Model animation and Timeline
Model Animation (editor area) creates and edits keyframed animation clips
(.motion files) that move, rotate and scale:
- parts of one procedural model;
- joints and attachments of a rig (
.rigfile); - entities in your scene.
The Timeline (bottom area) holds the time ruler and play controls for Model Animation (Model tab), the sprite Animation Editor (Sprite tab) and the Effect Editor (Effect tab).
Open a .motion or .rig file from Explorer or the
Asset Browser. File format and how to play clips in your
game: Motion clips and rigs.
Creating clips
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
| Model menu | The model New clip animates. |
| New clip | Creates animation-N.motion in the project folder, registers it in the asset registry, and opens it. The clip starts with one track and two keys, 1 second long, looping. With a rig or scene loaded, the clip animates that instead. |
| New scene clip | Gives each scene entity without one a permanent id, then creates a clip that animates your scene. |
The new file is written immediately; the registry entry is an unsaved edit.
Tracks, keys and clip settings
A track animates one property (position, rotation or scale) of one part, joint or entity. A key sets the value at a time.
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
| Target for new track, Property, Add track | Adds a track for that target and property, with one key at 0 s. |
| Delete track | Deletes the selected track (a clip needs at least one). |
| Interpolation | How values move between keys: step, linear, smooth or bezier. |
| Transition curve | The curve for bezier tracks; see Curve editor. |
| Keyframe | Selects a key and moves the playhead to it. |
| Key time (s) | Moves the key. |
| Key value X / Y / Z | The key's value, relative to the parent. Rotations in radians. |
| Add key at playhead / Delete key | Adds a key with the current value / deletes the selected key. |
| Duration (s), Loop | Clip length and looping. |
| Snap time to 1/30 s | Snaps scrubbing and key dragging (preview setting, not saved). |
Fields commit on Enter. Each change is one Undo step. An invalid clip is refused and the reason shown. If you edit the file into an invalid state in Source Editor, the view shows Stale animation until you fix it. Clips must use block-style YAML.
Rigs and scene clips
When the clip animates a rig or the scene, a Hierarchy list lets you pick a joint, entity or attachment (or click it in the preview), and the preview has Move, Rotate and Scale handles like the Model Editor.
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
| Local position / Local rotation (rad) / Local scale | Pose the selected joint or entity for preview. For attachments, edits the attachment in the .rig. |
| Key pose at playhead | Saves the current pose as keys at the playhead. |
| Reset pose | Throws away the unsaved pose. |
| Frame selection / Isolate selection | Centers on / shows only the selected item. |
| Attachment model, Attach model to selection | Attaches a model to the selected joint (rig clips). |
| Parent joint / entity, Detach, Remove attachment | Re-parent, detach or delete an attachment. |
Opening a .rig by itself lets you pose it; press New clip to start
keying. Joint names, parents and rest poses are edited in Source Editor.
Scene clips also play in Scene View, without changing
the scene file.
Timeline
Each tab drives its editor's playback; the editor and the tab always show the same time. Playback pauses while you are in Play.
| Tab | Shows | Snaps to |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Track menu, Play, Stop, Time scrubber, keys of the selected track | 1/30 s when snapping is on |
| Sprite | Play, Pause, Stop, frame number | Frames |
| Effect | Play, Pause, Stop, time | — |
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| − / + / Fit, or wheel | Zoom the ruler. |
| View slider, horizontal wheel | Pan. |
| Click or drag on the ruler | Move the playhead. |
| Click a key (diamond) | Select it. |
| Drag a key (Model tab) | Move it in time; written when you release. Dropping on another key cancels. |
= / -, F | Zoom in / out, fit (click the ruler first). |
| Home / End | Go to start / end. |
| Left / Right | Previous / next key. |
| Esc | Cancel a drag. |
Curve editor
For bezier tracks, and for particle curves in the
Effect Editor. The graph shows progress
between two keys (up) over time (across).
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
| Handles 1 and 2 | Drag to shape the curve; written when you release. |
| Start handle / End handle Time, Value | Exact values, 0 to 1. |
| Arrow keys (Shift: ×10) | Nudge the selected handle by 0.01. |
| Esc | Cancel a drag. |
The curve applies to every segment of the track.
Limits
- Model clips animate box parts of one model. Rig and scene clips animate joints, attachments and entities. Cameras and view models cannot be animated.
- Up to 128 tracks per clip, 512 keys per track, 3600 s per clip.
- With many keys visible, the ruler shows a sample of them; zoom in or use the Keyframe menu.
- Studio does not play clips in a running game; your game plays them.
- Not implemented: per-key curves, event tracks, building skeletons (adding or reparenting joints) and IK.