Blender Node Tree Animation Builder

This tool is for creating fancy node tree animation for blender node tree systems, you can use it to create animation for shader nodes, geometry nodes, compositor nodes, etc. It is a powerful tool that can help you create complex animation for your node tree explainary tutorials.

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Features

• Supporting all node tree types, including shader nodes, geometry nodes, compositor nodes, texture nodes.
• Support for creating animation for nodes, links, values, views and even annotations.
• Live update animation parameters.
• Anim Curve editor for creating complex animation curves.

Installation

• Edit -> Preference -> Get Extensions -> Install from Disk..., locate the zip file to install.

Usage

Go to any tree editor space (Geometry Node Editor, Compositor, Shader Editor, Texture Node Editor), N panel to open the Nodetree Anim panel in the node worksapce to build the wanted animations.

Node Anim Buildup	Link Anim Buildup	Value Anim Buildup	View Anim Buildup	Annotation Anim Buildup

You can animate Nodes, Links, Values, Views and Annotations. You can build the animations in Bulk for Nodes, Links and Views or one by one in Manual for Nodes, Links and Values. Annotation animation in its own category.

1. Bulk Build
   • The options above the list window are global controls, their value will control all items in the list.
     • The Anim Start Frame is an exceptional one, it only affects the first item's start value.
   • You can control individual behavior in the list.
2. Manual Build
   • First select a Node in the node list,
     • Adjust desired controls to build the node's animation.
     • For Link and Value, the available links and values of the selected node will show up in the list, select one to build its animation.
     • You can also add a new Link.
3. Annotate
   • Add your annotation first, several quick tools, drawing, eraser, etc., are accessible for your convenience.
     • 🟢 Also support Input texts besides Free drawing
   • Once you have annotation, you can select and build the animation based on different levels, including Layer, Frame and Stroke.
   • A writing symbol can be added for writing effect animation.
   • You can Restore Annotation and start over your animation builds.
   • 🔴 Morph animation hasn't implemented yet.

Detailed description of settings

Bulk Build

The global adjustment will affect the each individual setting in the list, except the Anim Start Frame which only affects the first item's Start Frame.
Nodes

• Anim Start Frame and Start Frame: The anim start frame.
• Anim Length: The anim length in frames.
• Stagger Length: The gap frames between previous and next item's animation.
• Sync Before Start: Will sync the node's position to the Start Position before the anim starts.
• Start Position: Set the node's Fly In anim starting position. The end position is always the position that before the anim creation.
• Path Multiplier: Used for the path curve. Since the curve range is limited in Blender, you will need to multiply the point's y value in the curve by the Path Multiplier to get the actual position.
• Refresh Node List and Rebuild Node List: Operator to refresh/rebuild the node list when you add/del nodes in the node tree.
• Node Anim Curve: Control how the anim behaves.

The same settings for Links and Views will not be repeated again in the following.
Links

• Start Offset and End Offset: I just estimate the links' position, when there are vector type links or previous socket is linked, the position is not accurate anymore, so you have to adjust the offset to match the connection position precisely.

Views

• Move Size: For the view Follow movement, how much the view will move, positive for the view to move right, negative for the view to move left.
• Zoom Size: For the view Zoom movement, how much the view will zoom in/out, positive for the view to zoom in, negative for the view to zoom out.

Manual Build

It's for you to manually add one animation a time, select the item and the corresponding settings will show up, adjust their values and build the animation. For link and value, the available item list will show up when you select a node. You also can add new link.
Value

• Start Value and End Value: The animated start and end range.
• Sync beginning value before start: The value will sync to the start value for the time prior to the anim starting time.

Annotate

Beside the free draw, you can also input texts to build annotations.

• Annotation is organized by layers, each layer can have multiple frames, each frame contains multiple strokes. Properties like Opacity and Thickness are layer level property, so you can only control the annotations' apperance in layer level.
• When a stroke in a layer is animated, the layer will be locked and can't edit anymore. You can Restore Annotation to edit the layer and rebuild the animation. It's better just add new layers to add new annotations.
• You can add a writing symbol for the Write On or Write Off effect.

Once the animation added, some controls will show up under their category, the controls are lively updating.

To Do List

• Annotation
  • Implement Morph Anim
  • Add Input text option for Annotation

Tutorials

Check the detailed tutorial