Frame-by-Frame Animation Basics

Frame-by-frame animation in Foxel is based on manually defining voxel content for individual frames.

Instead of animating object properties over time, this workflow lets you control how the voxel model itself changes from frame to frame.

Why This Matters

Frame-by-frame animation is different from keyframe animation.

In keyframe animation, you animate values such as position, rotation, scale, camera settings, or other object properties.

In frame-by-frame animation, you edit the voxel content itself.

Use this workflow when the shape, pose, or structure of the voxel model needs to change directly from one frame to the next.

What Frame-By-Frame Animation Is

Frame-by-frame animation is supported by Voxel Movies.

A Voxel Movie is the asset type Foxel uses for direct voxel animation.

It contains a sequence of Voxel Keyframes, and each keyframe defines one visible voxel state in the animation.

Voxel Movies

A Voxel Movie holds the frame-by-frame animation.

Unlike a Voxel Scene, it is not focused on animating object properties through channels and keyframes.

Instead, it is focused on storing and editing different voxel states over time.

Use a Voxel Movie when the voxel model itself needs to change between frames.

Voxel Keyframes

A Voxel Keyframe is similar to a Voxel Layer, but it also includes a Duration property.

That means a Voxel Keyframe contains two important things:

• The voxel content shown at that point in the animation.
• The number of frames that content should stay visible.

Each Voxel Keyframe represents one voxel state.

Duration

The Duration of a Voxel Keyframe defines how many frames it is displayed before the next keyframe takes over.

This is one of the most important parts of the workflow.

Timing is not controlled only by changing voxel content. It is also controlled by how long each keyframe is held.

For example:

• A short duration makes the animation move to the next keyframe quickly.
• A longer duration holds the current voxel state for more frames.

How This Differs From Keyframe Animation

Keyframe animation changes object properties over time.

Frame-by-frame animation changes voxel content directly from keyframe to keyframe.

A simple rule is:

• Use keyframe animation when motion is about changing object properties.
• Use frame-by-frame animation when each frame needs different voxel content.

How To Think About It

A practical way to understand Foxel’s frame-by-frame workflow is:

• A Voxel Movie holds the animation.
• Each Voxel Keyframe holds one voxel state.
• Duration controls how long that state is shown.

That is the core model behind the workflow.

Once this is clear, editing a Voxel Movie becomes a repeatable loop:

1. Create or select a Voxel Keyframe.
2. Edit its voxel content.
3. Set its Duration.
4. Move to the next keyframe.
5. Repeat the process for the next visible state.

What To Remember

• Frame-by-frame animation is supported by Voxel Movies.
• A Voxel Movie is built from Voxel Keyframes.
• A Voxel Keyframe is similar to a Voxel Layer.
• A Voxel Keyframe also has Duration.
• Duration controls how long a voxel state is shown.
• Frame-by-frame animation changes voxel content directly.
• Keyframe animation changes object properties over time.