The Mecanim Animation system is based on animation clipsAnimation data that can be used for animated characters or simple animations. It is a simple “unit” piece of motion, such as (one specific instance of) “Idle”, “Walk” or “Run”. More info
See in Glossary. An animation clip contains information about how a character or GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary changes its position, rotation, or other properties over time. This section contains information on how to work with the Mecanim Animation system in Unity.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Mecanim Animation system | Learn how clips, controllers, avatarsAn interface for retargeting animation from one rig to another. More info See in Glossary, and the Animator component work together. |
| Animation clips | Explore clip workflows, from import and editing to events, masks, and looping. |
| Humanoid Avatar | Set up humanoid avatars so Unity can map and retarget character animation. |
| Animator componentA component on a model that animates that model using the Animation system. The component has a reference to an Animator Controller asset that controls the animation. More info See in Glossary |
Assign controllers and avatars, then configure root motionMotion of character’s root node, whether it’s controlled by the animation itself or externally. More info See in Glossary, updates, and culling. |
| Animator ControllerControls animation through Animation Layers with Animation State Machines and Animation Blend Trees, controlled by Animation Parameters. The same Animator Controller can be referenced by multiple models with Animator components. More info See in Glossary |
Build state machinesThe set of states in an Animator Controller that a character or animated GameObject can be in, along with a set of transitions between those states and a variable to remember the current state. The states available will depend on the type of gameplay, but typical states include things like idling, walking, running and jumping. More info See in Glossary that drive clips, transitions, and character animation flow. |
| Animator Override ControllerAllows you to create multiple variants of an Animator Controller, with each variant using a different set of animations, while retaining the original Controller’s structure, parameters and logic. More info See in Glossary |
Reuse one state machine and swap clips for character-specific animation variants. |
| Playables API | Create and evaluate playable graphsAn API for controlling Playables. Playable Graphs allow you to create, connect and destroy playables. More info See in Glossary to blend and control animation at runtime. |
| Performance and optimization | Improve animation runtime cost with focused controller, layer, and curve optimizations. |
| Mecanim FAQ | Resolve common Mecanim questions about windows, import behavior, and layers. |