Animation Blueprints in Unreal Engine

Overview

• Animation Blueprints: Specialized Blueprints controlling Skeletal Mesh animation during simulation or gameplay.
• Graphs: Edited within the Animation Blueprint Editor to blend animations, control Skeleton bones, and define final animation poses per frame.
• Prerequisites: Project must contain a Skeletal Mesh.

Creating Animation Blueprints

• Content Browser Method:
  • Click Add (+), select Animation > Animation Blueprint.
  • Prompted to specify a Skeleton for the Animation Blueprint.
  • Optionally specify a Template Animation Blueprint and Parent Class.
• Skeletal Mesh Asset Method:
  • Right-click on a Skeletal Mesh Asset in the Content Browser.
  • Select Create > Anim Blueprint.
• Animation Blueprint Editor:
  • Double-click the new Animation Blueprint to open it in the editor.

Assigning Animation Blueprints to Characters

• Assignment Process:
  • Select the Skeletal Mesh.
  • Set Animation Mode to Use Animation Blueprint.
  • Set Anim Class to the Animation Blueprint asset.

Working with Animation Blueprints

• Features and Workflows:
  • AnimGraph: Creating animation logic.
  • Linked Anim Instances: Various advanced tools.
• Additional Resources:
  • Animation Blueprint Editor Overview
  • Graphing in Animation Blueprints
  • State Machines
  • Animation Node Reference
  • Animation Slots
  • Sync Groups
  • Animation Blueprint Linking

Visual Aids

• Several images linked in the document provide visual instructions for creating and assigning Animation Blueprints.