Exporter Guide
Animation Clips
Use the Animation Clips panel to create, rename, delete, and organize Time Editor clips before you export. You can also define clip ranges directly in the panel and feed them straight into the exporter without using the Time Editor at all.
Opening the Panel¶
Go to glTF2.0 -> Animation Clips in the Maya menu bar. The panel is dockable and can also be used as a floating window.
How Clips Relate to the Export¶
When you export with the Time Editor Clips animation mode, each exported glTF animation needs a name and a frame range. Those can come from either of two places in this panel:
| Where the ranges come from | What it means |
|---|---|
| Clips List (bottom pane) | Real Maya Time Editor clips already in the selected composition (typical after import). |
| Define Clips to Create table (top pane) | Name / Start / End rows you typed in this panel. |
Just above the Export Source line, the checkbox Use Direct Clip Definitions for Export chooses which place the exporter prefers:
- Unchecked (default) - use Time Editor clips from every composition, not only the one selected in the dropdown.
- Checked - use the Define Clips to Create table. Time Editor clips whose names are not in that table are included too, so another imported file is not dropped.
If the preferred place is empty, the exporter can still use the other place as a fallback when it has data and the scene has authored keyframes. Leftover Define Clips to Create rows alone on a keyless / empty scene do not create exported animation.
Pane colors and the Export Source line update automatically whenever you toggle that checkbox, edit table rows, or refresh the Clips List. There is no separate highlight control.
Not the Bake checkbox
Bake Animation Keyframes lives on the glTF Export options panel, not in Animation Clips.
Panel Layout¶
The panel has these areas:
- Title row - panel title, plus shortcuts to open the Graph Editor and Time Editor (icons disable while that editor is already open).
- Composition selector - chooses which Maya Time Editor composition is active, with a + button to create a new composition.
- Define Clips to Create (top resizable pane) - a table where you define clip names and frame ranges, plus controls to create or clear them.
- Clips List (bottom resizable pane) - lists the actual Time Editor clips that already exist in the selected composition.
- Use Direct Clip Definitions for Export - preference checkbox under the splitter (always visible).
- Export Source status line - automatic summary of which place will be used for export (preferred, fallback, or none).
- Status / Bake to Scene - operation messages and the bake action.
Composition Selector¶
The dropdown at the top lists live Maya Time Editor compositions in the scene. Changing the selection:
- Updates the Clips List to that composition
- Activates the composition in the Time Editor
- Remembers which composition you are editing. Export still includes clips from every composition
Use the + button next to the dropdown to create a new composition (Maya prompts for a name; duplicates are uniquified). Compositions created or renamed in the Time Editor itself are picked up while the panel is open.
When you import a glTF or GLB file that contains animations, the importer creates one new uniquified composition per file (for example Composition_MyAsset). The dropdown still shows one composition at a time. Choose the composition that corresponds to the asset you are editing.
Importing another file does not reuse Time Editor clip IDs the first file already owns, so both sets of clips stay in the scene. The time slider covers every Time Editor clip already in the scene. A shorter second file does not cut the first file’s range.
After File > New or File > Open, the panel syncs from the Time Editor. Fresh scenes typically show Maya's default Composition1 (created if needed) so Create Clips is never blocked by an empty dropdown.
Export includes every composition
With Animation Mode = Time Editor Clips, the exporter writes Time Editor clips from every live composition, not only the one selected in this panel. The dropdown is for editing. It does not drop the other imported files on export.
Define Clips to Create¶
Use this pane to batch-create Time Editor clips from a simple Name / Start / End table.
Table columns¶
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Clip name. Must be a valid Maya name - invalid characters are replaced with underscores automatically as you type. Duplicate names are allowed in the table; on Create Clips they are uniquified in the scene (walk, walk_1, ...). |
| Start | Start frame. Accepts numbers only (for example 0.0 or 120.5). New rows default to 0.0. |
| End | End frame. Accepts numbers only. New rows default to 0.0. Must be greater than Start before Create Clips or direct export can use the row. |
Controls¶
| Control | Effect |
|---|---|
| + (add row) | Inserts a new row with Name anim_ClipN and Start / End set to 0.0 / 0.0 so you can type the real range. |
| - (remove row) | Removes the currently selected row. Does nothing if the table is empty or no row is selected. |
| Clear | Removes all rows after a confirmation prompt. Does nothing if the table is already empty. |
| Create Clips | Validates all rows and creates Time Editor clips in the active composition for each valid row. Blocked (no confirm dialog) when the table is empty, no composition is selected, or any row is still invalid. Duplicate names in the table (or names that already exist in the composition / scene) are auto-uniquified (walk → walk_1, walk_1 → walk_2). |
Validation¶
- Start and End reject non-numeric text while you type.
