> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.atlas.design/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.atlas.design/atlas-ai-studio-overview/node-index/mesh-nodes/animation-nodes.md).
# Animation Nodes
Animation Nodes are the bridge between generated 3D character meshes and game-ready animated assets. They handle rigging (applying a skeleton to a static mesh), retargeting (mapping animation data onto the rigged skeleton), and full character pipelines that automate the entire concept-art-to-animated-NPC sequence.
## When to use animation nodes
* **Generate playable NPCs from concept art.** Use the Character Workflow node to chain Split Character Sheet → Multi-View to 3D → Rig Humanoid Mesh → Retarget into one automated pipeline. Single-shot from drawing to animated character.
* **Bring AI-generated humanoid characters into a game engine.** Use Rig Humanoid Mesh followed by Animate Rigged Model to skeleton + animate a generated mesh ready for Unity or Unreal import.
* **Retarget Mixamo animations.** Pair Input Mixamo Animation with the retargeting nodes to apply Mixamo's motion library onto generated characters without manual rigging.
* **Smart-place props on characters.** Use Smart Mesh Alignment with natural-language instructions to attach weapons, accessories, or environmental objects to character rigs without manual transform math.
* **Rig and animate Tripo-generated characters.** Tripo-specific rigging and animation nodes are tuned for Tripo's mesh topology.
### Character Workflow
A composite workflow that converts a multi-view character drawing into a rigged, animated 3D mesh ready for game integration. The pipeline chains Split Character Sheet, Multi-View to 3D, Rig Humanoid Mesh, Retarget Rigged Mesh, and Retarget Mixamo Animation into a single automated process.
* **Input**: A character sheet image showing front, side, and back views of a character design.
* **Split Character Sheet**: Automatically extracts individual orthographic views from the input sheet.
* **Multi-View to 3D**: Generates a 3D mesh by interpreting the separated views.
* **Rig Humanoid Mesh**: Applies a skeleton armature suitable for humanoid characters.
* **Retarget Rigged Mesh**: Adjusts the rig to a T-pose or reference pose.
* **Retarget Mixamo Animation**: Maps animation clips (e.g., from Mixamo) onto the generated rig.
* **Output**: A fully rigged, animated character mesh exported in standard 3D formats.
Useful for rapid prototyping of NPC models, testing character designs in-engine, and generating background characters from concept art.
### Character Workflow — Output
Displays the final rigged and animated 3D character mesh produced by the Character Workflow node. This output node provides a preview of the complete asset pipeline result, including geometry, skeleton, and applied animation data.
* **Input**: Receives the processed character mesh from the upstream Character Workflow node.
* **Preview**: Renders the animated 3D model with the retargeted animation clip in real-time.
* **Mesh Data**: Contains vertex geometry, UV mapping, and material assignments generated from the source character sheet.
* **Rig Information**: Includes the humanoid skeleton armature with joint hierarchy and bone weights.
* **Animation Playback**: Displays the retargeted animation (e.g., walk, idle, or combat cycles) applied to the rig.
* **Export Formats**: Supports standard 3D file formats (FBX, GLB) for immediate engine integration.
Useful for validating character animation quality before exporting to Unity or Unreal, reviewing NPC designs in context, and iterating on concept-to-playable-character pipelines.
### Smart Mesh Alignment
Automatically positions and rotates one 3D mesh onto another using natural language instructions. Functions as an AI-powered spatial alignment tool that interprets placement intent without manual transform adjustments.
* **Mesh to Align**: The 3D object to be repositioned—props, accessories, attachments, or environmental details.
* **Anchor Mesh**: The reference geometry that defines the target location and orientation.
* **Text Instruction**: Natural language description of the desired placement (e.g., "place on top of the table," "attach to the character's right hand").
* **Automatic Transform**: Calculates position and rotation based on the instruction and anchor geometry, interpreting spatial relationships like "above," "inside," or "next to."
* **Output**: The aligned mesh with updated transform data, ready for scene composition or further editing.
Useful for rapidly attaching weapons to character rigs, positioning props in environment layouts, snapping accessories to vehicle models, and assembling modular level pieces from text descriptions.
### Animate Nodes
A pair of connected nodes that rig and animate AI-generated humanoid meshes. The Rig Humanoid Mesh node applies a skeletal armature to a 3D character model, while the Animate Rigged Mesh node applies preset animation clips to the rigged result.
* **Rig Humanoid Mesh Input**: Accepts a 3D human mesh, with optional texture image and character height parameters for scale calibration.
* **Skeleton Generation**: Automatically places a humanoid bone hierarchy (spine, limbs, head) based on mesh topology.
* **Animate Rigged Mesh**: Takes the rigged output and applies selectable animation presets (walk, run, idle, combat, etc.).
* **Animation Selection**: Provides a dropdown or picker interface for choosing from built-in motion clips.
* **Output**: A rigged and animated 3D character ready for export in standard formats (FBX, GLB).
* **Pipeline Position**: Typically follows mesh generation nodes and precedes export or retargeting stages.
Useful for quickly animating procedurally generated NPCs, testing character proportions with motion, and prototyping dialogue or cutscene performances.
### Tripo Mesh Nodes
A paired set of nodes designed to rig and animate 3D character meshes generated by Tripo workflows. The Rig Tripo Mesh node applies a skeletal armature to the model, while the Animate Tripo Mesh node attaches preset animation clips to the rigged character.
