Animation

Create an Animation Blueprint

Creates an Animation Blueprint bound to a Skeleton, through the engine's own AnimBlueprintFactory so the skeleton lands on the blueprint and on both generated classes. Without that the asset looks correct and fails to compile. Pass --template for a skeleton-agnostic template Animation Blueprint, in which case --skeleton is not needed. The new asset already has an AnimGraph, so add_anim_state_machine works immediately.

cfa create_anim_blueprint --name ABP_Hero --path /Game/Characters/Hero --skeleton /Game/Characters/Hero/SK_Hero_Skeleton
cfa create_anim_blueprint --name ABP_Shared --path /Game/Animations --template

Read an Animation Blueprint's identity and graph tree

Returns the target skeleton, parent class, template flag, preview mesh, implemented interfaces and the full graph tree with a slash path and kind for every graph. Use depth=summary to skip the tree.

cfa get_anim_blueprint_info --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero

List every graph in an Animation Blueprint

Lists every graph with its slash path, kind (anim, state_machine, state, transition, conduit, blendspace, custom_transition) and node count. The path is what every other command takes to address that graph, including the blueprint graph commands: pass it as --function-name to add_blueprint_node, or as --graph to export_graph. Kind comes from the graph's class, never its name, so a state called "Transition" is still reported as a state.

cfa list_anim_graphs --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero
cfa list_anim_graphs --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --kind state --filter locomotion

Add a state machine to an anim graph

Places a state machine node and builds its nested graph and entry node, exactly as dropping one from the anim graph context menu does. Returns the graph path of the new state machine, which is what add_anim_state takes.

cfa add_anim_state_machine --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --name Locomotion --pos-x -400

Add a state, conduit or alias to a state machine

Adds a state and creates its bound anim graph, so its Output Animation Pose node exists straight away. Fill the state by pointing the blueprint graph commands at the returned graph_path. Conduits are pass-through junctions with a rule but no pose; aliases stand in for one or more other states so a single transition can serve all of them, and become a global alias when aliased_states is omitted.

cfa add_anim_state --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion --name Idle --entry
cfa add_anim_state --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion --name AnyLocomotion --kind alias --aliased-states "Idle,Run"

Connect two states with a transition

Creates the transition node and wires it through the engine's own CreateConnections, which clears any stale link first. Pass --rule-variable to bind the rule to a bool variable on the Animation Blueprint in one step, the same wiring you get by dragging that variable into the rule graph; add --rule-inverted to route it through a NOT. For anything more involved, author the returned graph_path with the blueprint graph commands.

cfa add_anim_transition --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion --from Idle --to Run --rule-variable bIsMoving --crossfade-duration 0.15
cfa add_anim_transition --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion --from Run --to Idle --rule-variable bIsMoving --rule-inverted

Point a state machine's entry at a state

Rewires the state machine's entry node to the named state, replacing whatever it pointed at. A state machine with no entry connection compiles but never plays anything.

cfa set_anim_entry_state --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion --state Idle

Read a state machine's states and transitions

Returns the entry state, every state, conduit and alias, and every transition with its blend settings and rule graph path. This is the verification counterpart to the add_anim_* commands: read it back and check the wiring is what you asked for, rather than trusting the success reply.

cfa get_anim_state_machine --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion

Remove a state, conduit or alias

Removes the state along with every transition attached to it, and tears down its bound graph. Reports how many transitions went with it.

cfa remove_anim_state --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion --name Crouch

Remove the transition between two states

Removes the transition running from one state to another, leaving both states in place.

cfa remove_anim_transition --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion --from Idle --to Run

Set a property on a transition

Sets any reflected property on the transition node: CrossfadeDuration, PriorityOrder, BlendMode, CustomBlendCurve, bDisabled, Bidirectional, bAutomaticRuleBasedOnSequencePlayerInState, AutomaticRuleTriggerTime, SyncGroupNameToRequireValidMarkersRule and so on. Some settings only exist from a given engine version (MinTimeBeforeReentry and bAllowInertializationForSelfTransitions from 5.7, bOnlyEvaluateWhenActive from 5.8); asking for one on an older engine names the version it arrived in rather than reporting a generic miss.

cfa set_anim_transition_property --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion --from Idle --to Run --property PriorityOrder --value 2
cfa set_anim_transition_property --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph AnimGraph/Locomotion --from Idle --to Run --property BlendMode --value Cubic

