Whether it’s a huge leap like a montage to something short like building a tool, cutscenes is a great way to show and simplify the advancement of the storyline in a game. However, like films, cutscenes are not automatically generated by Unity; it requires the developer to create them. Fortunately, Unity has streamline the process by using the Timeline tool found in Unity.
Where to find the Timeline
In order to use the timeline, we must first locate it. By going to
Windows -> Sequencing -> Timeline
you will bring up the Timeline Window.
Getting Started
Once the Timeline window launches, you’re greeted with an essentially empty window.
However, to get started, select a game object in the Hierarchy.
If the selected game object doesn’t have a Director component and a Timeline asset attached to it, click on Create and Unity will generate one for the game object.
Finally, you will be greeted with this window. It is here that you can add, delete, and modify tracks to create your cutscenes.
Tracks and the Different Types
If you’re familiar with creating and editing video or audio files using timelines, Unity’s timeline is very similar to it: each row is called a track and you can combine different tracks to create an unique file.
However, do note there are several different types of tracks you can implement in Unity. They are as follow:
- Activation Track: Use this track to enable/disable the targeted game object
- Animation Track: Use this track to modify and play the target game object’s animation
- Audio Track: Use this track to control an audio Source
- Control Track: Use this track if you want to communicate between the Timeline and outside systems
- Playable Track: Allows you to modify clips that uses the Playable API
A Simple Example
Say you want to move an object around in your cutscene. You can achieve this by adding an Animation track and setting the target to the game object you want to move.
Next, press the Record button to start recording the keyframes.
After that, nudge the game object and Unity will record the first keyframe.
Once the first keyframe has been recorded, you can now freely move the white line in the Timeline and position it to where you want the next keyframe. Keep doing this until you’re done and when you’re done, press the Record button to stop recording.
