Animation vs programming movement (simple a-b).

Questions & Answers
1

I am creating a platformer that uses lifts throughout the game; these lifts have all been created using animations; though I have started having concerns that I have 50+ lifts throughout game, and that seems like a lot of animations. I startd to wonder if there was a better way…

I am thinking a loop like follows would negate any unnecessary animation overhead, but I am not 100% sure if that is something I am making up. I have always believed animations to be expensive.

function Awake(){
	start = transform.position;
	myTransform = transform;
	move();
}

function move(){


	while(moved!= false){
		
			if(direction == "x"){
				for(i = myTransform.position.x; i<= start.x+maximum; i+= Time.deltaTime*speed){
					yield;
					myTransform.position.x = i;
				}
				myTransform.position.x = start.x+maximum;
				
				yield WaitForSeconds(2);
				
				for(j = myTransform.position.x; j>= start.x; j-= Time.deltaTime*speed){
					yield;
					myTransform.position.x = j;
				}
				myTransform.position.x = start.x;
    				yield WaitForSeconds(2);
    				yield;
    			}
           }
       }

I’m using this code now on a few objects, behaves well.

Where I once worked I asked the animation and code team this exact question and was told always to code movement if I could, but I just wanted a communities opinion before I do this as it’s an extensive change.

Thanks, Bobblehead.

2

It’s a lot easier to do interesting things with animations - like small shudders before they start and stop moving. A lift that just moves in a straight line down generally feels really artificial.

If you want to use code, but still keep the controll you had while using animations, try using animatipn curves instead. Just add a public one, edit it, and evaluate it ar the time since the lift stared moving to get the lift position.