Animation Creation

Create and edit animations in Blockbench with keyframes, bone rigging, and Hytale-specific animation features.

Usage

/blockbench-animate <action> [args]

Actions:

• create <name> - Create a new animation
• keyframe <bone> <property> - Add keyframes
• rig - Set up bone hierarchy
• play - Preview animation
• visibility <bone> - Toggle bone visibility (Hytale)

Prerequisites

• Blockbench must be running with the MCP plugin enabled
• A model must be open with proper bone structure (groups)

Steps

Creating Animations

1. Create animation using mcp__blockbench__create_animation:

   {
     "name": "walk",
     "length": 1.0,
     "loop": "loop"
   }
   

   • name: Animation identifier
   • length: Duration in seconds
   • loop: "loop", "hold", or "once"

Managing Keyframes

1. Add keyframe using mcp__blockbench__manage_keyframes:

   {
     "action": "create",
     "animation": "walk",
     "bone": "left_leg",
     "channel": "rotation",
     "time": 0.0,
     "value": [0, 0, 0]
   }
   

   • action: "create", "update", or "delete"
   • channel: "position", "rotation", or "scale"
   • time: Time in seconds
   • value: [x, y, z] values

2. Edit keyframe - same tool with action: "update":

   {
     "action": "update",
     "keyframe_uuid": "<uuid>",
     "value": [15, 0, 0],
     "interpolation": "smooth"
   }
   

3. Delete keyframe - same tool with action: "delete":

   {
     "action": "delete",
     "keyframe_uuid": "<uuid>"
   }
   

Animation Graph Editor

1. Edit curves using mcp__blockbench__animation_graph_editor:
   • Adjust easing between keyframes
   • keyframe_uuid: Target keyframe
   • interpolation: "linear", "smooth", "step", "bezier"
   • For bezier: handle_left, handle_right control points

Bone Rigging

1. Set up bones using mcp__blockbench__bone_rigging:
   • Groups in Blockbench act as bones
   • parent_bone: Parent bone UUID
   • child_bone: Child bone UUID
   • Creates parent-child relationship

Timeline Control

1. Control playback using mcp__blockbench__animation_timeline:
   • action: "play", "pause", "stop", "seek"
   • time: Seek position (for seek action)
   • speed: Playback speed multiplier

Batch Operations

1. Batch keyframes using mcp__blockbench__batch_keyframe_operations:

   • Apply changes to multiple keyframes
   • operation: "shift", "scale", "delete"
   • keyframes: Array of keyframe UUIDs
   • value: Operation value

2. Copy/paste animation using mcp__blockbench__animation_copy_paste:

   • action: "copy" or "paste"
   • source_bone: Bone to copy from
   • target_bone: Bone to paste to
   • mirror: Boolean to mirror values

Hytale-Specific Animation

1. Visibility keyframe using mcp__blockbench__hytale_create_visibility_keyframe:

   • Toggle bone visibility at specific times
   • animation: Animation name
   • bone: Target bone
   • time: Keyframe time
   • visible: Boolean visibility state

2. Set loop mode using mcp__blockbench__hytale_set_animation_loop:

   • animation: Animation name
   • mode: "loop", "hold", or "once"
     • loop - Repeat indefinitely
     • hold - Stay at last frame
     • once - Play once and stop

Keyframe Channels

Channel	Values	Description
position	[x, y, z]	Translation offset
rotation	[x, y, z]	Euler angles in degrees
scale	[x, y, z]	Scale multiplier

Interpolation Modes

Mode	Behavior
linear	Constant speed between keyframes
smooth	Ease in/out (catmull-rom)
step	Instant jump at keyframe
bezier	Custom curve with handles

Example Workflow

User: Create a walking animation

1. Create animation "walk" length 1.0s, loop mode
2. Add keyframes for left_leg rotation:
   - 0.0s: [0, 0, 0]
   - 0.25s: [-30, 0, 0]
   - 0.5s: [0, 0, 0]
   - 0.75s: [30, 0, 0]
   - 1.0s: [0, 0, 0]
3. Copy animation to right_leg with mirror
4. Add arm swing keyframes (opposite to legs)
5. Set smooth interpolation on all keyframes
6. Preview with timeline play
7. Adjust timing as needed

Animation Tips

• Start with blocking: Key poses first, then refine
• Use smooth interpolation: More natural movement
• Mirror for symmetry: Copy/paste with mirror for limbs
• Test frequently: Use timeline playback
• Keep it loopable: First and last frame should match for loop