Expose or hide an anim node property as a pin

Drives the PinOptions section of an anim node's details panel. ShowPinForProperties is a fixed-size array, so a generic property write cannot add entries to it; this is the supported route. Omit --property to list every property the node can toggle along with its current state. The node is reconstructed afterwards, because the pin only appears or disappears on reconstruction.

cfa set_anim_node_pin_exposure --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph "AnimGraph/Locomotion/Idle" --node-id CF7FF6BE --property PlayRate

Bind a function to an anim node event slot

Sets one of the node's function bindings: On State Entry, On State Exit, On Update, On Become Relevant, On Initial Update and so on. Omit --binding to list the slots the node offers with what is currently bound. Omit --function and a function is created from the slot's own prototype signature, marked thread safe when the prototype is, which is what the Create Binding button does. Slots are discovered by reflection, so a node class that gains one in a later engine shows up without a code change.

cfa bind_anim_node_function --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --graph "AnimGraph/Locomotion/Idle" --node-id 862C7992 --binding StateEntryFunction

Add an animation layer to an Animation Blueprint

Creates an animation layer graph, the same as Add Animation Layer in the editor's My Blueprint panel. Fill it with the blueprint graph commands using the returned graph path.

cfa add_anim_layer --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --name UpperBody

Check an Animation Blueprint and return a verdict

Returns pass, pass_with_warnings or fail with the reasons. Checks the skeleton is set unless the asset is a template, that every state machine has states and an entry connection, that transitions have both endpoints, and that states feed their output pose. Compiles first by default and folds the compiler's own errors and warnings into the verdict.

cfa validate_anim_blueprint --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero

Create a blend space or aim offset

Creates a 1D or 2D blend space, or an aim offset of either dimension, through the engine's own factory. An aim offset is not a blend space with a flag set: its class is what drives mesh-space rotation blending, so the kind is the whole decision and cannot be changed afterwards.

cfa create_blend_space --name BS_Locomotion --path /Game/Characters/Hero --skeleton /Game/Characters/Hero/SK_Hero_Skeleton --kind blendspace_2d
cfa create_blend_space --name AO_Aim --path /Game/Characters/Hero --skeleton /Game/Characters/Hero/SK_Hero_Skeleton --kind aim_offset_2d

Configure a blend space axis

Sets an axis label, range, grid divisions, snapping and input wrapping. Use wrap_input for angular axes such as Direction so -180 and 180 meet. The blend space is resampled afterwards, because changing the range moves every sample's grid position and without the rebuild the asset keeps blending against the old layout while the details panel looks right.

cfa set_blend_space_axis --blend-space-path /Game/Characters/Hero/BS_Locomotion --axis x --display-name Direction --min -180 --max 180 --grid-divisions 8 --wrap-input
cfa set_blend_space_axis --blend-space-path /Game/Characters/Hero/BS_Locomotion --axis y --display-name Speed --min 0 --max 600

Place an animation in a blend space

Adds an Anim Sequence at a position. The position is checked against the engine's own rules first, so a point outside the axis range or too close to an existing sample comes back as an error naming the ranges rather than a silent no-op. Set the axes with set_blend_space_axis before adding samples, since the ranges decide what is accepted.

cfa add_blend_space_sample --blend-space-path /Game/Characters/Hero/BS_Locomotion --animation /Game/Characters/Hero/Anims/Idle --x 0 --y 0

Remove a blend space sample

Removes the sample at an index, as reported by get_blend_space, and resamples the blend space.

cfa remove_blend_space_sample --blend-space-path /Game/Characters/Hero/BS_Locomotion --index 2

Read a blend space

Returns the kind, skeleton, both axes and every sample with its position, rate scale and mirror flag. This is the verification counterpart to the add and set commands: read it back rather than trusting the success reply.

cfa get_blend_space --blend-space-path /Game/Characters/Hero/BS_Locomotion

Create an Animation Montage

Creates a montage through the engine's own factory. Pass --animation and the montage starts with that sequence in its first slot, its length set and a starting section made, which is what the content browser's Create Montage does. Pass only --skeleton for an empty montage to fill with add_montage_slot and add_montage_segment.

