What should you check if the animation does not play as expected?

If the animation does not play as expected, ensuring that the Animator component is attached correctly is crucial. The Animator component is responsible for controlling the animation states of a GameObject in Unity. If this component is not attached to the object you want to animate, or if it is incorrectly set up, the animation will not function properly.

This involves checking whether the Animator is indeed linked to the correct GameObject and whether the associated controller is correctly assigned. The Animator component serves as the bridge between the animations created in Unity and the GameObject itself, allowing for playback and blending of animations as dictated by the state machine defined in the Animator Controller.

In contrast, while other options such as checking the object’s layer, the camera angle, or re-importing the animation file could potentially address issues in certain contexts, they are less directly related to the fundamental playback of the animation. For example, an incorrect layer may affect visibility or rendering but won't prevent the animation from being triggered if the Animator is functioning properly. Similarly, a camera angle affects how the scene is viewed but not the animation playback mechanism itself. Re-importing the animation file may resolve file corruption issues but does not address the Animator component's setup, which is more often the source of animation playback issues