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Let’s start by taking a look at the end result:
The first part we are going to focus on is on how to dynamically make sprites move around other sprites (behind and in front of them), giving a sense of real depth. The SpriteRenderer component has 2 properties that allow us to change the rendering order of sprites in the scene.
- Sorting Layer
- Order in Layer
To be able to change the rendering order of multiple sprites in real time, we need to modify some values so that when objects move around the scene, they always render correctly. We could modify the “Order in Layer”, but it only accepts integers, and we have a better option. We are going to use the Z axis.
The priority order when rendering a sprite in Unity goes like this, from highest to lowest:
If two sprites share the same “Sorting Layer” and “Order in Layer”, the one closest to the camera (in 3D World coordinates) gets rendered first.
Knowing this, we just have to write a small script that modifies the Z position a fixed amount relative to the Y position, right? You’re close, but first let’s explain a small concept crucial in understanding how to set a sprite’s ground floor. This “floor” is where the sprite would be touching the ground if it were a 3D object. Here are some examples:
What we have to do now is modify the Z position of the sprites when the Y position is modified. Let’s take a look at this in 3D:
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