Animating Blender Models With Mixamo

Using Mixamo For Model Animation

With very little effort, you can use Adobes Mixamo to fully animate your Blender models. Once you understand the process that is.

This guide requires:

Blender version 2.78c+ with its default settings. The exception being Select With:, under File User Preferences Input is set to Left Click.
Blender FBX file Importing and Exporting, enabled.
A Modest amount of Blender knowledge.
A Mixamo account.

Prepare to Export

To properly animate your models there are a few rules you should follow.

Read the Common Questions guide before you do anything else.
Clean up your Blender file prior to exporting. This means you have a game ready model that will become the base for all your animations. Do this in a copy of your file so you have the original as a backup. The following checklist is provided for your convenience.
- You have no Animations.
- You have applied a triangulate modifier. Some exporters other than Ogre, have an option to apply the modifier on export. This would be the preferred method.
- You have UV Mapped your model. It isn’t required by Mixamo, just for loading your models into jme.
- Your models origin is at the base of the mesh.
- You have your materials and textures done for your model. It isn’t required by Mixamo, just for loading your model into jme.
- You have cleared your buffers. It isn’t required by Mixamo, just makes your models cleaner for jme.
- You have applied the Location, Rotation, and Scale to your model.
- MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, in the Properties Panel Scene Tab Units Panel set the Unit of Measure to Meters and the Length to Metric. Adobe uses centimeters for the FBX exporter and if this is not set the models scale will be unusual to say the least. JME3 uses 1 WU = whatever you determine but meters will make things easier for all aspects of your modeling. If you are doing this now, you may have to re-scale your model before proceeding.

See Creating assets in Blender3D for help on creating jME3 compatible models.

Blender FBX Export

In the 3d Viewport, select your model, it will be high-lighted in orange.
In the Info header, select File Export FBX.
Enter a file path to export to, usually the same folder as your .blend file for simplicity.
Enter a file name.
In the Export FBX panel, located in the bottom left of the export dialog:
Main Tab
Selected Objects

Scale = 1

Click the button next to scale to deselect Scale all data. Failure to do so will destroy the scale of your model. If the button is selected, it will be dark in color.

Forward = -Z Forward

Up = Y Up

Which kind of object to export = Mesh
Geometries Tab
Apply Modifiers
When you are done, click the Export FBX button to export the file.

You can save these FBX export settings by clicking the + button next to Operator Presets.

Mixamo FBX Import

Create an Mixamo account and login.
From the Default Character panel, select Upload Character.
Navigate to the file to be uploaded or drag and drop it onto the file up-loader.
Select Open.

Generally, if at any time during the import and rigging process the model does not appear within the time specified in the dialog that is showing, something has gone wrong and you will have to restart the process over.

Mixamo Auto-Rigger

If everything went well the Auto-Rigger will open and your model will be facing you. If not, fix your model in Blender before proceeding.

If the model is facing you, click Next.
In this panel you will rig your model. Place the markers as shown in the Auto-Rigger dialog image.

Remember that the model is facing you so its right is on your left.
Select the LOD you are after. This is based off how many bones you want the hand of the model to have. Feel free to cycle through the options to see what each one does.
When you are through click the Next button to rig your model.
When the model appears, if satisfied with the results, click Finish.

Mixamo Animations

In the far right panel select Find Animations.
After deciding on an animation, click the animation to have it applied to your model.

After the animation is applied to your model, toggle the In Place checkbox if it’s a moving animation.

You can make small adjustments to the animation by using the sliders. The most common adjustment you will make is the Character Arm-Space. If you find the models hands are clipping through the model then use this slider to remedy the situation.

When satisfied with the animation, select the Download button and follow the Mixamo Download instructions below.

If you wish to add more animations, after the download, remove the animation by clicking on the X button located next to the animations name. Add your new animation and when satisfied, download the new animation. Repeat as often as is neccessary.

Mixamo Download

When downloading Animations from Mixamo:

Make sure the In Place checkbox is selected if it’s a moving animation.
In the Download Settings dialog use the default settings.
- Format = FBX
- Skin = With Skin
- Frames per second = 30
- Keyframe Reduction = none
Click Download and save it to your computer.

When downloading Characters from Mixamo:

In the Download Settings dialog the Format is FBX and Pose is TPose.
Click Download and save it to your computer.

