The Animation Editor provides easy access to the various animation-centric assets available for a Skeletal Mesh. In the Animation Editor, you can preview playback of animation assets such as Animation Sequences, Blend Spaces, Animation Montages, make edits to animation assets, add and edit curves for Material Parameters or Morph Targets as well as define Animation Notifies (events that occur during designated points in an animation).
Please refer to each section below for a breakdown of the Animation Editor user interface:
1. Toolbar
The Toolbar inside the Animation Editor provides you with options for saving any changes to your animation or locating it in the Content Browser. It also allows you to create new animation assets, define compression settings, adjust additive layer tracks, or create a static mesh out of the preview's current pose. On the far right of the Toolbar is the Editor Toolbar which allows you to switch between the different Animation Tools in Unreal Engine 4.
2. Asset Details / Skeleton Tree
The Asset Details tab provides you with options to define how your animation asset functions and will change based on the type of animation asset you have open. Docked next to the Asset Details is the Skeleton Tree which displays the skeletal hierarchy of the current Skeleton asset and allows you to create/edit Sockets and define settings related to animation retargeting.
3. Viewport
The Viewport window allows you to preview playback of animation assets on your selected Skeletal Mesh and provides information about your assets. You can change lighting modes, show or hide the bones of your skeleton, adjust animation playback speeds, even set your Skeletal Mesh to automatically rotate around on a turntable allowing you view it from all angles.
4. Details / Preview Scene Settings
The Details panel, which is similar to the Main Editor, is primarily used for modifying options that have been added while working in the Asset Editor. For example, when you add a notify to an Animation Sequence, clicking on the notify will populate the Details panel with options related to the notify. Adding a new section to an Animation Montage, you can modify the content of the section from the Details panel.
Also located in this section is a tab for Preview Settings which enable the ability to define the viewport settings such as the Animation Mode or Animation to use as a preview, switch Skeletal Meshes that are used for the preview, as well as viewport lighting and Post Process settings applied so you can preview your settings with various lighting applied.
5. Asset Editor
The Asset Editor is a contextual editor that changes interface layout and options based on the type of animation asset opened. You can modify Anim Sequences, Blend Spaces, Anim Montages or any other animation asset inside this window as well as playback animations (or record new animations) from the toolbar located at the bottom.
6. Asset Browser
The Asset Browser allows you to view all the animation assets that are associated with and can be used by the current Skeleton asset.