Animator and Animation Controller In Unity

Animations bring characters to life – walking, running, jumping, attacking. In Unity, the Animator component and Animation Controller work together to control which animation plays and when. This article covers how to set them up.

• Animation Controller: A file that stores animations and rules for switching between them.
• Animator Component: Attached to character. It runs the Animation Controller.

Creating an Animation Controller

• Right-click in Project -> Create -> Animator Controller -> Name it.
• Double-click to open the Animator window.

Adding Animations

• Drag animation clips from Project into Animator window. They appear as orange boxes (states).
• The Entry arrow points to which animation plays first.

Creating Transitions

• Right-click a state -> Make Transition -> Click another state
• This creates an arrow that controls when to switch.

Adding Conditions

Conditions tell Unity when to switch animations.

• Create parameter -> Parameters tab -> "+" -> Float -> Name it "Speed"
• Click transition arrow -> Add condition -> Speed -> Greater - 0.1

Now animation switches when Speed > 0.1

Controlling from Script

Important Settings

Click transition arrow -> Inspector:

• Has Exit Time: False (for movement – switch instantly)
• Transition Duration: 0.1 (smooth blend)