- Empty Start / End, non-numeric values, or End ≤ Start are highlighted and reported in the status line (for example when both fields are still the
0.0placeholders). - Only complete valid rows (Name plus End greater than Start) count toward Create Clips and the Direct clip definitions export path.
- The Export Source line treats incomplete rows as not ready until you enter a real frame range.
Saved with Maya preferences
Valid rows you define and the state of the Use Direct Clip Definitions for Export checkbox (under the splitter) are restored the next time you open Maya. Incomplete placeholder rows (0.0 / 0.0) are not saved for export.
Clips List¶
This pane shows the Time Editor clips that currently exist in the selected composition.
Per-clip controls¶
| Control | Effect |
|---|---|
| ▶ / ■ play button | Plays or stops the clip. During playback the clip is isolated in the Time Editor so only that clip runs. |
| Double-click clip name | Opens inline rename. Press Enter or click away to commit. The new name is written to the Time Editor. |
| ✕ delete button | Removes the clip from the Time Editor after a confirmation prompt. |
Export Source Highlight¶
This section answers one question: where will clip names and ranges come from on the next export?
Highlights are automatic. The panel reads these inputs and updates pane colors plus the Export Source: line (text wraps with the panel width):
- Use Direct Clip Definitions for Export (checkbox under the splitter, above Export Source)
- Whether the Define Clips to Create table has valid rows (Name plus End greater than Start)
- Whether the Clips List has Time Editor clips
- Whether the scene has authored keyframes (animCurves)
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green | That pane is ready and will be used |
| Blue (Export Source line) | Preferred place was empty, so the other place is used as a fallback |
| Amber | Something is missing, or nothing is available to export |
What you will see¶
| Use Direct Clip Definitions for Export | Define Clips table | Clips List | Scene keys | What the UI shows | What export uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unchecked | Any | Has clips | Any | Bottom pane green | Time Editor clips from every composition |
| Unchecked | Valid rows | Empty | Yes | Bottom amber + top green; blue status | Table rows (fallback) |
| Unchecked | Valid rows | Empty | No | Both panes amber | Nothing available |
| Unchecked | Incomplete / empty | Empty | Any | Both panes amber | Nothing available |
| Checked | Valid rows | Has clips | Yes | Top and bottom green | Table rows, plus Time Editor clips whose names are not in the table |
| Checked | Valid rows | Empty | Yes | Top pane green | Table rows |
| Checked | Valid rows | Has clips | No | Top amber + bottom green; blue status | Time Editor clips (fallback) |
| Checked | Valid / incomplete rows | Empty | No | Both panes amber | Nothing available |
| Checked | Empty | Has clips | Any | Top amber + bottom green; blue status | Time Editor clips (fallback) |
| Checked | Empty | Empty | Any | Both panes amber | Nothing available |
Common situations¶
- After import - checkbox usually unchecked, Clips List filled -> green on Clips List. Export includes Time Editor clips from every composition, including files that are not the one selected in the dropdown.
- Direct definitions with other imports - checkbox on, table has valid rows, and other compositions still have clips -> both panes green. Export uses the table, then any Time Editor clip whose name is not in the table.
- After Bake to Scene - Clips List becomes empty, but scene keyframes remain. If the checkbox is still unchecked and the table still has rows -> export falls back to the table (top green, blue status).
- Fresh / empty scene - no Time Editor clips and no keyframes. Leftover table rows are ignored; status is None available so animation is not invented from the table alone.
- Both empty - status is None available; neither pane is ready.
You do not need to click anything else for the colors to update - toggle the checkbox, edit table rows, or refresh the Clips List and the highlight refreshes immediately.
