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User Guide#

This guide explains how to set up and use the Animation Graph editor: enabling the extension, creating and applying graphs, working with Blend Trees and State Machines, and controlling graphs from Python and Action Graph. You learn the main UI areas, graph modes, and how to drive variables at runtime.

Setup#

Enabling the Extension#

When you enable the omni.anim.graph.bundle extension, the Animation Graph panel appears. If the tab is closed while the extension is still loaded, open Window > Animation > Animation Graph to show it again. The omni.anim.graph.core extension provides the backend; omni.anim.graph.ui provides the frontend.

Home Screen#

When no graph is loaded, a menu of options appears in the graph canvas. Buttons in the upper-left corner let you create a new graph or load an existing one from the scene.

Option	Result
Create New Animation Graph	Creates a new Animation Graph.
Select Animation Graph	Opens a dialog to choose an existing graph.
Drag and Drop an Existing Animation Graph	Opens a graph by dragging it from the Content browser.

Creating a New Animation Graph#

When you create a new Animation Graph, the Create Animation Graph dialog opens. Select a Skeleton prim in the current scene or reference one from another scene.

Warning

Many features of the Animation Graph require a Skeleton at creation time. If you do not specify one, some features may be unavailable.

Create Animation Graph dialog with Path, Select from Stage, Select from Reference, Create, and Cancel options.

Option	Result
Path	Displays or sets the location and name of the graph.
Select from Stage	Opens a dialog to select a Skeleton already in the scene.
Select from Reference	References a Skeletal Mesh from disk or a network location.
Create	Creates the Animation Graph and closes the dialog.
Cancel	Closes the dialog without saving changes.

When you create a new Animation Graph, the final output node appears in the graph canvas and the node catalog lists available nodes on the left.

Applying an Animation Graph#

Although the graph has a Skeleton assigned, you must apply the graph to a SkelRoot for it to take effect. You can apply it to the same character used to build the graph or to other character SkelRoots.

To apply an Animation Graph to a skeletal mesh, right-click the SkelRoot in the Stage and choose Add > Animation > Animation Graph. In the SkelRoot Animation Graph section, use Add Target to specify the graph to apply.

SkelRoot properties with Animation Graph section and Add Target button.

Animation Graphs use instancing, so one graph can drive multiple characters without substantial memory overhead.

Note

Animation Retargeting can be combined with Animation Graphs to animate characters that are not initially compatible with the graph’s skeleton. Retargeting is executed as a post-process with the Animation Graph. Adding animations from different characters into the Animation Graph itself is not currently supported. All animations must conform to the skeleton the Graph is specified to use.

Working with Animation Graphs#

The Animation Graph editor consists of four areas:

Menu
Node Catalog
Variables
Canvas

The Menu#

The menu provides graph operations (new, open) and canvas utilities.

Animation Graph menu bar with New, Open, Node Visibility, and View options.

Option	Result
New	Create a new animation graph
Open	Load an existing Animation Graph from the scene
Node Visibility	There are three options to control node display: Expand, Minimize, Close
View	Controls how nodes display and frames all nodes or the selected node(s)

The Canvas#

This is the primary editor window where you add and edit node connections.

Animation Graph canvas with breadcrumb bar, nodes, pin-outs, pin-ins, and connection noodles.

Option	Result
Breadcrumb Bar	Displays the current depth of the graph and allows navigation between them.
Node	A programmatic function allowing an “action” to occur. Nodes are connected to create greater “higher order” utility.
Display Depth	Clicking on the “triple dots” of a given node collapse and expand the node displaying or hiding node details.
Pin-Out	Pin-outs offer outputs and display data type on rollover.
Pin-Ins	Node inputs; display expected data type on rollover.
Noodle	Drag from an output Pin-Out to a Pin-In to create a connection (noodle).

Canvas Navigation#

Navigating the Canvas is accomplished using mouse and “hot-key” controls.

Option	Result
MMB hold and drag	Pan around the canvas
MMB up/down	Zoom in and out of the canvas. The placement of the mouse pointer on the canvas determines the anchor point for the zoom.
RMB click	If over empty canvas: Menu to create new nodes. If over connection line: Option to delete connection.
If node selected	Menu to Rename or Delete a node
Hover Mouse	Over Connection: Menu to delete connection
F key	Zooms to focus on the currently selected node(s). If no nodes are selected, zoom out to frame all available nodes at the current level.
LMB double-click	Double-click empty canvas to go up one depth level. Double-click a State Machine, state, or transition node to open that State Machine.

Node Catalog#

The Node Catalog lists the available nodes for the current graph mode.

The Node Catalog displays only nodes that are relevant to the current graph mode. For example, when you edit how a State Machine transitions between states, only the Transition condition graph nodes appear.

