My journey becoming a Unity game developer: Beginning Cutscene- Organization of Timeline and animating virtual camera

Objective: Organize the virtual cameras inside of Timeline. Also, animate 3 virtual cameras showing where Darren need to go and be considered successful.

3 virtual cameras animated to show Darren looking at what is ahead of him.

With the next 3 virtual cameras, we need to show the display room, Darren still hiding behind the glass case talking to his partner, and where he needs to go inside the auction showroom.

First, we need to create to an Animation Track for Rise to Reveal virtual camera. Then move the Rise to Reveal camera to join the Darren Side Shot camera, and go to the position where we will start our animation from the marble floor. Click the REC button on the Rise to Reveal animation track, then position the timeline pointer at the beginning of the camera’s duration. We can either move the virtual camera into position or in Scene View use CTRL+SHIFT+F. Afterward, move the timeline pointer down to the end of the camera shot duration and move the camera up and forward slightly to focus on showing the entire showroom.

Rise from Marble virtual camera Animation Track created and animated.

Now when we play the virtual camera’s animation, we will see the camera rising to show the entire showroom.

Rise from Marble final shot animation.

Before going to the next virtual camera, we will organize the virtual cameras inside of the Timeline editor by using the Track Group setting. Create a new Track Group and name it Virtual Cameras. Select all of the virtual cameras in Timeline together, and drag them into the Virtual Cameras Track Group. Now we have all virtual cameras that have been created under one group to make it easier to use as we advance further in making the Intro Cutscene.

Organized all virtual cameras in a Track Group in the Timeline editor.

Next, create 2 more Animation Tracks for the Darren Under Dressed and Darren See Guards. Move both cameras inside of the Virtual Cameras Track Group and make sure to place the cameras in their correct sequence.

Animation Tracks created and added to the Track Group in its proper order.

We will animate the next 2 virtual cameras first by connecting them together with the Rise from Marble camera in the Cinemachine Track timeline. When we play the animation, we will see the camera’s positions animate from one to the other blended.

2 virtual cameras connected to one another to setup their animations.

With Darren talking to his partner Oliver on the headset, let’s move the Darren Under Dressed camera duration down to around 2 seconds long which should cover Darren talking to Oliver. Connect the Darren See Guards camera to the Darren Under Dressed camera. Select the Darren Under Dressed animation track in Timeline and click the REC button. Move the timeline pointer to the beginning of the camera’s shot duration, and click on the Darren Under Dressed game object in the Hierarchy. In the Transform Position, just retype one of the values to set the first keyframe at the beginning of the shot. Move the pointer to the end of the duration’s shot, and position the camera slightly around the glass case to see Darren hiding clearly. Set the 2nd keyframe position either through the virtual camera moved into position or in Scene View using CTRL+SHIFT+F to set.

2 virtual cameras joined together and animated.

The final animation of the Darren Under Dressed camera blending with the Darren See Guards virtual camera.

Darren Under Dressed and Darren See Guards virtual cameras final animation.

We have several more virtual cameras to animate as we create the Intro Cutscene.