About animation
An animation workflow skill for game-ready character, mechanical, camera, and object motion. It covers cycle validation and export preparation for artists working with rigs and scenes.
Key features
- 01Character locomotion and combat
- 02Mechanical, camera, and object motion
- 03Keyframe curve editing workflow
- 04NLA cycles and export preparation
- 05Animation naming and export checks
Use cases
- 01Create walk, run, and idle cycles
- 02Animate combat moves for game characters
- 03Set up mechanical or camera animation
MCP support
The skill describes using MCP to insert keyframes, query action names and frame ranges, validate animation data, set frame ranges, and export animation.
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
$
npx skills add https:/After installing, type/animationin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled filesreferences/combat-animation.mdreferences/walk-cycle.md
Details
From the project READMEAnimation
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)
- Timing — Weight through spacing
- Arcs — Natural limb paths
- Overlap — Secondary motion offset
- Anticipation — Wind-up before action
- 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
- Insert keyframes via MCP if supported
- Query action names and frame ranges
- Validate bone/object animation data exists pre-export
- Set frame range via MCP
- 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 |
Comments
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