Variables#

You can create variables of specific types and change them at runtime to control graph behavior. After you create variables, drag them onto the canvas and connect them to nodes.

Option	Works In	Stores	Example
Float	BlendTree Only	Floating Point Number	2.344
Float3	BlendTree Only	3 Floating Point Numbers	2.34, 6.3, 5.7
Float3[]	BlendTree Only	Array of Float3	[[4.3, 3.71, 7.6], [4.9, 1.2, 5.2], …]
Float4	BlendTree Only	4 Floating Point Numbers	8.8, 4.3, 3.7, 7.6
Float4[]	BlendTree Only	Array of Float4	[[8.8, 4.3, 3.7, 7.6], [2.2, 4.9, 1.2, 5.2], …]
String	BlendTree, State Machine Transitions	Text Strings	IsWalking
Token[]	BlendTree Only	Cached String	MyToken

Graph Authoring Modes#

There are two core authoring modes of the Animation Graph editor: Blend Trees and State Machines.

Blend Tree#

Blend Trees are the primary function of the graph and are used for mixing animations, controlling skeleton joints, and driving nodes via variable blend weights.

Name	Description
Blend	Blends two inputs. Control the blend weight with the Alpha value.
Motion Matching	Uses motion clips plus movement and facing direction to find the best matching pose at runtime. The current implementation supports constant-lookup, useful for locomotion (walking, running, etc.).
Look At IK	Aims a joint within the Skeleton at a goal in the world; if a joint chain is specified, twists to blend the aim.
Filter	Removes animation on specified joints. Provide a space-separated list of joint names.
Pose Provider	Registers an external input (e.g. a live mocap stage) from outside the Animation Graph and brings it into the graph for further manipulation and blending via graph nodes.
Two Bone IK	Solves a two-bone chain (start, hinge, and end joints) to reach a target position; useful for arms and legs.
State Machine	Creates a new State Machine. Pack blend trees into behavior states and control which state is active and when to transition. Double-click to open the State Machine sub-graph.

Note

When the extension setting enable_FBIK_nodes is enabled, additional Blend Tree nodes (Full Body IK, Set Effector) are available in the catalog.

State Machine#

State Machines let you control when and how to transition from one Blend Tree to another. Condition Graphs define this logic and control when a transition executes.

Add transitions by clicking the border of one state and dragging to another state. Double-click a transition arrow to view and edit the transition logic.

Creating a transition between two states by dragging from one state border to another.

Tip

Blend Trees within one state can also contain an embedded State Machine. This nesting can be repeated as needed.

Name	Description
State	Contains
Transition	Transitions are represented by arrow widgets between states. They specify a possible transition between states, and contain the control logic for transitioning from one state to another.
Condition Compare Variable	Within a transition, returns true if the specified string variable is or isn’t equal to another string variable.
Condition Time Fraction Crossed	Within a transition, returns true if the animation clip in the state reaches a percentage of play-through
Condition Speed	Within a transition, returns true when a speed variable meets the comparison threshold.
Condition And	Within a transition, returns true if both conditions are true
Condition Or	Within a transition, returns true if either condition is true

Controlling Animation Graphs#

You can drive Animation Graph variables in two ways: Action Graph and Python. Both apply only when in Play mode.

Python#

Refer to the full list of Animation Graph API commands.

Action Graph#

Action Graphs are event based graphs within Omniverse.

You can create an Action Graph and assign it to a character that has an Anim Graph. Right-click the SkelRoot in the Stage and choose Add > OmniGraph. Assign the Action Graph in the property panel.

Property panel showing Animation Graph and OmniGraph sections on a SkelRoot.

The Write Animation Graph Variable node controls an Animation Graph. Set the target Anim Graph and variable name on the node, connect the value to the Value port, and connect a Graph Target (Self on the SkelRoot) to Skel Root Path.

Write Animation Graph Variable node with Graph, Variable name, Value, and Skel Root Path ports.

Note

All included Animation Graph samples are built using Action Graph as the primary control method.

Samples#

Sample scenes that use the Animation Graph are in the Samples panel. Open Window > Browsers > Examples and go to Animation > Animation Graph in the tree.

Note

Samples use Action Graph to drive the Animation Graph. Open Action Graph from Window > Visual Scripting > Action Graph.

Tip

You can use the included sample assets in your own projects. To download the sample scene, use File > Save Flattened.

Summary#

You have learned how to enable the Animation Graph, create and apply graphs, work with Blend Trees and State Machines, and drive variables from Python and Action Graph. For a step-by-step workflow, refer to the AnimGraph Example Workflow. For the Python API, refer to the API Reference.