Bake to Scene¶
The Bake to Scene button at the bottom of the panel consolidates all Time Editor clips onto a single track and bakes the resulting motion as plain scene keyframes. Use this when you want to:
- Work freely on the timeline without the Time Editor constraint structure.
- Hand the scene off to someone who does not use the glTF plug-in.
- Create new custom clips after the original import structure is no longer needed.
Bake is blocked when no composition is selected or the Clips List is empty.
Warning
Baking replaces the Time Editor structure with flat keyframes. This cannot be undone in a single step. Save the scene before baking if you want to preserve the clip structure.
Authoring Workflow¶
Working with imported clips¶
- Import a glTF or GLB file. The importer creates a Time Editor composition and populates it with one clip per glTF animation.
- Open the Animation Clips panel. Select the composition in the dropdown - the Clips List shows the imported clips.
- Play any clip to verify its range and content.
- Rename clips by double-clicking their names if the original names need adjusting.
- Delete clips you do not want to re-export.
- Export with animation mode set to Time Editor Clips - each remaining clip becomes one glTF animation.
Creating new clips manually¶
- Open the Animation Clips panel.
- In the Define Clips to Create table, add rows for each animation segment you want:
- Enter a name (e.g.
walk,run,jump). - Replace the
0.0/0.0Start and End placeholders with the real frame range (End must be greater than Start). - Click Create Clips. The panel creates the corresponding Time Editor clips in the selected composition.
- Verify the results in the Clips List pane.
- Export with Time Editor Clips mode.
Exporting clip ranges directly without the Time Editor¶
If you prefer not to create Time Editor clips in the scene at all:
- Fill in the Define Clips to Create table.
- Ensure the scene has the keyframed motion you want sampled in those ranges.
- Check Use Direct Clip Definitions for Export (under the splitter, above Export Source).
- Confirm Export Source turns green for the table (or shows the expected fallback).
- Export with Time Editor Clips mode. The exporter uses the table rows, and it also keeps Time Editor clips whose names are not in the table, so another imported file is not dropped while this checkbox is on. Table rows alone on a keyless scene do not export animation.
How clips are exported¶
When Time Editor Clips mode is active, the exporter:
- Collects clip names and ranges from every live Time Editor composition. When Use Direct Clip Definitions for Export is on, table rows are used first, then any Time Editor clip whose name is not in the table.
- Isolates each clip so other clips do not affect the result.
- Writes one animation in the glTF file per clip, using the clip name.
Bake Animation Keyframes is on by default and creates denser keys inside each clip for more reliable playback in web and real-time viewers. For web / real-time delivery, keep Time Editor Clips with Bake On (recommended). Turn Bake off only when you need sparse Maya curve round-trip editing. See Animation Settings.
Hold / rest clips (for example still) keep their pose and show/hide state in the file. Without that, a viewer can fall back to a wrong default pose when you select the clip - for example showing only part of the product.
Visibility show/hide and light intensity animation are supported. Other custom attribute animation through animation pointers is not.
Tips and Limitations¶
- Clip names are sanitized to valid Maya names on creation. The table's Name column shows the cleaned result immediately.
- Start / End accept numbers only. New rows start at
0.0/0.0; replace those placeholders before Create Clips or direct export. - Duplicate clip names (glTF allows them; Maya does not) are auto-uniquified on import, Create Clips, and rename by incrementing a trailing number (
walk→walk_1,idle_2→idle_3). - Clips in the Clips List reflect the actual Time Editor state. If you modify clips directly in the Time Editor, close and reopen the panel or switch compositions to refresh the list.
- The composition dropdown syncs from the live Time Editor (including Maya's default
Composition1). Use + next to the dropdown to create a composition, or create/rename/delete compositions in the Time Editor. Export still includes clips from the other compositions. - If a clip’s own animation source is missing, export does not borrow another file’s source for that clip.
- The Direct Clip Definitions export path uses the current scene frame rate to compute start and end times in seconds. Verify that the scene's frame rate matches your intended output before exporting.
- Watch the Export Source line before export - green means that pane will be used, blue means the other pane is used as a fallback, amber / None available means nothing will export from either place.
- Long status and Export Source text wrap to the panel width; widen the panel to show more on one line.