Hytale Animation

Create animations for characters, mobs, and objects using Blockbench.

Tools Required

1. Blockbench – blockbench.net
2. Hytale Blockbench Plugin – File → Plugins → Search “hytale”
3. (Optional) BlockbenchMCP – For AI-assisted animation (see blockbench-mcp skill)

Animation Basics

Keyframe Animation

Animations in Hytale use keyframe interpolation:

• Set key poses at specific times
• Engine interpolates between them
• Supports position, rotation, and scale

Animation Timeline

Frame 0     Frame 10    Frame 20    Frame 30
   |           |           |           |
   ▼           ▼           ▼           ▼
[Idle]  →  [Arm Up]  →  [Strike]  →  [Idle]

Creating Animations in Blockbench

Step 1: Open Your Model

1. Open Blockbench with Hytale plugin
2. Load or create your model
3. Ensure bones are properly named (see hytale-model-creator)

Step 2: Open Animation Panel

1. View → Animation Mode (or press Ctrl+A)
2. Animation panel appears at bottom

Step 3: Create New Animation

1. Click “+” in Animations panel
2. Name your animation (e.g., walk, attack, idle)
3. Set animation properties:
   • Length: Duration in seconds
   • Loop: Whether it repeats
   • Override: Priority over other animations

Step 4: Add Keyframes

1. Select a bone in the outliner
2. Move timeline to desired frame
3. Transform the bone (rotate, move, scale)
4. Click “+” next to transform type to add keyframe

Step 5: Refine and Preview

1. Press Play to preview
2. Adjust timing and poses
3. Add easing for smoother motion

Animation Types

Idle Animation

• Subtle breathing motion
• Slight swaying
• Loop seamlessly
• Duration: 2-4 seconds

Keyframes:
0s: Base pose
1s: Slight breath in (chest up, arms out slightly)
2s: Base pose (loops back)

Walk Cycle

• Alternating legs
• Arm swing opposite to legs
• Head bob
• Duration: ~1 second per cycle

Keyframes:
0.00s: Right foot forward, left arm forward
0.25s: Passing position (legs together)
0.50s: Left foot forward, right arm forward
0.75s: Passing position
1.00s: Back to start (loops)

Attack Animation

• Wind-up, strike, recovery
• No loop (plays once)
• Duration: 0.5-1 second

Keyframes:
0.00s: Idle pose
0.15s: Wind-up (arm back)
0.25s: Strike (arm forward, maximum extension)
0.40s: Follow-through
0.60s: Return to idle

Jump Animation

• Anticipation, jump, landing
• Triggered by game events

Keyframes:
0.00s: Crouch (anticipation)
0.10s: Launch (extended)
0.30s: Apex (relaxed pose)
0.50s: Landing (crouch)
0.70s: Return to idle

Bone Hierarchy for Animation

Use consistent naming for Hytale’s animation system:

root
├── body
│   ├── head
│   │   ├── jaw (for talking)
│   │   └── eyes (for blinking)
│   ├── arm_right
│   │   ├── forearm_right
│   │   └── hand_right
│   ├── arm_left
│   │   ├── forearm_left
│   │   └── hand_left
│   └── waist
│       ├── leg_right
│       │   ├── shin_right
│       │   └── foot_right
│       └── leg_left
│           ├── shin_left
│           └── foot_left

Easing Functions

Control how keyframes interpolate:

Animation States

Games often use state machines for animations:

         ┌─────────────┐
         │    Idle     │◄────────────┐
         └──────┬──────┘             │
                │ (move input)       │ (stop)
                ▼                    │
         ┌─────────────┐             │
         │    Walk     │─────────────┘
         └──────┬──────┘
                │ (attack)
                ▼
         ┌─────────────┐
         │   Attack    │───► (returns to previous)
         └─────────────┘

Best Practices

Do

Don’t

Export Settings

When exporting from Blockbench:

1. File → Export → Hytale Animation
2. Output: .blockyanim file
3. Place in: Common/Animations/ folder in your Pack

Animation in Plugins

Trigger animations from Java plugins:

// Play animation on entity
entity.playAnimation("attack");

// Play with options
entity.playAnimation("walk", AnimationOptions.builder()
    .loop(true)
    .blendTime(0.2f)
    .build());

// Stop animation
entity.stopAnimation("walk");

Quick Reference

Resources

• Model Creation: See hytale-model-creator skill
• AI Animation Help: See blockbench-mcp skill
• Official Examples: Hytale Model Examples ZIP