🕹️ Mesh Animation Basics
Objective: Use the timeline to animate mesh movements and export short video clips.
🔧 Tools You’ll Use
| 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
- Set Container to
- 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?
What is next?
Once you finish animating various objects in your scene, continue with 🕹️ Camera Animation Basics