Block Animations

Block animations bring interactive blocks to life with movement sequences for doors, chests, and other functional blocks. Animations are created in Blockbench and exported as .blockyanim files.

Asset Location

Block animations are stored in the Common assets:

• DirectoryAssets/Common/Blocks/Animations/

  • DirectoryCandle/

    • Candle_Burn.blockyanim
  • DirectoryChest/

    • Chest_Open.blockyanim
    • Chest_Close.blockyanim
  • DirectoryCoffin/

    • Coffin_Open.blockyanim
    • Coffin_Close.blockyanim
  • DirectoryDoor/

    • Door_Open_In.blockyanim
    • Door_Open_Out.blockyanim
    • Door_Close_In.blockyanim
    • Door_Close_Out.blockyanim
    • Door_Open_Slide_In.blockyanim
    • Door_Open_Slide_Out.blockyanim
  • DirectoryFire/

    • Fire_Burn.blockyanim
    • Fire_Small_Burn.blockyanim
  • DirectoryLight/

    • Light_On.blockyanim
    • Light_Off.blockyanim
  • DirectoryTrapdoor/

    • Trapdoor_Open.blockyanim
    • Trapdoor_Close.blockyanim
  • DirectoryWardrobe/

    • Wardrobe_Open.blockyanim
    • Wardrobe_Close.blockyanim

Animation Categories

Interactive Block Animations

Category	Animations	Usage
Door	Open/Close In/Out, Slide variants	Doors opening towards/away from player
Chest	Open, Close	Container lid animations
Wardrobe	Open, Close	Tall container door animations
Trapdoor	Open, Close	Horizontal door animations
Coffin	Open, Close	Special container animations

Ambient Animations

Category	Animations	Usage
Candle	Burn	Looping flame flicker
Fire	Burn, Small_Burn	Campfire/torch flame
Light	On, Off	Light state transitions

Using Animations in Block Definitions

Animations are referenced in the State.Definitions section of block types:

Door Animation Example

Door State Definitions

{
  "BlockType": {
    "State": {
      "Definitions": {
        "OpenDoorIn": {
          "HitboxType": "Door_Open_In",
          "InteractionHitboxType": "Door_Open_In_Interaction",
          "InteractionSoundEventId": "SFX_Door_Crude_Open",
          "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Door/Door_Open_In.blockyanim"
        },
        "OpenDoorOut": {
          "HitboxType": "Door_Open_Out",
          "InteractionHitboxType": "Door_Open_Out_Interaction",
          "InteractionSoundEventId": "SFX_Door_Crude_Open",
          "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Door/Door_Open_Out.blockyanim"
        },
        "CloseDoorIn": {
          "InteractionSoundEventId": "SFX_Door_Crude_Close",
          "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Door/Door_Close_In.blockyanim"
        },
        "CloseDoorOut": {
          "InteractionSoundEventId": "SFX_Door_Crude_Close",
          "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Door/Door_Close_Out.blockyanim"
        },
        "DoorBlocked": {}
      }
    },
    "IsDoor": true,
    "Interactions": {
      "Use": "Door"
    }
  }
}

Container Animation Example

Chest State Definitions

{
  "BlockType": {
    "State": {
      "Id": "container",
      "Capacity": 18,
      "Definitions": {
        "OpenWindow": {
          "InteractionSoundEventId": "SFX_Chest_Wooden_Open",
          "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Chest/Chest_Open.blockyanim"
        },
        "CloseWindow": {
          "InteractionSoundEventId": "SFX_Chest_Wooden_Close",
          "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Chest/Chest_Close.blockyanim"
        }
      }
    },
    "Interactions": {
      "Primary": "Break_Container",
      "Use": "Open_Container"
    }
  }
}

Animation Properties

State Definition Fields

Field	Type	Description
CustomModelAnimation	string	Path to .blockyanim file
InteractionSoundEventId	string	Sound to play during animation
HitboxType	string	Hitbox when in this state
InteractionHitboxType	string	Hitbox for interaction detection

Default Animation

For blocks with a default idle animation:

{
  "BlockType": {
    "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Candle/Candle_Burn.blockyanim"
  }
}

Door Animation Variants

Doors support multiple animation directions:

Animation	Description
Door_Open_In	Door swings towards player
Door_Open_Out	Door swings away from player
Door_Close_In	Close from inward position
Door_Close_Out	Close from outward position
Door_Open_Slide_In	Sliding door variant
Door_Open_Slide_Out	Sliding door variant

Tip

The door system automatically chooses the appropriate animation based on the player’s position relative to the door.

Creating Custom Animations

In Blockbench

1. Open or create a Hytale Model project
2. Switch to the Animation tab
3. Create keyframes for bone transformations
4. Export as .blockyanim

Animation Requirements

Requirement	Details
Format	Hytale-specific .blockyanim
Bones	Must match model bone hierarchy
Keyframes	Position, rotation, scale transforms
Duration	Varies by animation type

Bone Naming

Animations reference bones in the model:

Root
├── Body
│   ├── Lid (for chests)
│   ├── Door_Panel (for doors)
│   └── ...

Looping Animations

For ambient effects like flames, use looping animations:

{
  "BlockType": {
    "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Fire/Fire_Burn.blockyanim",
    "Looping": true
  }
}

State Transitions

Animation playback is triggered by state changes:

Light Toggle States

{
  "State": {
    "Definitions": {
      "On": {
        "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Light/Light_On.blockyanim",
        "Light": { "Color": "#ffa", "Radius": 8 }
      },
      "Off": {
        "CustomModelAnimation": "Blocks/Animations/Light/Light_Off.blockyanim",
        "Light": null
      }
    }
  },
  "Interactions": {
    "Use": {
      "Interactions": [
        {
          "Type": "ChangeState",
          "Changes": {
            "On": "Off",
            "Off": "On"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

File Format

The .blockyanim format is a binary format created by Blockbench’s Hytale plugin. Key characteristics:

• Created in Blockbench’s Animation tab
• References bone names from the model
• Supports position, rotation, and scale keyframes
• Can be looping or one-shot

Best Practices

1. Match bone names - Animation bones must exactly match model bone names
2. Keep animations short - Interactive animations should be snappy
3. Pair with sounds - Always include InteractionSoundEventId
4. Update hitboxes - Change HitboxType for open/closed states
5. Test transitions - Ensure smooth state changes

Related

• Block Type Assets - Block definition schema
• Decorative Sets - Themed block collections
• Blockbench Setup - Animation creation tool
• Audio Overview - Sound event system