Not installed yet? Follow How to install Eclipse Animator first, then come back.

How to use Eclipse Animator in 7 steps

  1. 1. Get something to animate

    ▶ Watch at 0:11

    Eclipse animates a rig, so start with one in your place: a standard R15 or R6 character, or a custom rig you built. Keep it somewhere easy to select in the Explorer.

  2. 2. Open Eclipse and start a new project

    ▶ Watch at 0:24

    Open the Plugins tab in Roblox Studio and launch Eclipse. Create a new project for your rig. If you want Eclipse beside your viewport, dock it (shown at 2:47).

  3. 3. Add your first keyframes

    ▶ Watch at 0:29

    Pose a part, then press V to insert a keyframe. Move along the timeline, change the pose and press V again. X deletes a keyframe, J scales a selection of keyframes and M splits them.

  4. 4. Pose faster with Blender-style keys

    ▶ Watch at 1:43

    G grabs (moves) and R rotates, just like Blender. T switches the axis, Shift + T scales on an axis, and Y toggles global and local space. The tutorial also shows trackball rotation at 2:10.

  5. 5. Use IK and unparenting when posing limbs

    ▶ Watch at 1:16

    The keyframe chapters cover inherited rotation, unparented keyframes (P) and inverse kinematics keyframes. The listing describes IK as a toggle, so you can switch between IK and FK as you go.

  6. 6. Polish timing with keyframe graphs

    ▶ Watch at 1:06

    Double-click a keyframe to open its settings and use the keyframe graphs to shape easing. Turn on onion skin (B) to see neighbouring poses while you adjust spacing.

  7. 7. Loop, save and export

    ▶ Watch at 2:32

    Toggle looping for idle and walk cycles, save the project, then export the animation so you can use it in your game. Close the animation when you are done.

After the basics

Once you can key, pose and export, the rest of the official tutorial covers the tools that make Eclipse stand out:

  • Camera work: add a camera, preview through it with Ctrl + B, show a grid with L, set a target or attach it to a part (3:06).
  • Motion paths and onion skin for checking arcs and spacing (4:16).
  • Dynamic parenter and animation layers for props and layered motion (4:34).
  • Effects: subtitles, vignette, letterboxing, camera shake and screen cover for cutscenes (6:33).
  • Animation events for VFX, subtitles and sounds (8:51).
  • Bone dynamics, ragdolls and physics (11:42).

Coming from Blender? The Blender guide covers the companion add-on. Want every key on one page? See Eclipse Animator shortcuts.