blender-animation

Blender Animation

Animate properties over time. Most animation is just keyframes — the trick is choosing the right interpolation and easing for the motion's character.

Decision tree

What kind of motion?
├── Object movement (translate / rotate / scale)
│   → Keyframe `location` / `rotation_euler` / `scale`
│   → Recipe 1, 2
│
├── Mechanical / constant speed (gears, conveyor belts, scrolling)
│   → Linear interpolation
│   → Recipe 3
│
├── Natural / organic (most things)
│   → Bezier interpolation with auto handles
│   → Recipe 1
│
├── Cartoon / stylized (overshoot, bounce, anticipation)
│   → Bounce / Elastic / Back easing
│   → Recipe 4
│
├── Facial / morph / blendshape
│   → Shape Keys, animate `value` property
│   → Recipe 5
│
├── Mechanical relations (one property = function of another)
│   → Drivers (Python expression)
│   → Recipe 6
│
└── Reusable / layered animations
    → NLA actions
    → Recipe 7

Recipes

Recipe 1 — Animate object position (Bezier, natural)

import bpy

obj = bpy.data.objects['GEO-target']

scene = bpy.context.scene
scene.frame_start = 1
scene.frame_end = 60
scene.render.fps = 24

# Keyframe 1: at frame 1, at origin
scene.frame_set(1)
obj.location = (0, 0, 0)
obj.keyframe_insert('location', frame=1)

# Keyframe 2: at frame 60, moved to (5, 0, 0)
scene.frame_set(60)
obj.location = (5, 0, 0)
obj.keyframe_insert('location', frame=60)

print(f"animated:{obj.name} 1->60")

Default interpolation = Bezier (smooth in/out). To make it linear, see Recipe 3.

Recipe 2 — Animate rotation (a 360° spin)

import bpy, math

obj = bpy.data.objects['GEO-target']
scene = bpy.context.scene

# Use rotation_euler with a single axis.
# WARNING: animating past 180° on Euler can flip; use multiple keyframes or quaternions for full rotations.

scene.frame_set(1)
obj.rotation_euler = (0, 0, 0)
obj.keyframe_insert('rotation_euler', frame=1)

scene.frame_set(120)
obj.rotation_euler = (0, 0, math.radians(180))   # half-turn
obj.keyframe_insert('rotation_euler', frame=120)

scene.frame_set(240)
obj.rotation_euler = (0, 0, math.radians(360))   # full turn
obj.keyframe_insert('rotation_euler', frame=240)

print(f"rotated:{obj.name} 360 over 240 frames")