Getting Started with Moon Animator 2 - [Unofficial]

Hey guys, it’s been a while since Moon Animator 2 was released separately by @xsixx, and I’ve seen in the comments complaining about the interface or whatever. I’ve decided to make a tutorial unofficially for DevForum members, just like you. Although English wasn’t my first language since I lived in the Philippines, please excuse my grammar. Thank you.

Moon Animator Lessons:
Before you can do, feel free to view my lessons for you.

Lesson 1: Getting Started

There are four options you wanna start.
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1. Moon Animator
It is the main option of a Moon Animator and it is mostly used to customizing tracks, animating using keyframe and lots more.


Add Item - Represents adding items, unlimited item tracks.
Animation Settings - Can be used for extending the timeline size and on loop.
Edit Item - Customizing property settings from the track.
Toggle Animation - Toggling on or off the selected tracks.
Collapse/Expand all items - To minimize or maximize tracks in the timeline.
Group/Ungroup Selected Keyframes - To merge two keyframes into one and it’s used for pausing.
Mirror - Used to mirroring keyframes and it’s useful for walking, left/right-handed actions and much more.
Looper - Used to easily animate walk cycles and to loop every keyframe infinitely.
Time Stretch - To make animations slower or faster, also useful in case you have an older PC, then speed up using VirtualDub or Avidemux.
Wiggler - To make two keyframes vibrate based on waves.

2. File Explorer
File Explorer is also the second option of a Moon Animator and it is used to navigate and manage the ‘.xsixx’ files and folders.
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3. Character Inserter
Character Inserter is the third option and used to insert any character you want.
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4. Easy Weld
Easy Weld is a tool used to clean up complex models, weld them and rig them to make them usable in animations. It is recommended to use a RigEdit. More information on a tweet.
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Lesson 2: Animating

Part 1: Installing

Method 1: Browsers

If you’re using a browser, simply install the new version of Moon plugin.


Click the “Open Roblox” button, and wait until the Studio pops up.image

Method 2: Studio

In Studio, choose the plugins category.
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Find the moon animator title until you see it, and then finally install it.


NOTE: I already installed it BTW.

Part 2: Character Insert
To insert a character, first head up to the Plugins tab, second, click the Character Inserter button, and third, just insert a character (Gotta pick R6 version BTW).


Finally, drag them into the baseplate properly.

Part 3: Creating Project
To create your project in Moon 2, head up to Moon Animator (1), open the File menu (2), create your new animations (3), make an appropriate name you want, and then confirm it (4).


Part 4: Adding Items
To add an item, click the ‘+’ button, select a model, and then click OK. Note, these steps were pointed at first before you start thinking.

Part 5: Animating
To make it simple, let’s start rotating the head. First, select the head in the timeline, second, drag the rotation, and let the auto-keyframing do the rest while adding a keyframe manually for pausing (Press Numpad + or = key first BTW).

Not my best recording is it.
To reset any movements, just press G. Although it looks choppy as an example, I’ll give you some info about easing later.

Part 7: CFrame
CFrame is a very important feature to manipulate objects into movements based on data. When it comes to squash and stretch and filmmaking, it can also be used for machinimas, fake physics, sword slashes, fighting animation and more.

To animate CFrame in Moon, select the part in Explorer window, choose some Studio tools, select the properties panel in the timeline, then keyframe it manually since CFrame in Moon doesn’t have auto-keyframing.

NOTE: CFrame requires scripts to make it work, not exporting like Motor6D. We’ll hope that Roblox will revamp the CFrame system in 2025+.


You can even rotate the part, then keyframe it again.

Part 8: AttachToPart
This feature is a great tool for filmmaking somehow, so I’m not sure if AttachToPart works on gameplay. More information here.

For first-person, make sure that none of the faces isn’t covered by masks or otherwise, transparent it. Press 7 to edit the keyframe in AttachToPart and head up to the Values, then set the head to confirm it.

Part 9: Easing
Slow in or slow out, or simply called Easing, is an important part of the animation, it makes the entire animation look smooth and lifelike. To do this, select the keyframe, choose any easing types you want, and then confirm it.


Same goes to CFrame as well

Lesson 3: Tips

I’m going to give you some tips for beginners who were new to this.

1. Avoid Too Much Linear
That’s why we have slow in and slow out, no exceptions, this led to poor timing. I’ve seen some newbies’ animations in Moon looked too linear at some point on YouTube unless you want to experiment with these and remember, practice makes perfect.

2. Use Linear If Necessary
I’ve seen some of their animations in Moon looked great using almost all linear, for example, arcs, fake physics and ragdolls, and more. Do this by spamming linear at 3-10 frames per second to look like if someone is using a graph editor.

