The animation feature allows you to upload animated 3D files and have them play on Sketchfab. For information on editing and managing animation settings after uploading, see Animation Settings.
Uploading animation files
Uploading animated 3D files isn’t different from uploading regular 3D files. If you need help exporting animation, refer to Exporting, or check your software documentation.
We support:
- Solid animation: translation, scale, rotation
- Skeleton-based animation: model rigged with bones
- Morph targets: transformed vertices
Exporting
In general, you can export your scene as FBX with baked animations (or BLEND for Blender). However, FBX export options will be different across software. Here are some software-specific tutorials from our community:
For more, check out the Animation Forum Thread.
Viewing animated 3D models
If a model has animations, you can see the animation icon in the top-right corner of each model in the gallery page:
When viewing the model page or embedded model, you will see a timeline and animation menus.
For details, see Interface and Options.
Editing animated 3D models
You cannot edit or create animations on Sketchfab, but you can edit some animation properties. See Animation Settings.
Annotations + Animation
Annotations are compatible with animations. They will stick to and follow the model.
Multi-FBX Support
We also support the usecase where a scene is split into several FBX files where one file contains the model and the others define animations.
The feature is enabled after a .zip/.rar/.7z upload when the archive has the following structure:
[filename].zip:
- [file_with_model].fbx
- animations/
- [file_with_animation_1].fbx
- [file_with_animation_2].fbx
...
There is no restriction on the animation filenames, but the filename will define the animation name on Sketchfab. They can be renamed in 3D Settings later.
Timeframe (Stop Motion)
It's possible to use multiple model files to create a stop motion animation. You just need to include all the models and a special "sketchfab.timeframe" text file.
For a more detailed tutorial, visit the blog.
In this example, there are 3 models:
- sphere.obj
- cube.obj
- cylinder.obj
Duration
Specify a duration (in seconds) for each model, in order:
0.5 sphere.obj 0.5 cube.obj 0.5 cylinder.obj
You can download this example file here, and open it in any plain text editor.
Upload them all together, and here's the result:
Composition
You can combine multiple files in a single frame using syntax like this:
0.5 sphere.obj+cube.obj
Transformation
You can perform translation, rotation, and scale transformations objects using syntax like this:
0.5 model.obj@t=tx,ty,tz@r=rx,ry,rz@s=sx,sy,sz
- @t= to specify a translation followed by the vector components separated by commas, with no extra space
- @r= to specify a rotation followed by rotation angles (in degrees)
- @s= to specify a scale followed by either a single value for uniform scale or a scale vector
- @m=m1,m2,...,m16 to specific a full 4x4 matrix transform
Limitations
- All of the models must be loaded in the same scene simultaneously, so it can hurt performance if you have many frames with complex models.
- You can use any combination of supported formats, but materials may not be processed correctly if they are not all the same.
- Blender and GLB/glTF formats are not supported in timeframes.
Comments
65 comments
I need to upload the animation where the object is deformed. How can I export animations from Cinema 4D to Sketchfab when you do not support point cache and fbx does not support morph targets???
Hello,
FBX does support morph targets, but maybe Cinema 4D does not export them correctly. Are you able to bake the animation?
I can't figure out how to use the Timeframe feature. I have two larger models and I have followed your tutorial but it only displays one of the models when I upload. When I go o the animation tab nothing shows up. I am not sure what I am doing wrong.
@ThoroughbredEngineering Can you share the link or name of the upload? I checked your last upload and it included a empty "sketchfab.zbrush" file which is used to concatenate OBJ files into a single scene. I don't see any Timeframe upload.
"Great Crossing Park TestTest Animation"
Now it is not letting me upload at all. it gives me this error message
AN ERROR OCCURRED WHILE CONVERTING YOUR MODEL
I renamed your FBX files without spaces and it works now.
Thanks so much!
Hi James
Thanks for all the clarity around "Object Swapping"
I am wondering if its possible to have objects swap while rig is animating. Would love to animate ground beneath character
Successful FBX swap but rig fail
Successful Rig but FBA swap fail
Additionally I have noticed animations created in "Quill" use a clever masking technique and would love to know how this might accomplish traditionally.
@farago Looks like the conversation is continuing on the forum
https://forum.sketchfab.com/t/masking-animated-objects/26566
@James I've been trying to upload 5 frames of 3D sequence to SketchFab but had not success in getting the animation to appear. I've tried exporting multiple frames as FBX, OBJ, 3DS and tried the sketchfab.timeframe text file trick (with no spaces in the filename) but SketchFab only recognizes one frame. Any suggestions/ideas?
