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Beginner Tutorial on Making Unity 2D Animation

Liza Brown
Liza Brown
Originally published Jan 10, 22, updated Feb 29, 24
Beginner Tutorial on Making Unity 2D Animation

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Now, ideally, Unity is considered to be a suitable tool for 3D games that have too many animated elements. But, this doesn't mean that you cannot design 2D animations with Unity.

In this guide, we are going to show you how to get started with 2D animations in Unity and incorporate them into your games to enhance the overall gameplay.

Part 1 Can Unity Be Used for 2D Animation?

First, things first; can Unity be used for 2D animations. The answer is Yes! Being a full-scale gaming engine, developers/designers can use Unity to create stunning Unity 2D animations for their games. The tool has dedicated 2D animation packages that contain all the elements you'll need to create high-quality 2D animations for your games.

Keep in mind that for each object, you'll have to create a separate 2D sprite sheet and use it to configure the 2D animation. However, there are other 2D animation packages that you can install, using sprite sheets is the most common method to get the job done. The latest versions of Unity also offer a dedicated Stripe library where you can add multiple Stripe Sheets and it becomes relatively easier to manage them.

With the Sprite library, 2D animations with Unity becomes a hassle-free job. Designers can even manage dozens of 2D animations without any hassle. The Sprite editor will also let you control the overall movement of different moving objects in your animation and make it look more sleek. In general, if you are planning to create 2D animations for your videos or even a dedicated mobile game, Unity can be a suitable software for the job.

Part 2 How Do You Make a 2D Animation in Unity?

To create a 2D animation with Unity, the first step would be to create a dedicated Sprite sheet. Now, you can use a wide variety of third-party programs to create the desired Sprite sheet. In general, it depends on the project requirements and the personal preferences of the designer himself. However, whichever tool you use to create the Stripe sheets, make sure that the final image is a transparent PNG file as it'll make your job much easier while animating objects in Unity.

After you have successfully designed the stripe (a transparent image file) in an external application, the next step would be to import it to Unity. When you import the Stripe file, make sure to create a separate Sprite folder so that you can easily manage all these files in one place. Also, a dedicated Stripe folder will allow you to keep a check on each Stripe file in a hassle-free manner.

import object unity 2d

While importing 2D animations into Unity, you can also configure its settings to ensure that it matches the overall game design. Ideally, we recommend keeping the Pixels Per Unit to the same size as all your visual components. This will allow you to maintain the desired consistency throughout the project and make it visually enticing.

Now, before proceeding any further, make sure to switch to the "Stripe Editor" window. With the "Stripe Editor", you'll be able to control the overall settings of each animation individually and control the movement to make it look crisper.  In the Stripe window, you can also adjust the slice settings and save your work to avoid any potential data loss.

At this point, you can move towards creating the 2D animation with Unity. To do this, you'll have to bring both the Animation and the Animator tabs to UnityParts editing panel. You can make them visible by tapping the "Windows" option on your screen.

animations in unity 2d

That's it; a timeline-based editing panel will appear on your screen. From here onwards, you can get started with animating the object. Each animation will depend on your specific game requirements. So, feel free to unleash your creativity and use different elements of Unity to bring your 2D animations to life.

Part 3 Part 3 Creating 2D Animations for Your Videos - An Effective Solution for Video Editors

Now, when it comes to creating 2D animations for videos, you may not want to use a tool like Unity to get the job done. Why? Because Unity is more suitable for animating objects for games. Not to mention, Unity has a steep learning curve and if you are not an experienced Unity developer, you may fail to create a 2D animation properly.

So, if you only need a 2D animation for videos, we have a better alternative for the job. Instead of Unity, you can use Wondershare Filmora Video Editor for the job. It's a full-scale video editing software that's specifically designed to edit high-quality videos. Whether you are a YouTube or simply edit videos for your clients, using Wondershare Filmora will help you showcase your creativity more effectively.

filmora

Filmora has a built-in media library that offers a plethora of ready-to-use animation templates as well as video effects. You can import these animations into your video with a single click and enhance the overall quality of the video to drive better engagement. These animations are also customizable, which means you can tweak their appearance to match the overall theme of your video itself. The media player also offers audio effects that'll make your videos more dramatic.

And, finally, you'll also find a wide variety of advanced editing options such as keyframing, motion detection, and green screen editing. All these features will allow you to uplift the production quality of your videos and engage potential viewers more effectively.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

A few key features of Filmora that make it the most reliable video editing software include:

Thousands of ready-to-use animation templates and video effects

Easy-to-use timeline-based editing panel

Dedicated audio editor to control the sound quality

Cross-platform compatibility

So, if you are also planning to launch a high-scale video for YouTube or any other platform by adding

Key Takeaways from This Episode

Creating 2D animations with Unity is possible, however, you must be an expert game developer with extensive experience in Unity game development

To create Unity 2D animations, you'll have to use Sprite Sheets and then import them into Unity to turn them into animation.

Now, if you are a regular video editor and only want to create 2D animations for videos, you can also use full-scale software such as Wondershare Filmora Pro.

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