Learn the fundamentals of creating cinematic and gameplay animations in Unreal Engine using the powerful Sequencer tool to bring your scenes and characters to life.
In the Content Browser, right-click and go to Cinematics > Level Sequence. Give it a name and double-click to open the Sequencer editor tab.
Select an Actor (like a character, camera, or prop) in your level. In the Sequencer window, click the green + Track button and choose Actor to Sequencer, then select your chosen actor.
With the actor selected in Sequencer, click the + Track button next to its name and select Transform. This will expose its Location, Rotation, and Scale properties for animation.
Move the timeline scrubber to the starting point (e.g., frame 0). Position the actor where you want it to begin. In the Transform track, click the small circle next to Location to set a keyframe. A red dot will appear on the timeline.
Move the timeline scrubber to a later point in time. Move the actor in the viewport to its new position. A new keyframe will automatically be added if auto-keyframing is enabled (the key icon). If not, click the circle again to set the keyframe manually.
Click the slate icon (Render this movie to a video) in the Sequencer toolbar. This opens the Movie Render Queue, where you can configure output settings and render your animation as a video file.
Tips for Better Unreal Engine Animations
For fine control over your animation's timing and easing, open the Curve Editor. This allows you to visually edit the interpolation between keyframes for smoother, more professional motion.
For complex character animation, use Control Rig. It provides a node-based rigging system directly in the engine, allowing for procedural animation and advanced character controls.
While Sequencer is great for cinematics, use Animation Blueprints to drive character animations based on game logic, such as player input, speed, or states like jumping and crouching.
You can keyframe almost any property in Sequencer. Try animating camera focus, light colors, material parameters, or even triggering sound effects for more dynamic scenes.
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