Authoring Keyframe Animation Inside Control Rig

Record and edit character keyframes directly within the engine using Control Rig tools to iterate on animations without external software.

In this lesson, you will learn how to bypass external DCC tools like Maya or Blender by authoring character keyframe animations directly within Unreal Engine using the Control Rig Sequencer integration.

Bringing Your Rig to Life

When you have built a custom rig using Forward Kinematics or Inverse Kinematics, you often need to create specific performance animations—like a unique character wave or a weapon reload—without jumping between software. Control Rig allows you to treat your skeleton as a live, animatable puppet inside the Level Sequencer.

The Workflow

To start, you add your Control Rig asset to a Level Sequence. Once added, the rig’s controls become keyframable properties within the Sequencer timeline.

Select Controls: Select the rig controls (e.g., your Hand IK or Foot controls) in the viewport.
Keyframe: Press S on your keyboard or click the "Key" icon in the Sequencer track to set a transform key at your current timeline position.
Iterate: Scrub the timeline forward, move your controls to a new pose, and set another key. Unreal Engine will automatically interpolate between these states.

Why It Matters

By authoring inside the engine, you benefit from "What You See Is What You Get." You are animating with the exact collision, lighting, and camera framing your player will experience. If a hand clips through a wall or a foot doesn't quite touch the ground, you can grab the control handle, adjust it in the viewport, and update the keyframe instantly.

You can even combine this with your previously learned Animation Curves to trigger logic exactly when a hand makes contact with a surface. When you are finished, you can bake this animation down to a standard Animation Sequence by right-clicking the Control Rig track in the Sequencer and selecting Bake to Control Rig or Bake to Animation Sequence. This converts your procedural rig poses into a static animation asset that can be used in your Animation Blueprints.

Key Takeaway: Control Rig turns your character into an in-engine puppet, allowing you to create, tweak, and bake professional-grade animations without ever leaving the Unreal Editor.