Unity Animation Rigging
Unity Animation Rigging is a free Unity Editor package for creating rigs and constraints that add procedural motion to animated objects.
What Unity Animation Rigging is
Unity Animation Rigging is a free Unity Editor package for creating rigs and constraints that add procedural motion to animated objects. Documented uses include secondary deformation of character armor, props, and accessories, plus world-interaction rigs for targeting or correcting animation-compression artifacts. A setup uses an Animator, Rig Builder, Rig, and Constraint components; the Animator is required because the package operates on Unity’s animation system. Rig Builder organizes rigs into layers that can be enabled or disabled, while weights control each rig’s contribution to the final pose. Available constraints include Blend, Chain IK, Damped Transform, Multi-Aim, Multi-Parent, Multi-Position, Multi-Referential, Multi-Rotation, Override Transform, Twist Chain, Twist Correction, and Two Bone IK. They are based on the C# Animation Jobs API. Two Bone IK uses a target for a limb tip and an optional hint for bend direction. Version 1.2.1 is compatible with Unity Editor 2020.2 and later. Bidirectional motion transfer does not currently support humanoid hierarchies.
Good
- Free plan available
- Provides many predefined rig constraints
- Supports independently enabled rig layers
- Includes Two Bone IK targeting
- Offers Scene View rig visualization tools
Watch out
- Requires an Animator component
- Humanoid motion transfer is unsupported
- Bone and effector visuals are absent in Game view
- Compatible editor versions start at Unity 2020.2
Who it suits
This package suits Unity developers building procedural character, prop, accessory, or interaction rigs. It is intended for projects using Unity Editor 2020.2 or later and an Animator-based animation setup.
Verdict
Unity Animation Rigging supplies a structured rig-and-constraint workflow inside Unity Editor, with layered rigs, weighting, visualization, and procedural motion tools. Its Animator dependency and unsupported humanoid motion transfer are important setup limits.
The facts
Each one read from Unity Animation Rigging's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Animation jobs
- The package’s constraints are based on the C# Animation Jobs API.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Animator dependency
- Animation Rigging works on top of Unity’s animation system and requires an Animator component.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Built-in constraints
- The package lists Blend, Chain IK, Damped Transform, Multi-Aim, Multi-Parent, Multi-Position, Multi-Referential, Multi-Rotation, Override Transform, Twist Chain, Twist Correction, and Two Bone IK constraints.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Constraint library
- The package includes predefined constraints such as Chain IK, Multi-Aim, Multi-Parent, Twist Correction, and Two Bone IK, based on the C# Animation Jobs API.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Core setup
- A rig uses an Animator, Rig Builder, Rig, and Constraint components; the Animator is required because Animation Rigging works on top of Unity’s animation system.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Editor requirement
- The documented 1.2 package is compatible with Unity Editor 2020.2 and later.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Editor visualization
- Bone Renderer displays a transform hierarchy as bones for visualization and selection during rigging, and those bones are not visible in the Game view.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Effectors
- Rig Effectors provide Scene View gizmos for transform visualization and selection, and are not visible in the Game view.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Example uses
- The documentation describes deformation rigs for secondary animation of armor, props, and accessories, and world interaction rigs for targeting or correcting animation compression artifacts.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Motion transfer limitation
- Bidirectional motion transfer supports generic character hierarchies, but the documentation says humanoids are not currently supported.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Pricing information
- The opened Animation Rigging documentation does not state a package price or trial offer.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Purpose
- Animation Rigging creates and organizes animation rigs and constraints that add procedural motion to animated objects.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Rig layering
- Rig Builder assembles rigs into layers, and multiple rigs can be stacked and enabled or disabled independently.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Rig layers
- Rig Builder groups rigs into layers, which can be enabled or disabled, and rigs can be weighted to control their contribution to the final pose.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Rig setup limitation
- The documentation says a control rig hierarchy should sit beside the skeleton hierarchy under the Animator GameObject, rather than inside the skeleton hierarchy.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Two Bone IK
- Two Bone IK uses a target to position a limb tip and an optional hint object to specify the limb’s bend direction.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Unity data terms
- Unity’s legal page says project materials will not be used for product improvements unless authorized by the user.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Unity requirement
- Animation Rigging 1.2.1 is compatible with Unity Editor 2020.2 and later.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Use cases
- Documented examples include deformation rigs for character armor, props, and accessories, and world interaction rigs for targeting or correcting animation compression artifacts.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Visualization
- Bone Renderer displays a transform hierarchy as bones for visualization and selection during rigging, and those bones are not visible in the Game view.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Workflow utilities
- The package menu includes tools to align GameObjects, restore a skinned mesh’s imported bind pose, and set up rig components.checked 8 Oct 2001
The company
- Maker
- Unity describes itself as a platform for creating and growing games and interactive experiences across mobile, PC, console, and extended reality.checked 8 Oct 2001
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