--- title: "Animation for 2D projects" content_type: tutorial url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/game-development/unit/animation/tutorial/animation-for-2d-projects?language=en" language: en container_type: pathway container_title: "Game Development" container_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/game-development.md?language=en&version=6.3" unit_title: "Animation" unit_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/game-development/unit/animation?language=en&version=6.3" standalone_markdown_url: "https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/animation-for-2d-projects.md?language=en&version=6.3" previous_title: "Challenge: Bring the scene to life" previous_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/game-development/unit/animation/tutorial/challenge-bring-the-scene-to-life-1?language=en&version=6.3" previous_markdown_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/game-development/unit/animation/tutorial/challenge-bring-the-scene-to-life-1.md?language=en&version=6.3" next_title: "Add animation to your game" next_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/game-development/unit/animation/tutorial/add-animation-to-your-game?language=en&version=6.3" next_markdown_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/game-development/unit/animation/tutorial/add-animation-to-your-game.md?language=en&version=6.3" difficulty: beginner duration_minutes: 15 unity_version: - "6.3" supported_unity_versions: - name: "6.3" url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/game-development/unit/animation/tutorial/animation-for-2d-projects.md?language=en&version=6.3" last_updated: "2026-08-04T14:21:23.000Z" --- # Animation for 2D projects Apply your existing 3D animation skills to build and refine 2D animation workflows in Unity projects. This tutorial guides you through applying your 3D animation knowledge to 2D Unity projects. ## 1. Overview You’ve made animation for 3D projects, including creating in-Editor animations with keyframes, refining animation curves, controlling animations with Animator Controllers and State Machines, and configuring imported 3D character animations. In this tutorial, you’ll explore a 2D version of a similar scene and you’ll see how the implementation of those same animation features would be similar or different. ![Sprite sheet of a robot’s idling and running animations shown in the Sprite Editor window.](https://storage.googleapis.com/learn-platform-bucket-production/tutorial/052d6b13-63a2-41b9-9b01-11c0e104d241/versions%5B_key==%22fe732bc549fa%22%5D.sections%5B_key==%2215f9eeb28221%22%5D.body%5B_key==%225a10c7cc6222%22%5D.image/Animation_1_SpriteEditor_20260125_035322.png) ## 2. Experience the 2D_Animation scene In this step, you'll open the **CreativeCore_2D** project and then explore the **2D Animation** demo scene within it. [Video](https://storage.googleapis.com/learn-platform-bucket-production/tutorial/052d6b13-63a2-41b9-9b01-11c0e104d241/versions%5B_key==%22fe732bc549fa%22%5D.sections%5B_key==%229ef7437956c8%22%5D.body%5B_key==%2223ec057a6861%22%5D.overviewVideo/Animation_2_Demo_20260125_035406.mp4) # Instructions To test out and explore the **2D Animation** scene, follow these instructions: **1. Download and open the CreativeCore_2D project:** - If you’ve already downloaded the **CreativeCore_2D** project in a previous unit, open it now using the Unity Hub. - If you haven't downloaded it yet, you can download the project [here](https://storage.googleapis.com/learn-platform-bucket-production/pathway/72351e57-61aa-4006-9a0c-ce8adc3a4797/units%5B_key==%22d33247785d76%22%5D.materials%5B_key==%227bf789466c85%22%5D.file/creative-core-2d_6.3_20260128_002707.zip) and then open it using the Unity Hub. - When the project is open in the Unity Editor, verify you see a **CreativeCore_2D** folder within your **Project window**, containing several subfolders. **2. Open the CC_Animation_2D scene:** - Go to **Assets** > **\_CreativeCore_2D** > **Scenes**, then open **CC_Animation_2D_Scene**. **3.** **Enter Play mode and take note of the Animation elements:** - Enter Play mode. - Notice the following: - There’s an animated cat lying on the grass. - The robot has a default idling animation, then also has distinct animations for running up, down, sideways, and diagonally. - There’s an animated door that opens when you get close to it, then closes when you move away from it. - Behind the door, there’s another robot doing a different idling animation. - Exit Play mode when you’re done. You’ve now experienced the 2D scene's animations firsthand and are ready to delve into their specific technical implementation. ## 3. Explore the 2D vs 3D implementation # What's the same? ## Animation Controllers The door in the scene uses an Animation Controller with states and transitions and an **Animator** component. - Select the **Door_Red** GameObject, then locate the **Animator** component. - In the **Controller** property, double-click the **Door_Controller** asset, which will open the **Animator** window. - Explore the different animation states and transitions between them to see how they work. Transitions between the states are controlled by a **Trigger** parameter named **PlayerProximity**, just like in the 3D scene. ![the Door_Controller asset is open in the Animator window. The PlayerProximity trigger is highlighted in the Parameters panel. The transition between Door_Open and Door_Close is highlighted.](https://storage.googleapis.com/learn-platform-bucket-production/tutorial/052d6b13-63a2-41b9-9b01-11c0e104d241/versions%5B_key==%22fe732bc549fa%22%5D.sections%5B_key==%224ebc73667620%22%5D.body%5B_key==%22dc41e64d8965%22%5D.image/Animation_3.1_DoorAnimator_20260125_035503.png) ## Keyframe animation You can animate objects in the **Animation** window with keyframes. In this scene, the door is animated with simple keyframes just like the door in the 3D scene. - In the **Project** window, navigate to **CreativeCore_2D** > **Animations** > **Door**, then double-click **Door_Open_Anim** to open the animation clip in the **Animation** window. - Select the **Door_Red** GameObject in the **Hierarchy** window. - Drag the current time indicator along the **Animation** window timeline to preview the keyframe animation. [Video](https://storage.googleapis.com/learn-platform-bucket-production/tutorial/052d6b13-63a2-41b9-9b01-11c0e104d241/versions%5B_key==%22fe732bc549fa%22%5D.sections%5B_key==%224ebc73667620%22%5D.body%5B_key==%222c45af30ee88%22%5D.overviewVideo/Animation_3.2_DoorKeyframes_20260125_035540.mp4) # What's different? ## Sprite sheet animations: Instead of animating a 3D model, you often animate a 2D sprite by cycling through a sequence of images from a sprite sheet. A **sprite sheet** is a single image file containing multiple smaller images (sprites) arranged in a grid. By rapidly displaying these sprites in sequence, you create the illusion of movement. In this case, both the cat and the player robot have spritesheet animations. **Note**: Using the **Sprite Editor** to slice and prepare sprite sheets is a bit beyond the scope of this tutorial, but you can find more information in the [Sprite editor documentation](https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/sprite/sprite-editor/sprite-editor-landing.html). ## Explore the cat spritesheet - In the **Hierarchy** window, select the **Cat_Animated** GameObject. - In the **Sprite** **Renderer** component, select **Open Sprite Editor** to see the cat’s sliced spritesheet. ![Sprite sheet of a robot’s idling and running animations shown in the Sprite Editor window.](https://storage.googleapis.com/learn-platform-bucket-production/tutorial/052d6b13-63a2-41b9-9b01-11c0e104d241/versions%5B_key==%22fe732bc549fa%22%5D.sections%5B_key==%224ebc73667620%22%5D.body%5B_key==%22c899266f34f7%22%5D.image/Animation_3.3_CatSheet_20260125_035614.png) **Explore the player sprite setup** The player also uses a spritesheet, which houses the sprites for its idling and running animations. These are all configured using an [Animation Blend Tree](https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/class-BlendTree.html), which determines which animation clip to play, depending on the player’s x and y speed. **1.** In the **Hierarchy** window, select the **PlayerRobot** GameObject. **2.** In the **Animator** component, double-click on the **PlayerRobot_Controller** asset assigned to the **Controller** property to open it in the **Animator** window. **3.** Double-click the **Moving** state to open the blend tree**.** **4.** Explore the blend tree’s properties in the **Inspector** window to see how it’s set up. **5.** In the **Animator** window, temporarily drag the **Look X** and **Look Y** sliders to the left and right to see how the blend tree would change animation clips depending on the direction and speed of the player. ![PlayerRobot Blend Tree open in the Animator window. The 2D Simple Directional setup is shown in the Inspector window with the RobotRunRight animation clip selected.](https://storage.googleapis.com/learn-platform-bucket-production/tutorial/052d6b13-63a2-41b9-9b01-11c0e104d241/versions%5B_key==%22fe732bc549fa%22%5D.sections%5B_key==%224ebc73667620%22%5D.body%5B_key==%22707cc73eb9fa%22%5D.image/Animation_3.4_PlayerBlendTree_20260125_035645.png) ## 2D skeletal animation For more complex 2D character animations, you can use 2D skeletal animation, made possible by the **2D animation** package. This involves creating a skeletal rig with bones for your 2D sprite, allowing you to animate different parts of the sprite by manipulating these bones, similar to how 3D characters are rigged. This process can be made easier using [2D Inverse Kinematics](https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.2d.ik@latest), which automatically calculates for the positions and rotations of a chain of bones moving towards a target position. 2D skeletal animation offers several benefits similar to 3D workflows, including the following: - Reusable skeletons and clips across characters - Less labor‑intensive than frame‑by‑frame animation - Reduced file size from lighter texture needs - Easy swapping of accessories or body parts To see the skeletal animation implementation in the scene, follow these steps: **1.** Temporarily disable the red door in the **Scene** view so you can more easily see the **Robot_SkeletalAnim** GameObject behind the door. **2.** Zoom in on the character and experiment with moving the character’s feet and hands around. This allows you to experience the power of 2D inverse kinematics. **3.** To see how this is set up, navigate to **CreativeCore_2D** > **Sprites,** then select **Robot_Skeletal_Sheet**. Select **Open Sprite Editor**, then open the **Sprite Editor** dropdown and select **Skinning Editor**. [Video](https://storage.googleapis.com/learn-platform-bucket-production/tutorial/052d6b13-63a2-41b9-9b01-11c0e104d241/versions%5B_key==%22fe732bc549fa%22%5D.sections%5B_key==%224ebc73667620%22%5D.body%5B_key==%2285e6afbb5b12%22%5D.overviewVideo/Animation_3.5_SkeletalAnim_20260125_035751.mp4) **Note**: 2D skeletal animation is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but you can find more information on it in [its documentation](https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.2d.animation@13.0/manual/CharacterRig.html) or download [Unity's Dragon Crashers sample project](https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/essentials/tutorial-projects/dragon-crashers-urp-2d-sample-project-190721?srsltid=AfmBOorc5JuWEuP4PnHIae1YYPt_CDxLRV0Iok9aEzzmHmsLkcj1fM1p), which includes a wide range of characters with skeletal animation. ## 4. Next steps You now understand how to implement animation in 3D projects and how that translates to, or differs from, 2D projects. You’re ready to apply these concepts to your own personal projects, be they 3D or 2D.