cfa create_anim_montage --name AM_Attack --path /Game/Characters/Hero --animation /Game/Characters/Hero/Anims/Attack01

Add a slot track to a montage

Adds an animation slot track. The slot must already exist on the skeleton: the engine accepts an unknown slot name and the montage then never plays through it, so an unregistered name is refused here instead.

cfa add_montage_slot --montage-path /Game/Characters/Hero/AM_Attack --slot UpperBody

Append an animation to a montage slot

Appends an Anim Sequence to the end of a slot track and extends the montage to fit. The segment's timing is initialised from the sequence itself rather than filled in by hand, so its length and start position are what the montage editor would produce.

cfa add_montage_segment --montage-path /Game/Characters/Hero/AM_Attack --animation /Game/Characters/Hero/Anims/Attack02 --slot DefaultSlot

Add a named section to a montage

Adds a section at a time in seconds, optionally chaining to another section so they play in sequence. Sections are what Montage Jump To Section and Play Montage target by name. The start time is applied through the engine's linking API, because the section's own StartTime field is deprecated and writing it reports success while leaving the section at zero.

cfa add_montage_section --montage-path /Game/Characters/Hero/AM_Attack --name Combo2 --start-time 0.8 --next-section Combo3

Read a montage

Returns the skeleton, length, blend in and out times, every slot with its segments, and every section with its start time and chained next section.

cfa get_anim_montage --montage-path /Game/Characters/Hero/AM_Attack

Check a blend space or montage and return a verdict

Returns pass, pass_with_warnings or fail with the reasons. For blend spaces it checks there are samples, that each has an animation on the right skeleton, and that the axis ranges make sense. For montages it checks there are slots and sections, that the length is non-zero, that every slot is registered on the skeleton, and that no section chains to one that does not exist.

cfa validate_anim_asset --asset-path /Game/Characters/Hero/BS_Locomotion

Create an Animation Layer Interface

Creates an Animation Layer Interface and declares its layers, one graph per name. Implement it on an Animation Blueprint with implement_blueprint_interface, then drive the layers at runtime with Linked Anim Layer nodes. An interface is skeleton-agnostic by design, so it carries no target skeleton.

cfa create_anim_layer_interface --name ALI_Locomotion --path /Game/Characters --layers "FullBody,UpperBody"

Build a whole state machine in one call

Creates the state machine, every state with its animation already wired to the state's output pose, every transition with its rule, the entry connection, and the link into the anim graph's output. It is one undo step. The whole request is validated before anything is created, so a bad state or a rule variable that is not a bool fails the call without leaving a half-built machine behind. Pass --dry-run to see the plan first.

cfa build_anim_state_machine --blueprint-path /Game/Characters/Hero/ABP_Hero --name Locomotion \
  --states '[{"name":"Idle","animation":"/Game/Anims/Idle"},{"name":"Run","animation":"/Game/Anims/Run"},{"name":"Land","kind":"conduit"}]' \
  --transitions '[{"from":"Idle","to":"Run","rule_variable":"bIsMoving","crossfade_duration":0.15},{"from":"Run","to":"Idle","rule_variable":"bIsMoving","rule_inverted":true}]'

List placeable notify and notify-state classes

Lists every concrete AnimNotify and AnimNotifyState class, the engine's own alongside notify Blueprints in your project, discovered from the class hierarchy so nothing is hardcoded. Each entry reports whether it is a point notify or a notify state, which decides whether add_anim_notify needs a duration.

cfa list_anim_notify_classes --kind notify --filter sound

Create a notify or notify-state Blueprint

Creates a notify Blueprint and places its event nodes so it is ready to fill in: Received_Notify for a point notify, or Received_NotifyBegin, Received_NotifyTick and Received_NotifyEnd for a notify state. Set --notify-name for the label shown on the timeline and --color for its bar colour. Author the event bodies with the blueprint graph commands, then place it with add_anim_notify.

cfa create_anim_notify_class --name ANS_Invulnerable --path /Game/Characters/Notifies --kind notify_state --notify-name "Invulnerable" --color "255,80,0"
cfa create_anim_notify_class --name AN_Footstep --path /Game/Characters/Notifies --notify-name Footstep

Add a notify track to an animation

Adds a named notify track to an Anim Sequence or Montage. Tracks are how notifies are grouped in the timeline, and every notify command addresses one by name.

