SPRITER 2D Humanoid Character Rigging & Animation for Unity

Name: SPRITER 2D Humanoid Character Rigging & Animation for Unity
Rating: 4.6 (60 reviews)

For Video Game Developers Who Want to Create 2D Rigs & Character Animations using SPRITER and import directly into Unity

Created byBilly McDaniel

Last updated 10/2019

English

What you'll learn

Spriter 2D Character Rigging and Animation
Importing Spriter Projects into Unity
Basic Character Controller Scripting

Course content

7 sections • 28 lectures • 3h 47m total length

What's Included in This Course?1:12
In this course we’ll start from the beginning… by separating a character’s arms, legs, head and body parts into individual files. We’ll import them into Spriter, assign Bones, setup pivot points and fully rig the character. Next, we’ll create an idle, walk, punch and kick animation using Spriter Pro’s Inverse Kinematics and IK Anchoring tools. We’ll include finer details such as blinking and aggressive facial expressions during the animation cycles.
Once we’ve animated our character in Spriter, we’ll then import the finished animations into a Unity 2D Project. From there we’ll setup a simple environment so that we can see our character in an actual game setting.
By the end of this course, you’ll have a simple character controller which allows you to play test your character’s animations. As an added bonus… I’ll even show you how to synchronize the character’s footstep sound effects as his feet connect with the ground.
Software Used in This Course0:51
Throughout this course I will be using the following software...
Photoshop
Spriter Pro
Unity Plus
Although I am using Photoshop to demonstrate steps needed to prepare files for Spriter, the same can be accomplished with other image editing software as well. You should not feel obligated to use Photoshop if you have other preferences.
I am using Unity Plus, which is a paid subscription, however... there is nothing in this course that you can't do with the free version of Unity.
Some of the tools you'll see me using can only be accessed through Spriter Pro, which is the full paid version of their software. Those features include Inverse Kinematics and IK Anchoring specifically. It is possible to use the free version of Spriter to fully animate your characters, but the process is more strenuous without the proper tools.
Brash Monkey (the creators of Spriter) have been talking about Spriter 2 for quite some time now. One of the things that I'm looking forward to in the newer version is "mesh deformation". Although this tool 'is' technically included in the older version of Spriter, it is still in development and known to crash the software from time to time. I have intentionally left "mesh deformation" out of this course for that reason.
Download Course Assets0:04
All of the resources used in this course can be acquired by downloading the zip file associated with this lecture. Here's a brief breakdown of the contents of the Resources.zip file.
Footsteps
There are 8 footsteps .wav files included in this archive which are used in the "Footsteps Manager" lecture at the end of this course.
Generic Guy
There is a Photoshop .psd file which contains the original hi-resolution art work for the "Generic Guy" character featured in this course. I've also included a .png file named "generic guy (body parts).png" which contains all of the individual body parts of the hi-resolution character in one flat transparent background file. This could be beneficial to anyone who doesn't have Photoshop and can't read the .psd file in their preferred image editing software.
Prop Art
The "environment props.png" file contains the props used in the lecture named "Decorate Environment" towards the end of the course.
Scripts
You'll find 3 .jpg image files which are screenshots of the 3 scripts written in the final section of the course. I've included these to make it easier to see the lines of code, while still forcing you to type the information into your own Unity Project.
Walk Cycle Guide
I've included the "Walk Cycle (sprite sheet).png" which was used in the course to help guide me through the 8 distinct poses responsible for animating a walk cycle. This image guide should help you follow the same steps that you saw me doing in the "Walk Cycle" lecture.
SPRITER Tips.txt
This text document contains helpful tips that I have collected for Spriter over the years. Some of this information was pulled from Forum posts, while others were added by me.

