Basic 3D Animation using Blender
SKANI102x
Key frame animation – Part I
Dr. Sameer Sahasrabudhe
Nitin Ayer and Sneha Sanglikar
IIT Bombay
Outline
Timeline window
• Properties
• Components
Animation planning
• Initial state and final state (key frames)
• Add/delete key frames
• Animation using transformations
Location
Rotation
Scaling
• Alternate method to add/delete key frames
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 2
Timeline window – properties
Properties:
• Display current time frame (in frames / seconds), start, end frame and Location of
key frames
• Time cursor (green line) – to set and display the current time frame
• Offers player controls, to play, pause, rewind, forward and stop animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 3
Timeline window – components
Information part
1 2 3 4
Information area
1. Visual representation of the total duration of the animation. Displays key frames
Control area
1. Start frame of the animation
2. End frame of the animation
3. Current frame of the animation
4. Player
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 4
Current frame
To change the current frame
• Use left arrow and right arrow keys on keyboard
• Or you can drag the time cursor using left click of the mouse
• Or you can left click on the current frame box and enter the value using keyboard
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 5
Animation planning
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 6
Initial state and final state
Is a motion or change between initial and final state of the object over
Animation period of time
Initial state State of the object at the start of the animation
Final state State of the object at the end of the animation
It’s a marker which stores the property data such as location,
Key frame rotation and scaling of the object
Key frames are used to lock the initial and final state of the object
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 7
Add/delete key frames
Steps to add and delete key frames
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 8
Steps to add key frame
1. Set current frame
2. Apply transformation (Grab, rotate, scale)
3. Add key frame to lock transformation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 9
1. Set current frame
Set current frame on
timeline window
Use left arrow and right
arrow button on keyboard
Drag the time cursor using
left click of the mouse
Left click on the current
frame box and enter the
value using keyboard
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 10
2. Apply transformation
Select object (right click)
Set initial state of the
object, use basic
transformation (S, R and G)
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 11
3. Add key frame to lock transformation
Enable key frame pop-up (I)
• Pop-up ‘Insert key frame
menu’ will appear
Adding key frame means
locking the state of the
object
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 12
Key frame
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 13
Key frame
It’s a marker which stores the property data such as location,
rotation and scaling of the object
Key frame
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 14
Deleting key frames
Set the current frame to
the frame which has the
key frame added
Enable Delete key frame
pop-up (Alt + I)
• Pop-up ‘Delete
keyframe’ will appear
Select ‘OK’ option to
delete the key frame for
object
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 15
Animation using transformation
Location
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 16
1. Set current frame (Initial state)
Animation will start
from frame 1
Set current frame as
frame 1 (Enter 1 in
current frame box)
Setting current frame
means defining the
starting frame of the
animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 17
2. Apply transformation (Initial state)
Select object (right click)
Set initial state of the
object, use basic
transformation (S, R and G)
Setting initial state of the
object means setting
object state at the start
of animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 18
3. Add key frame (Initial state)
Enable key frame pop-up (I)
• Pop-up ‘Insert key frame
menu’ will appear
Select ‘Location’ option to
add key frame for object’s
location
Adding key frame means
locking the state of the
object
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 19
Set Final state
Initial state of the object is defined, now set final state of the object
by repeating the same three steps
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 20
1. Set current frame (Final state)
Set current frame to 50
(Enter 50 in current
frame box)
Changing the current
frame means deciding
the time of the animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 21
2. Apply transformation (Final state)
Move object in any
direction (G + mouse
movement)
Applying transformation
decides the action
performed by object
during the animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 22
3. Add key frame (Final state)
Enable key frame pop-up (I)
• Pop-up ‘Insert key frame
menu’ will appear
Select ‘Location’ option
to add key frame for
object’s location
Adding key frame means
locking the final state of
object
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 23
Animation using transformation
Rotation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 24
1. Set current frame (Initial state)
Animation will start from
frame 1
Set current frame as
frame 1 (Enter 1 in
current frame box)
Setting current frame
means defining the
