How do I create a spring effect?

Unity Engine
1

I have this robot character with an antenna on its head. I have tried using Vector3.Lerp(); and it works but I want it to have a jiggle effect rather than just moving to the position and just stopping.
Anyone got any suggestions. I have been trying to figure this out for days but had no luck.

2

Use an animation and just have it loop, probably better. Not sure what need it to do though.

3

use this instead of lerp

public static float Spring(float from, float to, float time)
{
    time = Mathf.Clamp01(time);
    time = (Mathf.Sin(time * Mathf.PI * (.2f + 2.5f * time * time * time)) * Mathf.Pow(1f - time, 2.2f) + time) * (1f + (1.2f * (1f - time)));
    return from + (to - from) * time;
}

public static Vector3 Spring(Vector3 from, Vector3 to, float time)
{
    return new Vector3(Spring(from.x, to.x, time), Spring(from.y, to.y, time), Spring(from.z, to.z, time));
}


or use an easing/tweening system like itween, leantween, dotween or GitHub - rakkarage/Ease: Simple Unity3D Easing

4 Likes
4

You could try something like the JiggleBone script free from the wiki, or Dynamic Bone from the asset store. I used to used JiggleBone but switched to Dynamic Bone recently. They both work nicely.

If you don’t have bones in the antenna you could possibly use a “rubber” effect for the verts. There’s a script here that does that. It’s from 2011, though, so I don’t know if it still works as is. Barring that, there are a few “rubber” type solutions out there. Check Google for that.

1 Like
5

Thanks Ony, Dynamic Bone is exactly what I needed.

1 Like
6 
public static float Spring(float from, float to, float time)
{
    time = Mathf.Clamp01(time);
    time = (Mathf.Sin(time * Mathf.PI * (.2f + 2.5f * time * time * time)) * Mathf.Pow(1f - time, 2.2f) + time) * (1f + (1.2f * (1f - time)));
    return from + (to - from) * time;
}

public static Vector3 Spring(Vector3 from, Vector3 to, float time)
{
    return new Vector3(Spring(from.x, to.x, time), Spring(from.y, to.y, time), Spring(from.z, to.z, time));
}

Thanks rakkarage. This works Great.

7

Unity also has a spring joint, but I haven’t tried it to know if it produces the effect you want.

8

Unity provide spring joint you can use that.
Here is ref video

9

@Shabreen Don’t resurrect threads from 2015 only to say something that was already said in 2017. Please. Thank you.