Hytale Animation

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

Tools Required

• Blockbench - blockbench.net

• Hytale Blockbench Plugin - File → Plugins → Search "hytale"

• (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

• Open Blockbench with Hytale plugin

• Load or create your model

• Ensure bones are properly named (see hytale-model-creator )

Step 2: Open Animation Panel

• View → Animation Mode (or press Ctrl+A )

• Animation panel appears at bottom

Step 3: Create New Animation

• Click "+" in Animations panel

• Name your animation (e.g., walk , attack , idle )

• Set animation properties:

• Length: Duration in seconds

• Loop: Whether it repeats

• Override: Priority over other animations

Step 4: Add Keyframes

• Select a bone in the outliner

• Move timeline to desired frame

• Transform the bone (rotate, move, scale)

• Click "+" next to transform type to add keyframe

Step 5: Refine and Preview

• Press Play to preview

• Adjust timing and poses

• 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:

Easing Effect Use For

Linear Constant speed Mechanical motion

Ease In Slow start Beginning actions

Ease Out Slow end Landing, stopping

Ease In-Out Slow both ends Natural motion

Bounce Bouncy end Cartoony effects

Animation States

Games often use state machines for animations:

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

Best Practices

Do

Practice Why

Start with key poses Foundation first

Use reference videos Natural motion

Exaggerate slightly Reads better in-game

Test in-game early Catches issues

Keep loops seamless No jarring transitions

Don't

Mistake Why Bad

Too many keyframes Hard to edit

Robotic motion Looks unnatural

Forget anticipation Actions feel sudden

Ignore secondary motion Feels stiff

Export Settings

When exporting from Blockbench:

• File → Export → Hytale Animation

• Output: .blockyanim file

• 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

Animation Duration Loop Notes

Idle 2-4s Yes Subtle movement

Walk 0.8-1.2s Yes Cycle per step

Run 0.4-0.6s Yes Faster cycle

Attack 0.3-0.8s No Once per action

Jump 0.5-1s No Triggered

Death 1-2s No Final pose

Resources

• Model Creation: See hytale-model-creator skill

• AI Animation Help: See blockbench-mcp skill

• Official Examples: Hytale Model Examples ZIP