parameters you configured earlier.
3. Ensure each transition has appropriate exit time and duration settings for smooth animation changes.

Step 10: Testing the Animations

1. Play the scene in Unity to test the animations.
2. Check for any issues with blending and transitions.
3. Adjust parameters and thresholds in the blend trees as necessary to improve responsiveness.

Conclusion

You've successfully set up a player model with blend trees in Unity for walking, crouching, and running animations. These animations are essential for creating a responsive and immersive gameplay experience. In the next episode, you will integrate these animations with a finite state machine to enhance character behavior. Keep refining your animations and testing them in different scenarios for the best results.