cfa add_anim_notify_track --animation-path /Game/Anims/Attack01 --track Combat --color "0,160,255"

Remove a notify track

Removes a notify track from an Anim Sequence or Montage.

cfa remove_anim_notify_track --animation-path /Game/Anims/Attack01 --track Combat

Place a notify or notify state on an animation

Places a notify at a time on a track. A notify state also needs --duration, and one with no duration never fires its end event, so it is refused. The time (and, for a state, the time plus duration) has to fit inside the animation. Use --properties to set fields on the created notify object in the same call, such as a sound on AnimNotify_PlaySound.

cfa add_anim_notify --animation-path /Game/Anims/Attack01 --notify-class AnimNotify_PlaySound --time 0.25 --track Combat --properties '{"Sound":"/Game/Audio/Swing"}'
cfa add_anim_notify --animation-path /Game/Anims/Attack01 --notify-class /Game/Characters/Notifies/ANS_Invulnerable.ANS_Invulnerable_C --time 0.1 --duration 0.6

Remove a notify from an animation

Removes a notify by index from get_anim_notifies, or every notify matching a name. The animation's cached notify data is refreshed afterwards, without which the timeline keeps drawing what was removed.

cfa remove_anim_notify --animation-path /Game/Anims/Attack01 --index 2

Read the notifies on an animation

Returns every notify with its index, name, track, time, class and (for a notify state) duration, plus the animation's length and track list. This is the verification counterpart to add_anim_notify.

cfa get_anim_notifies --animation-path /Game/Anims/Attack01

Place a sync marker on an Anim Sequence

Adds a sync marker, which is how a blend space or state machine keeps two animations in step, such as matching footfalls between a walk and a run. Sync markers live on Anim Sequences only; a Montage accepts the call and stores nothing, so a Montage is refused.

cfa add_anim_sync_marker --animation-path /Game/Anims/Walk_Fwd --name LeftFootDown --time 0.15 --track Sync

Add a curve to an animation

Adds a float, vector or transform curve. A float curve drives material and morph target values, or anything reading a curve by name from the anim instance. A metadata curve carries a name with no keys, used purely as a tag.

cfa add_anim_curve --animation-path /Game/Anims/Attack01 --name AttackWindow

Set a key on a float curve

Adds or replaces a key at a time on a float curve. The curve must already exist; add_anim_curve creates it. The time has to fall inside the animation.

cfa set_anim_curve_key --animation-path /Game/Anims/Attack01 --name AttackWindow --time 0.3 --value 1.0

Read an animation's curves and sync markers

Returns the float, vector and transform curve names on the animation, and for an Anim Sequence its sync markers with their times.

cfa get_anim_curves --animation-path /Game/Anims/Attack01

Read a skeleton's animation slots and groups

Returns every slot group on the skeleton with the slots in it. Montage slot tracks must name a slot that exists here, or the montage never plays through it.

cfa get_anim_slots --skeleton-path /Game/Characters/Hero/SK_Hero_Skeleton

Register an animation slot on a skeleton

Adds a slot and puts it in a group, which is what makes the name usable by montages and Slot nodes in an anim graph. The group must already exist; leave it empty for DefaultGroup.

cfa add_anim_slot --skeleton-path /Game/Characters/Hero/SK_Hero_Skeleton --slot UpperBody --group DefaultGroup

Remove an animation slot from a skeleton

Removes the slot. Montages and Slot nodes still naming it stop playing through it, so check usage first.

cfa remove_anim_slot --skeleton-path /Game/Characters/Hero/SK_Hero_Skeleton --slot UpperBody

Rename an animation slot

Renames a slot on the skeleton, keeping it in its group.

cfa rename_anim_slot --skeleton-path /Game/Characters/Hero/SK_Hero_Skeleton --slot UpperBody --new-name TorsoOnly

Add a slot group to a skeleton

Adds a slot group. Groups decide how slots blend against each other, which is why additive slots live in their own group.

cfa add_anim_slot_group --skeleton-path /Game/Characters/Hero/SK_Hero_Skeleton --group CombatGroup

Remove a slot group from a skeleton

Removes a slot group. DefaultGroup cannot be removed, since every slot needs a group to fall back to.

cfa remove_anim_slot_group --skeleton-path /Game/Characters/Hero/SK_Hero_Skeleton --group CombatGroup