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AnimTree Editor User Guide

Document Summary: Guide to using the Unreal Animation Tree Editor.

Document Changelog: Created by James Golding. Maintained by Richard Nalezynski.

Introduction

This document describes how to use the skeletal mesh and animation setup functionality in UnrealEd's AnimTree Editor. For more information on the Unreal Engine Animation System, see the Animation System Overview page and the Importing Animations Tutorial page.

NOTE: Unless you are trying to do something very basic with the existing node types, the Animation Tree editor is a tool usually for a programmer or technical artist, as the nodes are very closely tied to the code that drives them.

Using the AnimTree Editor

Opening the AnimTree Editor

From the Generic Browser select New from the File menu. Select AnimTree from the Factory dropdown menu. Double click the newly created asset and set PreviewSkelMesh property to refer your skeletal mesh. Then assign that AnimTree asset as your AnimTreeTemplate for the SkeletalMesh.

AnimTree Editor Overview

AnimTree Editor Layout

To open the AnimTree Editor, double-click on an animation set in the Generic Browser. The Editor is divided in to the following sections, as shown below:

AnimTree_Editor.jpg

1 Menu Bar and Tool Bar. Visualization and navigation tools.
2 Preview Pane. Previews the animation on a skeletal mesh.
3 Node Graph Pane. Nodes that make up the Anim Tree.
4 Properties Pane. Properties of the mesh, animation set, or animation sequence.

Menu Bar

Window

Preview: Shows the Preview Pane.

Properties: Shows the Properties Pane.

Tool Bar

Icon Name Description
  Pause AnimTree  
  Preview Selected Node  
  Show Node Weights  
  Show Skeleton  
  Show Bone Names  
  Show Wireframe  
  Show Floor  
  Toggle Curved Connections  

Preview Pane

Graph Pane

Properties Pane

Controls

Mouse Controls

Keyboard Controls

Hot Keys

Working with Animation Trees

Mesh Preview

To preview a mesh, click the AnimTree root node. The properties will then show up in the lower half of the window. All the preview meshes and animations are stored in the root node.

Vehicles

For more information on vehicles in the Unreal Engine, see the Setting up Vehicles page and the Vehicle Guide? page.