* **Rig Tripo Mesh**: Accepts a Tripo-generated mesh and applies a humanoid skeleton with bone hierarchy and automatic weight painting.
* **Animate Tripo Mesh**: Takes the rigged output and applies preset animation clips such as idle, walk, or combat cycles.
* **Sequential Workflow**: The rig node must precede the animation node in the pipeline; animations require an existing skeleton structure.
* **Joint Compatibility**: Skeleton is configured for standard humanoid proportions and compatible with common animation retargeting systems.
* **Preview Support**: Both nodes provide real-time viewport preview of the rigged mesh and active animation playback.
* **Export Ready**: Output includes both geometry and animation data in standard 3D formats for engine integration.
Useful for rapidly prototyping animated NPCs, testing character movement systems, and generating background characters from Tripo-created models.
### Tripo Mesh Workflow
A composite workflow that processes Tripo-generated 3D meshes through rigging and animation stages to produce game-ready animated characters. The pipeline integrates mesh preparation, skeletal rigging, and animation retargeting into a single automated sequence.
* **Input**: A 3D mesh generated by Tripo, typically from text or image prompts.
* **Rig Tripo Mesh**: Applies a skeletal armature to the input mesh, automatically detecting joint positions and assigning bone weights.
* **Animate Tripo Mesh**: Retargets animation clips onto the rigged character, adjusting for the specific bone structure and proportions.
* **Animation Library**: Supports standard animation types including locomotion cycles, idle poses, and action sequences.
* **Bone Mapping**: Automatically maps generic animation data to the Tripo mesh's unique skeleton hierarchy.
* **Output**: An animated 3D character with embedded skeleton and animation data, ready for export.
Useful for rapidly prototyping animated NPCs from text descriptions, testing character concepts with motion, and generating background characters with basic animation cycles.
## Common pitfalls
* **Rigging a non-humanoid mesh with Rig Humanoid Mesh.** The node expects humanoid topology (head, torso, arms, legs) in T-pose or A-pose. Feeding it creatures, vehicles, or props produces broken rigs. Use external tools for non-humanoid rigging until Atlas adds support.
* **Skipping height calibration.** Rig Humanoid Mesh needs accurate character height in meters for proper skeleton placement. Without it, joint positions are misaligned and animations look off.
* **Wrong pose for rigging.** Standard poses (T-pose or A-pose) produce reliable rigs. Action poses, dynamic stances, or non-standard poses cause skeleton placement errors. Generate or regenerate the source mesh in a standard pose before rigging.
* **Bypassing the Character Workflow node when full automation is desired.** The Character Workflow node bundles the entire pipeline correctly. Manually chaining each step works but is error-prone (especially around pose retargeting). Use the composite node when you can.
* **Forgetting that Tripo-specific nodes are tuned to Tripo outputs.** Rig Tripo Mesh and Animate Tripo Mesh expect Tripo's specific skeleton conventions. Don't use them on meshes from other backends; use Rig Humanoid Mesh + Animate Rigged Model instead.
## Related nodes
* [Mesh Nodes](/atlas-ai-studio-overview/node-index/mesh-nodes.md) — upstream generation, transformation, and optimization nodes that produce the meshes fed into animation workflows.
* [Input Nodes](/atlas-ai-studio-overview/node-index/input-nodes.md) — Input Mixamo Animation supplies external animation clips for retargeting onto generated characters.
* [Image Nodes](/atlas-ai-studio-overview/node-index/image-nodes.md) — generate or refine the concept art that feeds Split Character Sheet → Multi-View to 3D in the Character Workflow.
* [Utility Nodes](/atlas-ai-studio-overview/node-index/utility-nodes.md) — Split Character Sheet specifically prepares multi-view character sheets for 3D generation. LLM nodes can parametrize animation selection from text.
* [3D Generation Best Practices](/atlas-ai-studio-overview/node-index/mesh-nodes/3d-generation-best-practices.md) — backend and input-prep guidance that affects what your animation workflow receives as a starting mesh.
## Frequently asked questions
**Can I animate non-humanoid characters?**
Atlas's animation stack is currently humanoid-focused. Non-humanoid rigs (creatures, vehicles) need external rigging tools after mesh generation. The platform is expected to expand non-humanoid support in future releases.
**What animation library does the platform draw from?**
Animate Rigged Model has a built-in library of preset animations covering locomotion, combat, daily activities, and idle cycles. For Mixamo-specific animations, use Input Mixamo Animation to upload FBX clips downloaded from the Mixamo platform.
**Can I create custom animations on the platform?**
The current animation stack is preset-driven (built-in library or Mixamo retargeting). Authoring custom keyframe animations is not currently supported within Atlas; do that work in external animation tools and bring the result back via Input Mixamo Animation.
**What format does the rigged-and-animated character export in?**
Standard 3D formats (GLB, FBX) suitable for direct import into Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, or Blender. The animation data is embedded in the export.
**Why does my character look distorted after rigging?**
Two common causes: the source mesh is not in a standard pose, or the height parameter is wrong. Regenerate the mesh in T-pose or A-pose and verify the height-in-meters value reflects the character's intended in-game scale.
**Can Smart Mesh Alignment attach props to specific bones?**
Smart Mesh Alignment uses natural-language instructions and geometric reasoning to place props on anchor meshes. For bone-specific socket attachment (e.g., right-hand weapon socket), use the engine's native socket system after import. Smart Mesh Alignment is best for one-off placement during workflow design rather than runtime socketing.
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