3. Use Lower FOV (Field of View) For Scenes
This tip may be helpful sometimes because some newbies would’ve barely known how to lower down the FOV if there’s no impact on the camera scenes such as a restaurant, Slice of Life, etc., and even game cutscenes unless it is necessary.

To do this, edit the keyframe, then set the FOV value to 20-50. Focus on the staging guys.

4. Use Proper Pose References For R6
Everyone loved to use pose references to make their game animations look easy to complex, but there is one problem for beginners. Since R6 has some limitations, there are a few common mistakes below.

Example: Climbing

Default 1.0 Model


2.0 Model

Example: Waving

See any difference? I hope so. Doing this is such an awkward in public like this. Think about the hands.

Example: Sword Idle

As for R6 beginners, don’t move an arm too high, cause when you do, it looks like when someone is lifting a sword than the proper idle.


This has been fixed by moving down the part. No need to bend an R6 physically.

It is recommended to use an outfit template or 2.0 package.

Moon Animator Examples
Here are a few examples below, credit to everyone.

Click here for some examples

Made by @The_Humaniac


Made by Pa_ze

Made by me

If you’re interested in animating, I would recommend checking xSIXx on Twitter and reading The 12 Principles of Animations for more information. I would also recommend watching rigging tutorials on YouTube. Thanks for the tutorial guys.

314 Likes

Thank you for this! I never knew how to use CFrame in moon! :smile:

19 Likes

Could you give more details on the new CFrame editing and what not. I kinda got the idea on how to do it. But could you say what it could be used for and give a better example?

14 Likes

Is there a way to export the cframe and size animation to roblox with moon animator 2?

18 Likes

CFrame requires scripting. Features like scaling, CFrame, and etc. are really used for making animations for videos like trailers or roblox shorts.

In short, you can’t export them to roblox. But in the future, if roblox adopts some of these features, maybe you will.

So does that make Moon 2 pointless? Not necessarily, scrolling support is a big plus, and it has a better workflow.

12 Likes

A’ight, gotta edit my thread about cframe export thing, thx.
BTW, I edited some details about it.

9 Likes

Hey! Do you know how the subtitles work? Can’t seem to figure them out.

8 Likes

Okay I am a bit late, but here is a quick tutorial to using subtitles.

First: Add the subtitles to your animation using Camera>Subtitles>Add Subtitles to Animation.


Next: You will add keyframes for the subtitles. (Using the + key on your keyboard).
This is the part which you were probably confused on.

Press the [7] key, to edit your keyframe. (You can also Tracks > Edit Keyframes.

You will then write your string for the subtitle.

.

Since they use constant easing, they change each keyframe.

That is all, your welcome.

22 Likes

How do I add markers to my animation?

5 Likes

Simple, edit an item, check the marker track, then add markers by pressing numpad *

7 Likes

Is this the correct way to disable the plugin from animating the legs?
When I publish the animation, the legs still seem to be affected by the animation. I want the legs to move freely during the animation instead:

https://gyazo.com/c64b7a3d9debe21bae7750a91730fcf0.gif

Edit:

I realized if I just deleted the legs, then it wouldn’t animate them either :smiley:
https://gyazo.com/2ac2592ee8fccfabbddb33bd9ced232e.png

Nice tutorial though @iNaurto04
Helped me get started with this plugin. I was totally lost :smiley:

9 Likes

https://gyazo.com/691c3f0b07a0f8e26e1cf6276632e497


what i do wrong ? i add a new camera and select cframe, but i cant create camera keyframes :frowning:

9 Likes

Is it able to make walking animations for using in game? If yes i’m going to use this plugin

5 Likes

You have to insert a keyframe, its not automatic insertion like moon 1. Use the + button to insert keyframes.

2 Likes

Yes, you can use these animations for games, but you probably will have to do some scripting to animate cframes as roblox currently doesn’t have a system to upload animations with cframe values.

2 Likes

Any information concerning the keyframes weight?..

2 Likes

I would like to know is there a way to open Moon 1 save folders using Moon 2?
Because Moon 1 is now offsale

4 Likes

This is really upsetting me, I won’t deny that most of the stuff improved (animation smoothness, now you can animate models and stuff), but the experience is totally different and I’m confused what does what now.

I can’t even figure out how to load my old save files :woozy_face:, all dummy has to be named differently, and now there’s tonssss of new buttons that I- sigh… I would revert back to the old version if I could.
Oh wait, I can’t!

3 Likes

u can. im still using the old version as I didn’t update the current one to beta. so i currently have both eecks dee.

3 Likes

i love to use the moon animator 2 :slight_smile: !!!

7 Likes