2D Animation in Unity 6: A Practical Workflow for 2D Animation in Unity
Sala, Santiago (2025)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121838371
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121838371
Tiivistelmä
A workflow for producing 2D animation in Unity 6 was developed to address the fragmentation of existing learning resources and the challenges faced by beginners when applying traditional animation principles in a real-time game engine. The focused was on unifying the theoretical foundations of animation with practical production steps inside Unity. The objective was to identify the essential features and tools that support both frame by frame and skeletal animation, to create a structured and repeatable workflow and to evaluate the suitability of Unity’s native animation systems for game development contexts.
The workflow was implemented through a series of animation scenes that covered fundamental motion exercises, character rigging, hybrid animation techniques and modular animation systems. Unity’s built-in tools, such as the Sprite Editor, Animation and Animator windows, inverse kinematics and supporting systems like the Sprite Library and Animator Override Controllers were applied to create and test animations without the use of external plugins. Data were gathered through iterative experimentation during the development of each scene and the workflow steps were validated by applying them to different Unity scenes of different complexity and design.
The results demonstrated that Unity 6 provided a capable and flexible environment for 2D animation production. Frame by frame methods were shown to integrate effectively through the Animation window and sprite-based tools while skeletal workflows benefited from the rigging and mesh deformation features of the 2D Animation package. The evaluation highlighted the importance of asset preparation, hierarchical rig design, clear state machine structure and the use of modular systems for efficient reuse. A functional and repeatable workflow for animating 2D characters in Unity 6 was established, demonstrating how the engine’s tools support both major 2D animation methods and how they can be combined to meet production needs.
The workflow was implemented through a series of animation scenes that covered fundamental motion exercises, character rigging, hybrid animation techniques and modular animation systems. Unity’s built-in tools, such as the Sprite Editor, Animation and Animator windows, inverse kinematics and supporting systems like the Sprite Library and Animator Override Controllers were applied to create and test animations without the use of external plugins. Data were gathered through iterative experimentation during the development of each scene and the workflow steps were validated by applying them to different Unity scenes of different complexity and design.
The results demonstrated that Unity 6 provided a capable and flexible environment for 2D animation production. Frame by frame methods were shown to integrate effectively through the Animation window and sprite-based tools while skeletal workflows benefited from the rigging and mesh deformation features of the 2D Animation package. The evaluation highlighted the importance of asset preparation, hierarchical rig design, clear state machine structure and the use of modular systems for efficient reuse. A functional and repeatable workflow for animating 2D characters in Unity 6 was established, demonstrating how the engine’s tools support both major 2D animation methods and how they can be combined to meet production needs.