starting frame of the
animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 25
2. Apply transformation (Initial state)
Select object (right click)
Set initial state of the
object, use basic
transformation (S, R and G)
Setting initial state of
the object means setting
object state at the start
of animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 26
3. Add key frame (Initial state)
Enable key frame pop-up (I)
• Pop-up ‘Insert key frame
menu’ will appear
Select ‘Rotation’ option to
add key frame for object’s
rotation
Adding key frame means
locking the state of the
object
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 27
Set Final state
Initial state of the object is defined, now set final state of the object
by repeating the same three steps
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 28
1. Set current frame (Final state)
Set current frame to 50
(Enter 50 in current
frame box)
Changing the current
frame means deciding
the time of the animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 29
2. Apply transformation (Final state)
Rotate object in any
direction (R + mouse
movement)
Applying transformation
decides the action
performed by object
during the animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 30
3. Add key frame (Final state)
Enable key frame pop-up (I)
• Pop-up ‘Insert key frame
menu’ will appear
Select ‘Rotation’ option
to add key frame for
object’s rotation
Adding key frame means
locking the final state of
object
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 31
Animation using transformation
Scaling
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 32
1. Set current frame (Initial state)
Animation will start
from frame 1
Set current frame as
frame 1 (Enter 1 in
current frame box)
Setting current frame
means defining the
starting frame of the
animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 33
2. Apply transformation (Initial state)
Select object (right click)
Set initial state of the
object, use basic
transformation (S, R and G)
Setting initial state of the
object means setting
object state at the start
of animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 34
3. Add key frame (Initial state)
Enable key frame pop-up (I)
• Pop-up ‘Insert key frame
menu’ will appear
Select ‘Scaling’ option to
add key frame for object’s
size
Adding key frame means
locking the state of the
object
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 35
Set Final state
Initial state of the object is defined, now set final state of the object
by repeating the same three steps
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 36
1. Set current frame (Final state)
Set current frame to 50
(Enter 50 in current
frame box)
Changing the current
frame means deciding
the time of the animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 37
2. Apply transformation (Final state)
Scale object in any
direction (S + mouse
movement)
Applying transformation
decides the action
performed by object
during the animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 38
3. Add key frame (Final state)
Enable key frame pop-up (I)
• Pop-up ‘Insert key frame
menu’ will appear
Select ‘Scaling’ option to
add key frame for object’s
size
Adding key frame means
locking the final state of
object
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 39
Reviewing animation
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 40
Play animation
Review animation
Move time cursor back
to the first frame
Play the animation
(Alt + A OR
Play button in the
Timeline window)
* Keyboard and mouse shortcuts are
written in (blue)
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 41
Alternate methods
Add and delete key frames
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 42
Transform panel
Transform panel (N)
Allows you to view and
manually/numerically
control properties of an
object, such as -
• Location
• Rotation
• Scale
• Dimensions
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 43
Basic transformation
Basic transformation (grab, rotate scale), can be also done using transform panel
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 44
Alternate method 1 – Adding key frame
Select object (right click)
Hover mouse on location
property in transform
panel
Add key frame (I)
After adding the key frame
object property colour turns
yellow
Similarly add key frames for
rotation and scaling
properties
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 45
Alternate method 2 – Adding key frame
Select object (right click)
Hover mouse on location
property in transform
panel
Enable pop-up (right click)
• Pop-up will appear
Select ‘Insert Keyframe’
option to add key frame
for object’s location
Similarly add key frames
for rotation and scaling
properties
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 46
Alternate method 1 – Deleting key frame
Select object (right click)
Hover mouse on location
property in transform
panel
Delete key frame (Alt + I)
Similarly delete key
frames for rotation and
scaling properties
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 47
Alternate method 2 – Deleting key frame
Select object (right click)
Hover mouse on location
property in transform
panel
Enable pop-up (right click)
• Pop-up will appear
Select ‘Delete Keyframes’
option to delete key
frame for object’s location
Similarly delete key frames
for rotation and scaling
properties
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 48
Next session
Key frame animation – Part II
SKANI102x | Key frame animation – Part I 49