Creating Blender Animations

Download your TPose model using the instructions for downloading Characters given above. We will use it as our newly rigged model for Blender. To keep things organized we will create a .blend file for every animation and later use a separate .blend file to combine all animations into one jME3 compatible animation.

The following steps apply to any animation you want to add in the future.

Start Blender if it is not already open.
In the Info header, at the top of the program, select File New Reload Startup.

Select the default cube and delete it.

Scene Tab

In the Properties panel, located at the bottom right, select the Scene tab.

In the Units panel, change the Units of measure to Meters and Length to Metric. You must always have these settings when importing from or exporting to Mixamo.

You should create and save a default startup file in Blender. File Save Startup File. This way you will not have to constantly redo things. Setting your Units of measure is the least you should do. You can always restore the default startup file by selecting File Load Factory Settings at any time.

In the Info header, select File Import FBX.
Select the FBX file you downloaded earlier.
In the Import Fbx panel located at the bottom left of the import dialog, leave all settings at their defaults.
Main
Scale = 1

Import Normals

Import Animations

Armature offset = 1

Image Search

Decal offset = 0

Use pre/post rotation
Armatures
Nothing checked
When ready click Import FBX.
After Blender imports the file, both the armature and model are selected, in this order, select Object Apply Rotation. Repeat this for the Location and Scale. Alternatively, select the armature and model individually and repeat the process.
Select the Armature.
In the Timeline, determine the Length of the animation by RMB selecting the last keyframe in the timeline.
Set End: to this value.
Click the |xref: button to reset timeline back to the first frame.
In the Info header, change the Default screen layout to Animation.
In the Dope Sheet Editor, change the Dope Sheet mode/context to Action Editor. The Linked Action will now show the action name of the animation you imported.
Rename this to the name of the imported animation. In this instance it was TPose. . Select the F button to save the action. . Save your file with the same name as the action.

Mixamo sets the rotation mode of bones to Quaternion as is appropriate for preventing Gimbal Lock. Keep this in mind if you decide to modify your animation. Blender defaults to XYZ Euler so you will need to change this setting prior to inserting new keyframes.

Creating The Rigged Animation File

It’s good practice to have a separate file for combining animations. Things can go wrong, animations may change, and you don’t want to destroy your original model file by accident. Our plan of attack has been we create a .blend file for every animation and then use this separate rigged file to combine them into one. To keep it simple we will use a copy of the first animation we downloaded and created a .blend file for.

You create a rigged animation file only one time per model.

If you have closed the TPose.blend file, open it. In the Info header select File Save As and save the file using the models name with the word Rigged added. This will be the only file we add animations to, for this model, from now on. It has our default TPose action which will allow us to start our animation track for Ogre animation exporting.
Select your Armature.
Object Tab
In the Properties panel, navigate to the Object tab. In the Display panel toggle X-Ray on.
With your mouse inside the 3d Viewport, press Num Pad 1 followed by Numpad 5.
Tab into Edit Mode.
Set the 3d Cursor to the models origin.
Select Add Single Bone.

The models origin and the Root bone origin must be at the same location.
Scale the bone down or up as needed by selecting the Tip (ball at the narrowest part of the bone) and dragging the Z arrow (blue arrow) of the manipulator up or down until you are satisfied with its scale. DO NOT CHANGE THE ANGLE OR MOVE THE BASE OF THE BONE FROM CENTER.
When satisfied with the scale, select the body of the bone to select the entire bone.
Bone Tab
In the Properties panel, navigate to the Bone tab.

Rename the bone to Root.

Deselect the Deform panel checkbox.
In the 3d Viewport, select the body of the armatures Hip bone, the lowest bone in the center of the armature, to select the entire bone.
While holding Shift down, LMB select the Root bone.
Press Ctrl + P.
In the Make Parent dialog choose Keep Offset.
With the mouse inside the 3d Viewport, Tab out of Edit Mode.

Select your model.

Data Tab

In the Properties panel, navigate to the Data tab and make sure the Mesh has the same name as your model.

Material Tab

In the Properties panel, navigate to the Material tab and make sure there is one Material in the Material List and it is the same name as your model.

In the Transparency panel, move the Alpha slider to 1.

There appears to be a bug where the FBX importer adds an Alpha map texture to your model. If the Alpha slider is not at one, and you use the Blender importer of the SDK, or convert a .blend file, it will be transparent. Ogre export is unaffected.

Deselect the checkbox of the Transparency panel.

Texture Tab

In the Properties panel, navigate to the Texture tab, you will note that your texture has duplicate names in the Texture List. The bottom texture is actually a transparent Alpha texture and appears to be a bug. Select the second texture in the Texture List to highlight it.
While holding down the Shift key, press the X button next to the Texture Data Block to delete it.
Select your remaining texture in the Texture List to highlight it. You will note the Texture Data Block is now red due to no texture being assigned.
Click on the Browse Texture to be linked button next to the Texture Data Block and select your texture.
In the Image panel, click the Small Box button located next to your texture’s path to pack the image file.

In the Info header, change the layout from Animation to UV Editing.
With your mouse inside the 3d Viewport and the model still selected, Tab into edit mode. If your model is not completely orange press A untill all vertices are selected. You will see your UV Mapped mesh appear in the UV Image Editor window.
In the UV Image Editor, click the Browse Image to be linked button and select your UV image.
Tab out of Edit Mode.
In the Info header, change the layout from UV Editing to Default and then click the + button to create a new layout.
Rename this new layout NLA Editing.
Click the Current Editor Type button, located at the bottom left (small box) of the 3d Viewport, and change it from 3d View to NLA Editor. Our TPose action is now visible.

If the action is not visible, navigate to the Dope Sheet Editor and from the Action Editor context, select the Action.
Click the button to push the action down into the stack.
Beneath the TPose strip you will see a slider. Drag this slider to the right until your strip is nested up against the left margin of the window.
Save your file.

Export

Your rigged file is now ready to export. Export your model using one of the Supported External File Types of your choice.

Appending Blender Animations

Follow the directions for custom Mixamo Animations, Mixamo Download, Creating Blender Animations, Blender Action Baking and Clearing The Linked Action Buffer for all animations you wish to append to your rigged animation file.

If your Rigged file is closed, open it.
From the Info header, change the Layout to Default.
In the 3d Viewport, select the armature of the model.
From the Info header, select File Append.
Navigate to, and select the .blend animation file you want to append.
From the folders list select the Action folder, followed by your action.
When ready, select the Append From Library button to finalize your selection.
From the Info header, change your layout to Animation.
In the Dope Sheet Editor, change the context to Action Editor if not already selected.
Click the Action to be linked button and select your append action from the list.
Select the F button to save the action.
From the Info header, change the layout from Animation to the NLA Editing layout we created in the Creating The Rigged Animation File section of this tutorial. You will see your append Action at the top of the list.
From the NLA Editor header, select Add Add Tracks. A new track has now been added to the top of the list.
Click the button next to the Action to push it down into the stack.
LMB select the strip to make it the only strip selected.
LMB drag the selected strip to the right until there is at least a 4 keyframe gap between the furthest strip to the right in the list and the append strip you are dragging.

When the strip is in drag mode it will be purple. While in drag mode you do not need to keep the LMB pressed.

When you are satisfied with the position, LMB click the strip to finalize your selection. Your append strip should now be the furthest strip to the right in the list.

You can use the mouse scroll wheel to shrink or expand the strip window to bring all strips into the view.

You can drag the slider, at the bottom of the strip window, to the right or left to position the strips against the side of the window.

With the mouse inside the strip window, press the N key to open the properties window.
In the Active Strip panel, under Strip Extents, you will see the End Frame number. In the Timeline, set End: to this number. Every time you append an Action you must increase this number to equal the total length off all strips combined, including the gaps between strips.
Save your file.

Your file is now ready to xref:jme3/advanced/mixamo#export,export].

Prior to export:

In the NLA Editor make sure no Actions are waiting to be pushed down into the stack. If there are, it must be removed or made into a strip prior to export.

In the Dope Sheet Editor make sure no Actions are selected in the Action Editor context. If one is selected, it will be sitting at the top of the NLA Editor stack.

An Action that has not been pushed down into the NLA Stack will block your NLA Strip from playing.

Some export methods bake your actions automatically on export, others don’t. Test the animation in-game and if your animations are all messed up, try baking them or use a different exporter.

Your NLA strip should look something like this:

Notes

See Hello Animation and Animation in JME3 to learn how to use your animated model.