# Animation

> Game-ready animation in Blender including walk/run/idle cycles, combat, mechanical animation, camera animation, constraints, Graph Editor, and NLA workflows via MCP.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-arjun988-blender-skills-animation`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [arjun988](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/arjun988)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [arjun988](https://github.com/arjun988)
- **Source:** https://github.com/arjun988/blender-skills/tree/main/.claude/skills/animation
- **Website:** https://blender-skills.vercel.app

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-arjun988-blender-skills-animation
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Animation

Game-ready motion with clean keyframes. Readable silhouettes in motion. Engine-compatible export.

## When to Use

- Character locomotion (walk, run, idle)
- Combat animations
- Mechanical/prop animation
- Camera animation
- Object animation with constraints

## Workflow

```
Reference → Blocking → Breakdown → Splining → Polish
    → Cycle Validation → NLA Strip → Export
```

## Locomotion Cycles

| Cycle | Key Poses | Frames (30fps) |
|-------|-----------|----------------|
| Walk | Contact, Down, Pass, Up × 2 | 24–32 |
| Run | Contact, Drive, Flight, Recovery | 16–24 |
| Idle | Breathe, weight shift, blink | 60–120 loop |

Naming: `AN_[Char]_[Action]_[Variant]`

## Animation Principles (Applied)

1. **Timing** — Weight through spacing
2. **Arcs** — Natural limb paths
3. **Overlap** — Secondary motion offset
4. **Anticipation** — Wind-up before action
5. **Exaggeration** — Style-dependent (see style skills)

## Mechanical Animation

- Use constraints over bone deformation
- Hinge: Limit Rotation constraint
- Pistons: Stretch-to or Copy Location
- Gears: Driver for synchronized rotation
- Doors: Empty pivot + rotation keyframes

## Graph Editor Workflow

```
1. Block stepped keys (Constant interpolation)
2. Splining: Bezier with auto handles
3. Ease: Weighted handles for acceleration
4. Cycle: Copy first/last frame; verify loop seam
5. Clean: Remove redundant keys
```

## NLA for Game Export

```
1. Action created and named per convention
2. Push down to NLA strip
3. Strip set to Repeat for cycles
4. Single strip active for export
5. Scale: 1.0; no NLA time remapping unless intentional
```

## Camera Animation

- Smooth Bezier interpolation always
- Avoid sudden direction changes
- Match focal length to subject scale
- Camera shake: noise modifier on location (subtle)

## MCP Integration

1. Insert keyframes via MCP if supported
2. Query action names and frame ranges
3. Validate bone/object animation data exists pre-export
4. Set frame range via MCP
5. Export animation with rig via export-pipeline

## Game-Ready Requirements

- [ ] Root motion decision documented (in-place vs root motion)
- [ ] Loop seam invisible (walk/idle/run)
- [ ] No bone scale keyframes (engine issues)
- [ ] Animation length matches engine state machine
- [ ] Facial animation on separate action layer if needed
- [ ] Frame rate: 30fps default (confirm project spec)

## Constraints

### MUST DO
- Reference video for locomotion
- Block in stepped mode before splining
- Name actions `AN_` prefix
- Test cycle loop before export
- Match animation style to art direction

### MUST NOT DO
- Linear interpolation on organic motion
- Scale keyframes on rig bones
- Over-animate idle (subtle is better)
- Export without action assigned to NLA
- Skip root motion documentation

## Reference Guide

| Topic | Reference | Load When |
|-------|-----------|-----------|
| Walk cycle breakdown | `references/walk-cycle.md` | Locomotion |
| Combat timing | `references/combat-animation.md` | Action games |

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [arjun988](https://github.com/arjun988)
- **Source:** [arjun988/blender-skills](https://github.com/arjun988/blender-skills)
- **License:** MIT
- **Homepage:** https://blender-skills.vercel.app

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-arjun988-blender-skills-animation
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/arjun988
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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