🕹️ Mesh Animation Basics
Time: 1h30m
🎯 Objective
Use Blender’s Timeline to animate one meaningful mesh movement and export a short video clips.
| Action |
Shortcut / Location |
Purpose / Use |
| Set Keyframe |
I (in 3D Viewport) |
Insert keyframes for location, rotation, scale, or all |
| Play / Pause |
Spacebar |
Play or pause the animation in the timeline |
| Move to Next Frame |
Right Arrow |
Advance one frame forward |
| Move to Previous Frame |
Left Arrow |
Go back one frame |
| Timeline Panel |
Bottom of interface |
View and manage keyframes and playback |
| Dope Sheet |
Editor Type Dropdown → Dope Sheet |
See and adjust keyframe timing and spacing |
| Graph Editor |
Editor Type Dropdown → Graph Editor |
Fine-tune animation curves (e.g. ease in/out) |
| Delete Keyframe |
Alt + I |
Remove keyframe from selected property |
| Render Animation |
Ctrl + F12 or Render → Render Animation |
Export animation to video |
| Save File |
File → Save As |
Save your Blender project file |
Step 1: Follow the Tutorial (10 minutes)
- Watch the first 10 minutes only of this YouTube video.
- Your goal: Animate a cube using keyframes (location, rotation, and/or scale).
- Tip: Use the timeline at the bottom of your screen to add and view keyframes.
- Save your Blender file as:
YourName_AnimatedObject.blend
Step 2: Animate Your Own Object
Now it’s your turn!
- Choose one object from your scene (or create a new one).
- Animate your object using:
- Location (movement)
- Rotation
- Scale
- Use at least three keyframes to create your animation.
- Preview your animation using the Play button (
Spacebar) or timeline.
Step 3: Export Your Animation as a Video
- Go to the Output Properties tab (printer icon in the Properties Panel).
- Set the frame range (e.g. 1–60 for a 2-second animation).
- Under Output, choose a location to save and set the file format to
FFmpeg video.
- In the Encoding section (appears when FFmpeg is selected):
- Set Container to
MPEG-4
- Set Video Codec to
H.264
- Go to Render → Render Animation (
Ctrl + F12).
- Once done, your video file will be saved in the selected folder.
💾 Save Your Work
- Save your video as:
YourName_Animation.mp4
📝 Reflection Questions (Optional)
- What did you find easy or hard about animating in Blender?
- What movement or effect would you like to try next?