Hello,
Sorry for the delay. It looks like you got the frames working here: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/volumetrics-test-5-frames-dense-cloud-prcs-73b2b4907af54bcba53ae9457523b6d2
Are you still having trouble?
how to upload animation file from sketchup software?
@James - Yes I got those 5 frames to work, but my latest model doesn't seem to work as well. I have unique textures for each frame of the model linked below (130 frames), but Sketchfab only wants to recognize one frame's texture. How can I get sketchfab to load each frame's respective texture file?
https://skfb.ly/6MEnp
We currently support a maximum of 100 materials in a model/scene. If we detect more than 100 during processing, we attempt to merge identical materials. If there are still more than 100, we merge everything into one.
Hello James.
How do I create multiple animation clips in Blender like this https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/carrier-gearmotion-2d5667cf1767468f80071e934acd3fa8
I know I can use multiple fbx but the downside is that morph animation is not working then. I got many objects which is animated. It's not only one character where you can use the armatures action as a clip. If you know what I mean.
Hi there,
Multiple actions assigned to the same object should result in multiple animations in Sketchfab.
If you need to provide feedback to our developers regarding Blender 2.8 animations, this is the best place to do it if you run into an issue: https://forum.sketchfab.com/t/animation-support-for-blender-2-8/31394
And for Blender 2.8 issues more generally: https://forum.sketchfab.com/t/blender-2-80-support-issues-please-post-here/28622
James Thanks for the answer and the links but that doesn't solve my problem. I need to have multiple animation clips in sketchfab.
I have a scene with many animated objects and the whole scene with all the animated objects needs to have multiple clips in sketchfab. How to do that?
Ok! Can you post on https://forum.sketchfab.com/t/animation-support-for-blender-2-8/31394 with a sample model? My colleague Loïc there will be the best person to help.
What are the common reasons for animations not being imported from fbx file containing model?
Has Sketchfab dropped support for animations from .dae files? Cause I swear I uploaded a model with multiple armatures that fully functioned, but now that I try that with a new model in the .dae format it wont work.
Hi MGR99 - Sorry, we've never supported animations in .dae (Collada) format. Did you have a model in mind?
I had some issues with my current model, which will be live soon, I had tried every file format I could, even looked back at my previous post and looked at the files I had exported it in, and the one that seemed to be the right one was .dae and it had all the working animations, this was the FunCup beetle. However, now I have found the issue and all is good :D
Glad you got it working! Seems the FunCup beetle model was Blender file.
I doubt it was, file was too large I think. And was also triangulated.
Thanks for the information on animations James and have used it several times already with predictable results until my last upload "Ingenuity Preparing For Its Maiden Flight": https://skfb.ly/6ZNw9 , which imported the animations but laid them down as two seperate animation tracks that I have not been able to play simultaneously. The animation was done in Blender and exported through their glTF exporter as a solid model transform using only rotation on one axis. While in Blender the animation plays all model components simultaneously like most animator components of 3D packages, eg a separate track for each component with movement. Not sure how to tackle this differently and the effect of each rotor moving separately still works but not what I intended. Any pointers would be great*
* Ultimately I am rigging this to be used in Unreal for a upcoming experience "Ingenuity in VR" so it will have a traditional armature and bone structure, so that maybe the answer for Sketchfab as well.
Hello!
Does it work as expected if you upload the .blend file directly or use our plugin? https://github.com/sketchfab/blender-plugin/releases/latest
[SOLVED]
Hi Sketchfab Team, I'm trying to export shape key animation from blender as fbx but for some reason, it is not being exported correctly. Could someone help fix/troubleshoot it? Thanks!
Anticipated behavior: https://youtu.be/tNkDtJNxYxA
Unpublished Model: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/ennui-08-776ca83f2bc74493b21cbbc5795c1a12
Solution: I ended up using Sketchfab add-on (https://github.com/sketchfab/blender-plugin/releases/latest) for Blender and uploading a .blend file instead of an .fbx
Hi there,
Sorry I'm not sure I understand the issue. The animation on Sketchfab looks the same as your video on YouTube. Did you change something?
Is the result any different if you upload the .blend file directly (or use our plugin - https://github.com/sketchfab/blender-plugin/releases/latest ) instead of exporting FBX?
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