Hello! Today we will learn how to implement character rotation in Unity. This tutorial will start from the basics of Unity and explain step by step how to write the character rotation logic. Character rotation is one of the fundamentals of game development and is an important concept in other game engines like Unreal Engine as well. However, the way to implement it in Unity is somewhat different. Through this tutorial, you will acquire the skills to rotate characters freely in Unity.
1. Setting Up the Unity Environment
Before starting Unity, you need to set up the environment first. Install Unity and create a new project. Choose the 3D template and start the project. After that, add the basic 3D model ‘Capsule’ or your created character model to the scene.
2. Adding a Character Controller
To control the character, add the ‘Character Controller’ component. This manages the physical collisions of the character and keeps its state. Select the ‘Capsule’ object, click the ‘Add Component’ button in the Inspector window, and then select ‘Character Controller’ to add it. This completes the basic character setup.
3. Writing the Script
Now, let’s write a script to control the movement and rotation of the character. Create a new folder called ‘Scripts’. Inside it, create a script file named ‘PlayerController.cs’. This script will handle the logic for rotating the character based on user input.
3.1. Writing the Script Code
using UnityEngine;
public class PlayerController : MonoBehaviour
{
public float speed = 5.0f;
void Update()
{
Move();
}
void Move()
{
float horizontal = Input.GetAxis("Horizontal");
Vector3 direction = new Vector3(horizontal, 0, 0);
if (direction != Vector3.zero)
{
float rotationAngle = Mathf.Atan2(direction.x, direction.z) * Mathf.Rad2Deg;
Quaternion rotation = Quaternion.Euler(0, rotationAngle, 0);
transform.rotation = Quaternion.Slerp(transform.rotation, rotation, Time.deltaTime * speed);
transform.Translate(Vector3.forward * speed * Time.deltaTime);
}
}
}The code above is a basic logic where the character rotates and moves in the corresponding direction when receiving left or right input. It detects left and right key inputs by using ‘Input.GetAxis(“Horizontal”)’.
4. Connecting the Script
You need to connect the script you wrote to the character. Select the ‘Capsule’ or your created character model, then press the ‘Add Component’ button in the Inspector window to add ‘PlayerController’. Now, the code we wrote will be applied to the character.
5. Understanding Character Rotation
The key to smooth character rotation is the smoothness of the rotation itself. The ‘Quaternion.Slerp’ function performs linear interpolation between two quaternions (current rotation and target rotation). This allows the character to rotate naturally. The ‘Mathf.Atan2’ function is used to calculate the angle between two points, and this angle is used to achieve the character’s rotation.
6. Improving the Input System
Now that basic rotation is implemented, we can improve the input system to make it more intuitive. For example, you can guide the character to rotate in the direction of movement. To do this, you can add animations and smooth movements.
6.1. Adding Animations
You can add animations to the character to make it look natural when moving. After adding the ‘Animator’ component, set up an animation state machine to transition between states such as ‘Run’ and ‘Idle’. By connecting animations and rotations, you can provide a more immersive experience.
7. Testing and Debugging
Once everything is set up, switch the game to play mode to test the character’s movement and rotation. Adjust variables as necessary to match sensitivity, and ensure the character rotates naturally based on the direction of movement. You can also adjust rotation speed or movement speed to provide a better user experience.
8. Conclusion
In this tutorial, we learned how to implement character rotation in Unity. Adding a character model and implementing movement and rotation logic is a fundamental part of game development, but it is very important. Based on this foundation, you can develop more complex and diverse character control systems in the future.
In the next tutorial, we plan to cover more in-depth topics such as character animation interactions and camera systems, so please look forward to it.