Space Between Body Parts11:31
In this lecture you'll learn how and why to separate all of your character's individual body parts into a workspace designed to make it much easier to crop the pieces into separate files later on.
Individual Body Part Files10:10
Learn how to crop the separated body parts and save them as individual png files which will be imported into Spriter later.
Create a T-Pose Character Image9:07
Learn to create a t-pose character image which you'll use as a guide to help lay out all of your individual body parts in Spriter.
Setup Spriter File3:41
Learn how to organize your image files into a root folder and save your Spriter file with body part images.
Overview of the Spriter Interface11:25
By the end of this lecture you should have a basic understanding of the Spriter interface.
Align Individual Body Parts with T-Posed Model12:11
Learn how to use a t-pose png file to perfectly align each of your individual body part files while maintaining the correct z-order.

Create Bones5:51
Learn how to create bones in Spriter.
Naming Bones3:48
Learn how to name all of your individual bones in Spriter which could be useful in Unity later on.
Set Pivot Points & Assign Sprites to Bones16:31
Learn how to adjust the pivot points for each joint while assigning sprites to bones. By the end of this lecture, you'll understand how to manipulate the character rig by rotating bones which child corresponding sprites.
Inverse Kinematic (Base Pose)7:08
Learn how to use Spriter's Inverse Kinematics and IK Anchoring (exclusive to Spriter Pro users).

Setup 2D Unity Project with Spriter2UnityDX6:29
Learn how to setup a Unity 2D Project and then import the Spriter2UnityDX Package, necessary for importing Spriter Projects into Unity.
Import SPRITER Files to Unity6:24
Learn how to import your Spriter files into Unity.
Animator: Arrange States and Sub-States5:00
In this lecture you'll learn how to arrange Animator Machine States and Sub-States.
Animator: Transitions5:10
Learn how to setup and configure Animator State Machine Transitions.
Animator: Parameters & Conditions7:42
Learn how to add Parameters (also known as variables) in the Animator. Also learn how to add Conditions based on those parameters.
Animator: Exit Time & Transition Duration8:26
Learn when and why to use Exit Time and how to configure the settings for Transition Duration in the Animator State Machine.
Decorate Environment11:14

Player Movement Script18:34
In this lecture you'll learn how to create a very basic player movement script which will allow your character to move and face left and right, while activating the walk or idle animation depending on whether your character is moving or not.
Player Combat Script8:01
You'll learn how to activate the character's punch and kick animation by using input commands for punch and kick.
Footsteps Manager Script10:28
In this lecture you'll learn how to use Animation Event Triggers to play audio clips of footsteps during the precise moment when your character's feet touch the ground.

Requirements

Experience working in Unity 3D
Experience working in Image Editing software such as Photoshop
Using Inverse Kinematics requires Spriter Pro which is the paid version of Spriter

Description

In this course, you'll learn how to rig and animate 2D characters using Spriter, a powerful software designed for spine-based animations. We'll cover the entire process from setting up bones and rigging to animating a character with smooth, fluid motions.

You'll start by understanding the fundamentals of character rigging, including how to structure a bone hierarchy and properly attach sprite pieces for optimal movement. Then, we'll move on to creating key animations, such as an idle stance, a walk cycle, a punch, and a kick animation, ensuring that your character has the necessary movements for a side-scrolling or platformer-style video game.

Once our animations are polished, we'll take them into Unity and set up a fully functional animated character. You'll learn how to import your Spriter animations into Unity, configure animation controllers, and apply basic scripting to bring your character to life. By the end of the course, you’ll have a fully rigged and animated character, complete with basic movement controls, allowing your character to walk, punch, and kick on a platform.

This course is ideal for indie game developers, artists, or designers who want to create high-quality 2D animations without the hassle of frame-by-frame animation. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience with Spriter and Unity, this course will equip you with the skills to integrate smooth 2D animations into your games efficiently.

Who this course is for:

Unity 2D video game developers who are interested in creating spine-based character animations.
Anyone interested in learning 2D character rigging and animation in Spriter

SPRITER 2D Humanoid Character Rigging & Animation for Unity

What you'll learn

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Course content

Getting Started3 lectures • 2min

Preparing Body Parts6 lectures • 58min

Rigging The Bones4 lectures • 33min

Animation4 lectures • 46min

Configure Animations in Unity7 lectures • 50min

Basic 2D Character Controller3 lectures • 37min

What's Next?1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: