Blender Basics for Animation: Keyframing Essentials and Playback Control

What a Keyframe Represents (and What Happens Between Keyframes)

A keyframe is a recorded value of a property (for example, an object’s Location X, Rotation Z, or Scale Y) at a specific frame. When you set two or more keyframes on the same property, Blender calculates the in-between values automatically so the motion plays smoothly over time.

This “in-betweening” is called interpolation. By default, Blender uses smooth interpolation for many animated properties, meaning the motion eases in and eases out around keyframes. That default is great for organic motion, but it can be wrong for mechanical moves or for impacts (like a ball hitting the ground), where you may want sharper changes.

Interpolation in simple terms

• One keyframe: Blender has a value at that frame, but no motion is defined before/after unless there are other keyframes.
• Two keyframes: Blender draws a curve between them and evaluates a value on every frame in between.
• More keyframes: Blender connects the segments, creating a continuous motion path over time.

Even if you only set keyframes on Location, Blender still evaluates the object every frame during playback. Your job is to decide where keyframes go (timing) and what values they store (spacing/pose).

Inserting Keyframes for Location / Rotation / Scale

Keyframes can be inserted for individual transform channels or for a grouped set (LocRotScale). The most common workflow is: go to a frame, pose the object, insert a keyframe, move to another frame, change the pose, insert another keyframe.

Method A: Insert Keyframe menu (recommended for clarity)

1. Select the object you want to animate.
2. Move the playhead to the desired frame in the Timeline.
3. Set the object’s transform for that moment (Location/Rotation/Scale).
4. Press I in the 3D Viewport to open the Insert Keyframe menu.
5. Choose what to key: Location, Rotation, Scale, or LocRotScale.

Tip: If you only need vertical motion for a bouncing ball, keying Location is enough. If you also want squash/stretch, add Scale keys at contact frames.

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Method B: Key a single channel from a field

In the Properties region (or any numeric field that supports animation), hover over a value (e.g., Location Z) and press I to key just that channel. This is useful when you want to animate only one axis.

Auto Key: Fast Keyframing (and How to Avoid Accidents)

Auto Key automatically creates keyframes when you change a property on a frame where animation is being recorded. It speeds up blocking and timing work, but it can also create unwanted keys if you forget it’s enabled.

Enable/disable Auto Key

• In the Timeline header, toggle the Auto Key button (a red record icon).
• When enabled, changing transforms can create keys depending on your Keying Set.

Choose a Keying Set (what Auto Key records)

Next to Auto Key, set the Keying Set to control what gets keyed:

• Location: only location channels.
• Rotation: only rotation channels.
• Scale: only scale channels.
• LocRotScale: all transform channels (common for character/object posing).

Practical safety rule: If you only intend to animate position, set the Keying Set to Location so Auto Key doesn’t sprinkle rotation/scale keys everywhere.

Keyframe Types: Communicating Intent

Keyframes can be labeled with types (for example, breakdowns) to help you read your animation structure. This doesn’t change the motion by itself, but it helps you organize and understand your timing.

Common keyframe types

• Keyframe: a main pose/value.
• Breakdown: an important in-between that describes the motion (often used to define arcs, spacing, or overlap).
• Extreme: a maximum/minimum point (like the top of a bounce).

How to set a keyframe type: in the Timeline or Dope Sheet, select keyframes, then use Key menu → Keyframe Type and choose the type. Use this to mark contacts, peaks, and important beats so you can read your animation at a glance.

Timeline Playback and Navigation Controls

The Timeline is where you control time: playing, scrubbing, stepping frames, and defining what range you’re working on.

Core controls you’ll use constantly

• Play / Pause: press Space (default) to start/stop playback.
• Scrub: drag the playhead in the Timeline to preview motion quickly.
• Frame stepping: use ← and → to step one frame at a time (precise timing checks).
• Jump to start/end: use Timeline controls (or Home/End depending on your keymap) to navigate quickly.

Set Start/End frames (your working range)

In the Timeline header, set:

• Start: first frame of the shot.
• End: last frame of the shot.

Keeping the range tight (for example, 1–48) makes playback and planning easier because you’re focusing on one shot’s timing.

Markers: planning beats inside a shot

Markers are timeline flags you can place to label important moments (beats) such as “ball hits ground,” “highest point,” or “settle.” They help you plan timing without adding extra keyframes.

• Add a marker: move the playhead to a frame and press M.
• Rename a marker: select it and rename in the Marker tools (or via the Marker menu) so it describes the beat.
• Move a marker: drag it in the Timeline to adjust timing as you refine.

Use markers as a timing blueprint: once the beats feel right, you place keyframes to match them.

Structured Exercise: Bouncing Ball Proxy (Transforms + Keyframes Only)

This exercise focuses on timing (where keyframes go) and spacing (how far the ball travels between frames). You will animate a simple ball bounce using only transforms and keyframes—no physics simulation.

Setup

1. Create a simple ball object (a UV Sphere is fine) and a ground reference (a plane). Name them clearly (e.g., Ball, Ground).
2. Set the Timeline range to 1–48 (two seconds at 24 fps, or adjust to your scene fps).
3. In the Timeline, enable Auto Key and set the Keying Set to Location (for the first pass).

Step 1: Place timing markers (beats)

We’ll plan a bounce with decreasing height and quicker intervals as energy is lost.

1. Frame 1: marker “Start (in air)”
2. Frame 12: marker “Contact 1”
3. Frame 20: marker “Peak 1”
4. Frame 26: marker “Contact 2”
5. Frame 31: marker “Peak 2”
6. Frame 35: marker “Contact 3”
7. Frame 38: marker “Peak 3”
8. Frame 40: marker “Contact 4”
9. Frame 48: marker “Settle”

These frames are a starting point. You’ll adjust them later to improve feel.

Step 2: Block the main positions (only Location)

Work in this order: contacts first, then peaks, then settle. Keep X/Y constant for now so you focus on vertical timing.

1. Select Ball.
2. Go to frame 1. Move the ball above the ground (e.g., Location Z = 3). With Auto Key on (Location), this should create a key when you move it; if not, press I and choose Location.
3. Go to frame 12 (Contact 1). Place the ball so it just touches the ground (e.g., Z equals the ball radius). Key Location.
4. Go to frame 20 (Peak 1). Raise the ball to a lower height than the start (e.g., Z = 2). Key Location.
5. Go to frame 26 (Contact 2). Touch ground again. Key Location.
6. Go to frame 31 (Peak 2). Raise to a smaller height (e.g., Z = 1.2). Key Location.
7. Go to frame 35 (Contact 3). Touch ground. Key Location.
8. Go to frame 38 (Peak 3). Raise slightly (e.g., Z = 0.6). Key Location.
9. Go to frame 40 (Contact 4). Touch ground. Key Location.
10. Go to frame 48 (Settle). Keep it resting on the ground. Key Location.

Step 3: Check timing with playback and frame stepping

1. Press Space to play. Watch for: does it feel like it accelerates downward and decelerates upward?
2. Scrub around each contact. The ball should not appear to float through the ground.
3. Use ←/→ near contact frames (12, 26, 35, 40) to inspect the impact moment frame-by-frame.

Step 4: Refine spacing by adjusting peak heights and frame placement

Spacing comes from two things: distance traveled between frames and how close keyframes are in time.

• To make a bounce feel heavier: increase the time to fall (move first contact later) and reduce peak heights.
• To make it feel lighter: shorten the fall time and increase peak heights.
• To show energy loss: make each bounce interval shorter and each peak lower.

Practical tweak pass:

1. If the first bounce feels too “floaty,” move Contact 1 from frame 12 to frame 10 (faster fall) and re-check playback.
2. If the second bounce feels too strong, lower Peak 2 (Z) and/or move it closer to the contact (e.g., Peak 2 from frame 31 to 30).
3. If the last bounces feel jittery, spread them slightly (e.g., Contact 4 from 40 to 41) and keep the peak very small.

Step 5 (optional but recommended): Add squash and stretch with Scale keys

Now you’ll add scale animation at contacts and peaks. Turn Auto Key Keying Set to LocRotScale or manually key Scale only when needed.

1. At each contact frame (12, 26, 35, 40): scale the ball slightly wider (e.g., X=1.1, Y=1.1) and shorter (Z=0.9). Insert a Scale key (or LocRotScale if that’s your set).
2. At each peak frame (20, 31, 38): scale slightly taller (e.g., Z=1.05) and narrower (X=0.975, Y=0.975). Key Scale.
3. One frame after each contact (e.g., 13, 27, 36, 41): return scale to (1,1,1) and key Scale to avoid the squash lingering.

Keep the scale subtle. The goal is to support the timing, not distract from it.

Step 6: Label your structure with keyframe types

In the Dope Sheet or Timeline, select keyframes and assign types:

• Mark contacts as Extreme (impact moments).
• Mark peaks as Extreme (highest points).
• If you add extra in-betweens (like a small anticipation before the first drop), mark those as Breakdown.

This makes the animation readable: you can see the rhythm of contacts and peaks immediately.

Checklist for self-verification (during playback)