Using Control Tracks in Unity’s Timeline Editor

Now that all of the other tracks in the Timeline editor have been covered in previous articles, it’s time to check out the ever powerful Control Track!

Here are the main objects I will be using for this example. I have two drones, each with their own Timeline animation. I create a new object called Timeline Controller. With the Controller selected in the Hierarchy, I make a new Director for it in the Timeline editor window.

The Wrap Mode on this Timeline it set to Loop, so the drones will be able to loop their individual animations through this Timeline Controller.

Press the + icon in the Timeline editor to add a Control Track.

Control Tracks can take in Animation, Audio and Activation tracks alike. The big difference maker in a Control Track, is it’s ability to handle other Timelines. These Timelines can play out in a linear fashion, one after the next, as well as have dead space between the Timeline animations. For this example, I make two Control Tracks, one for each drone Timeline Animation. The first drone has a longer animation pattern, so the pattern of the second is cut and paste to repeat while the first is finishing up it’s own animation.

I add an Audio Track to the Control Track, just to show a small example of the Control Track taking in other standard tracks as well.

Now these two drones will loop their individual Timeline animations, for as long as needed!

I hope you enjoyed this brief article on using Control Tracks, and thanks for reading!