Model preparation

Important information: You can only animate groups and heads (for heads only texture change). To start creating animations, first you need to split the model into groups, in Editor mode. To do this, select the desired parts of the model and then press the standard [G] key to group or the grouping button Group in the upper Dock panel. By default, the Scene Controller is located at the bottom corner of the object/group. Sometimes it may have a specific location for some objects. To select your own Pivot position (Pivot is the point where the Scene Controller is located), you need to press [Alt] and then start moving the Scene Controller. This way you will get its new location.

However, please note: The new position is saved only for groups. This is often important for creating animations. For regular objects, the new position will be reset after deselecting the object. Below you can see a video example of splitting a model into groups, as well as customizing your own Pivot position:

Reference video: bdeGuideGroupPivot.mp4.

Preparing heads for texture animation

Explanation. What is TextureValue? It is a special string that contains information about the player's skin from Mojang servers. That is, all the head skins you see are all officially published Minecraft skins. To animate texture changes in heads, you first need to add all the necessary TextureValues to the head. First, select the desired head to see its properties: Here we are interested in the TextureValue section. In it you can see the current TextureValue, if your head has a skin, as well as the list of saved TextureValues. How to add more TextureValue? In one of the main ways, the order is as follows:

1. Through HeadCreator you draw a new texture on the head.
2. When you are done, process the new texture through the Create ready-made heads button to get a ready-made TextureValue.
3. Open the properties of the head and you will see the new TextureValue as current. Click on the Add to List button next to it.
4. Repeat this procedure, adding all the desired TextureValues for your animation to the list.

Once you've categorized your model and/or added lots of TextureValue to the heads you want, it's time to go into animator mode. Click on Animator in the bottom panel of the editor.

Reference image: bde_img_guide3.webp.

Meet the Animator

Reference image: bde_img_guide4.webp.

• Timeline: This is the most important panel of the Animator. This is where you control the entire animation.
• Animations: In this panel, you control all the animations of the project. You can choose a name, make a copy of the animation or delete the animation altogether.
• Command Animation: This panel allows you to add your own commands that will be invoked while the animation is playing. To create, select the desired time in the Timeline and then, add the necessary commands.

Animation process

Note the Scene panel. In Animator mode, you see only groups and heads. This is because you can only animate them. Other objects are hidden so they don't get in the way. Once you've figured out the purpose of the new panels, in Animator mode, it's time to start creating animations! To change the position of your groups, select the desired time position in the Timeline, and then start moving your group. The key points of the group animation will appear automatically. To change the textures of the heads, likewise, select the desired time position on the Timeline, and then, select the desired TextureValue in the list, by clicking on Set as current, inside the properties of the head you want. To create additional commands to be invoked during your animation, select the desired Timeline time position and then, using the Command Animation panel, add the commands you want. Multiselect is available in Timeline. You can select keys with [Shift] held down, you can move them, copy them with [Ctrl+C] and paste them with [Ctrl+V] where the current Timeline time is. You can also use a rectangular selection. When you have a group selected, on the Timeline, next to the time, you will see a button. Clicking it will create keys with the current transformation of the group. Clicking it with [Shift] pressed will create keys with the current transformation of the group, as well as all groups within it. This can be handy if you want to save the current position and then move the Timeline and move the group.