You can import files that contain animated objects into Twinmotion. You can set the properties for animated files, including the speed of the animation, the length of the delay before the animation sequence starts, and the start and end points of the animation sequence.
This page explains how to import animated files into Twinmotion. For a general overview of the animation feature in Twinmotion, see Animation Overview.
Importing Animated Files Into Twinmotion
To import animated files into Twinmotion, do the following:
Open the Import dock by clicking Import in the footer.
In the Import dock, click the Import ( + ) icon.
Click the Animation tab, then click Open.
In the Import window, navigate to the folder that contains the animated file you want to import.
If you want to import multiple animated files at the same time, make sure to save them in the same folder so you can select them all at once.
Select the animated file and click Open.
In the Import window, under Options, select the importing options. For more information about the options, see Import Options.
Import options for animated files. The Nanite feature is not supported for skeletal mesh animations.
If you plan on using the Lumen global illumination rendering mode, we recommend that you scale your 3D model in the Import options window using the Uniform scale factor setting, instead of scaling your model in the viewport after the import. Selecting the scale before you import the file allows Lumen to generate a Surface Cache of the material properties and create Cards for each mesh. For more information on Lumen, see Lumen Global Illumination.
Click Import. The import process starts, and the animated file is imported into Twinmotion.
Once the animated file is imported, you can create videos, sequences, as well as images and panoramas that show a specific part of the animation.
For information on how to create videos, see Creating Videos.
For information on how to create sequences, see Creating Sequences.
For information on how to create images and panoramas, see Creating Images and Panoramas.
Working with Animated Files
The animated files that you import into Twinmotion appear in the Import dock.
From the Import dock you can do the following:
Select all imported objects in the file.
Reimport an animated file.
Reset animated files to their original transform settings.
Delete animated files.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
Select all imported objects | Selects the animated object in the viewport and the entire contents of the imported file in the Scene graph. |
File settings | Reimports the file while giving you the option to select different import settings. |
Reset transform on selection | Returns selected objects in the imported file to their original position, rotation, scale, and size. |
Delete | Deletes the animated file from the Import dock. You can also delete animated files from the Import dock by selecting them and pressing the Delete key. To delete multiple imported files all at once, hold down the Shift key while clicking the files you want to delete, then select Delete in the menu or press the Delete key. |
Properties of Animated Files
When you select an animated object in the viewport or Scene graph, the settings you can modify appear in the Properties panel. These properties are applied to the animated object as a whole, at the root (container) level in the Scene graph, and are applied to all the subparts of the animated object. The subparts of animated objects cannot have different properties than their parent objects.
When you import an animated file into Twinmotion you can use the same imported instance in all the media you create and specify distinct properties for the animated file in each media. For example, if you import an animated file that contains more than one animation sequence, and use it in both a video and a sequence, you can use different animation sequences in each media.
The properties of animated files differ slightly depending on whether you are viewing the properties inside a sequence or video in Media mode, or out of Media mode.
Play Modes
Animated files can play in Collision mode, Preview mode, and Sequence mode.
Collision mode
Collision mode is available for animated files when Twinmotion is in Media mode—such as when you are creating a sequence—or out of Media mode. It is designed to be used for animations that are not sequenced or scripted. In Collision mode, animations are event-driven and occur only when one or more of the Collision triggers enters the Trigger zone you define.
If you select Collision mode for an animated file when in a sequence, the animation track of the animated file is disabled as event-driven animations cannot be controlled by the timeline.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Collision triggers | The triggers can be any of the following items:
|
Trigger zone | Defines the area where a trigger needs to be before an animation starts playing. By default, the trigger zone area can be between 1 meter to 50 meters, but you can override the maximum value. |
Preview mode
Preview mode is available when you work with animated files out of Media mode, and when you create configurations. It can be used for creating animations that you view in Presenter mode, or inside the configurations you add to Presentations.
In Properties-based configurations, you can save and display the properties of objects inside configuration states. If you add an animated file to a configuration, you can control the properties of the animation in each configuration state.
Sequence mode
The Sequence mode is designed for working with animated files in sequences and exporting them as videos.
Sequences contain tracks that are controlled by the timeline. When you add an animated file to a sequence, the animated file is added as a track and is controlled by the timeline, enabling you to precisely control the duration and script of the animation.
Sequence mode is also available for animated files in videos. However, unlike sequences, videos do not have tracks and a timeline, or the Start delay setting. This makes videos suboptimal for animated files, as you cannot use them to design scripted animations.
Playback mode
In sequences, you can control the animation with the playhead on the timeline.
| Playback mode | Description |
|---|---|
1 | Goes to the first frame of the animation and pauses. |
2 | Plays the animation. |
3 | Pauses the animation. |
4 | Rewinds the animation progressively to the starting point. |
5 | Goes to the last frame of the animation and pauses. |
Loop and timing
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Loop mode | Determines if the animation plays only once or continuously.
Loop mode is not available in Sequence mode. In sequences, you can loop an animated file by extending the length of the animation track on the timeline. |
Speed | Sets the speed of the animation. You can override the maximum value. Options: 0.00x to 3x |
Start delay | Sets the delay, in seconds, before the animation starts playing. This setting is especially useful to control the start time of animated files inside Properties-based configurations. Options: 0 s to 60 s
|
| Details | |
Animation duration | Shows the duration of the animation, which is defined by the Speed at which the animation plays, and the Start offset and End offset values. |
Start offset | Defines the frame to use as the starting point of the animation. |
End offset | Defines the frame to use as the last frame in the animation. |
Hips
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Animation | Shows the animation sequences for skeletal mesh animated files. If a skeletal mesh animated file contains more than one animation sequence, select the one you want to use. |