The basic process: export from Blender, then import into Moon Animator

To move an animation from Blender into Moon Animator, you export the animation as an FBX file from Blender, then import that FBX file into Moon Animator. Moon Animator is a Roblox animation plugin that reads FBX files, so the workflow depends on getting your Blender export into the right format and settings before you bring it across.

The most common reason this fails is that Blender exports with different bone naming or hierarchy than Moon Animator expects, or the animation plays at the wrong speed because the frame rate doesn't match. Both of these are fixable before you export.

Key Takeaways

  • Export your animation from Blender as FBX with the animation checkbox enabled and frame rate set to 30 fps to match Moon Animator's default.
  • Your Blender rig bones must match Moon Animator's expected bone names (Torso, LeftUpperArm, RightLowerLeg, and so on) or the animation will not play correctly.
  • In Moon Animator, use the Import Animation button and select your FBX file; the plugin will map the bones automatically if the names match.
  • If bones do not map, you can manually assign them in Moon Animator's bone mapping interface before finalizing the import.
  • Test the animation at low speed first to check that joints bend the right way and no bones are twisted or inverted.

Setting up your Blender file before export

Before you export, make sure your rig uses bone names that Moon Animator recognizes. Moon Animator expects a humanoid skeleton with bones named Torso, Head, LeftUpperArm, LeftLowerArm, LeftHand, RightUpperArm, RightLowerArm, RightHand, LeftUpperLeg, LeftLowerLeg, LeftFoot, RightUpperLeg, RightLowerLeg, and RightFoot. If your Blender rig uses different names, you will need to rename the bones to match before exporting.

Check that your animation is baked to the armature, not stored as constraints or modifiers. Moon Animator reads bone rotation data directly, so if your animation lives in a modifier stack, it will not export. In Blender, select your armature, then go to Object > Animation > Bake Action to convert any constraints or drivers into keyframes on the bones themselves.

Set your scene frame rate to 30 fps. Moon Animator plays animations at 30 frames per second by default, so if Blender exports at a different rate, your animation will play too fast or too slow in Moon Animator. In Blender, go to Scene Properties > Frame Rate and set it to 30.

Exporting the FBX file from Blender

Select your armature in Blender, then go to File > Export > FBX (.fbx). A dialog will open with export options. In the left panel, look for the Animation section and make sure the Animation checkbox is ticked. If it is not, Blender will export only the mesh, not the keyframes.

Under Deformation, check Armature and Baked Animation. Under Geometry, uncheck Smoothing Groups and Apply Modifiers unless you have modifiers that are part of your final rig. Leave Forward as -Y Forward and Up as Z Up, which are Blender's defaults and match what Moon Animator expects.

Choose a filename and location, then click Export FBX. Blender will write the file with all bone rotations and keyframes included.

Importing into Moon Animator

Open Moon Animator in Roblox Studio. Create a new animation or open an existing one. In the Moon Animator window, click the Import Animation button. A file browser will open; navigate to your FBX file and select it.

Moon Animator will read the file and attempt to match your Blender bone names to its internal bone list. If all bone names match exactly, the import will complete and your animation will appear in the timeline. If some bones do not match, Moon Animator will show a bone mapping dialog where you can manually pair each Blender bone to the correct Moon Animator bone.

Once the bones are mapped, click Confirm or Import to finish. The animation will load into the timeline at the same length and speed it had in Blender.

Fixing common import problems

If your animation plays but looks wrong — joints bending backward, limbs twisting, or the character in a T-pose instead of the pose you animated — the bone mapping is incorrect or your Blender rig had a different rest pose than Moon Animator expects. Check that your Blender armature was in a neutral standing pose when you created it, with arms at the sides and legs straight.

If the animation plays too fast or too slow, your frame rate did not export correctly. Re-export from Blender and double-check that Scene Properties > Frame Rate is set to 30 fps before you export. If you already exported, you can also adjust playback speed in Moon Animator by changing the animation's speed multiplier in the properties panel.

If Moon Animator does not recognize your FBX file at all, the file may be corrupted or the export settings were wrong. In Blender, try exporting again and confirm that Animation and Baked Animation are both checked in the FBX export dialog. If the file still will not import, try exporting as a different filename to rule out a file system issue.

Testing your imported animation

After import, play the animation at 0.25 speed or 0.5 speed in Moon Animator to watch the bones move frame by frame. Look for any joints that bend the wrong way, bones that rotate 180 degrees when they should not, or the character sliding across the ground when it should stay in place. These are signs that the bone mapping is wrong or your Blender rig did not match Moon Animator's expected skeleton structure.

If the animation looks correct at slow speed, play it at full speed and watch the overall motion. Check that the character's feet stay planted during standing animations, that arms swing naturally, and that the head follows the body rotation. If anything looks off, go back to Blender, fix the animation, re-export, and re-import.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import animations from other 3D software besides Blender?

Yes, as long as the software can export FBX files. Moon Animator reads FBX format, so Maya, 3ds Max, MotionBuilder, and other tools that export FBX will work. The key is that your rig bones must match Moon Animator's expected names and your animation must be baked to the bones, not stored in constraints or modifiers.

What if my Blender rig has extra bones that Moon Animator does not use?

Moon Animator will ignore bones it does not recognize. If you have finger bones, spine bones, or other detail bones that are not in Moon Animator's standard skeleton, they will not cause an error — they simply will not animate anything in the final result. You can leave them in your Blender file or delete them before export.

Does the animation have to be the same length in Blender and Moon Animator?

The animation will import at the same length it was in Blender. If your Blender animation is 120 frames long, it will be 120 frames in Moon Animator. You can trim or extend it after import using Moon Animator's timeline editor.

Why does my character look like it is in a different pose after import?

This usually means your Blender armature's rest pose does not match Moon Animator's rest pose. Moon Animator expects a T-pose or standing pose with arms at the sides. If your Blender rig was modeled in a different pose, the animation will play but the character will appear offset. You can fix this by adjusting the rest pose in Blender before you export, or by rotating the entire animation in Moon Animator after import.

Can I edit the animation after importing it into Moon Animator?

Yes. Once the animation is in Moon Animator, you can add, remove, or adjust keyframes using Moon Animator's timeline and bone editor. You can also layer multiple animations or blend between them. The imported animation is now part of your Moon Animator project and can be edited like any other animation you create in the plugin.