THE WORK OF
KRISTAPS LOČMELIS
3D ARTIST
TECHNICAL ARTIST
MOTION DESIGNER
Unity Tools
I build Unity editor tools that help teams move faster and work cleaner. From custom Timeline extensions and inspector utilities to asset pipeline tools that reduce repetitive work and human error. The goal is always the same: give artists and developers time back so they can focus on what matters.
Unity Timeline Graph
Challenge:
A scalable interactive animation pipeline was needed for educational, patient-learning storybooks in Unity. The storybooks had to support branching narratives, allow users to revisit earlier chapters, and keep characters idling independently—separate from the Timeline-driven animation controller.
Solution:
I built a custom Timeline Graph (from scratch using Unity’s GraphView) for controlling avatars and authoring branching narratives. The node system enables branching narrative paths and triggers custom events throughout playback (e.g., chapter logic, character state changes, VFX/audio).
Alongside the graph, I developed a set of supporting Timeline tools to scale objects in and out with custom particle effects, an audio manager, and a universal signal tool. Watch the example video below (gallery).
This was developed before the Unity's Graph Toolkit came out that could speed up the deveopment.
An example of the Timeline Graph editor in a project
Custom Parent Constraint
Challenge:
When a character needs to move around the scene with an IV drip stand, the stand should move along with the character. This functionality needs to be automated so the stand always follows the character and updates accordingly when this behaviour is needed in the animation.
Solution:
A custom constraint tool was built to automate the desired drip stand behaviour, or any similar situation. When switched on, the tool smoothly lerps the constrained object (the drip stand) to a set target (the hand bone), snapping it to the hand bone and having it follow the target, while only affecting the selected position and rotation axes. In the case of the drip stand, Position X and Z and Rotation Y are the affected axes.
Scale changes can also be inherited from the target if "Apply Scale" is selected. When the tool is disabled, the constrained object moves back to its initial position or any other specified target position. In the example video below (gallery), the drip stand moves to a new target position next to the bed, which then becomes its base position for any future movement.
An example of the
constraint tool in action
Avatar Pipeline
Challenge:
When I worked for Xploro, we had to redo the entire mobile avatar system to make it faster, scalable, and lightweight. The previous avatars (yes, multiple versions) were creating massive performance bottlenecks and made the addition of new items unnecessarily difficult. We had to create a new avatar rig and store it in one place and organise all the customisation options and improve the quality of them, and make space for the new ones coming from the shop that was in development as well. The new avatar had to be compatible with the existing animations in around 150 scenes and some animations had to be retargeted for the new avatar, not to break any of the existing experiences.
Solution:
I worked together with my fellow 3D artist and the lead Unity Dev to come up with a new system that allows you to organise all items as separate addressables that can be loaded on demand. Everything is an addressable.
The retrofitted new avatar had to be imported into Unity with a master prefab set up. Then nested prefabs were set up for each individual content type (games, storybooks, quizzes, environments, etc.) and replaced in each individual scene. This was a very long and tricky process. The developer set up a new avatar loading and content management system. From there I helped to develop a system for exporting content items from Blender and textures from Substance, and setting them up as addressable content items with their own blendshapes, categories, rules around when they are disabled and when they disable other items. The new system made it easy to create new items in Blender and deploy to the avatar customisation and shop using custom export settings.
Ask me if you'd like to learn more about this project
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