Written by: Nuno Leiria, Founder & CEO @ Nilo
Key Takeaways
- You can send Blender animations to Roblox Studio with either FBX export or the Blender Rig Exporter/Animation Importer clipboard plugin, depending on your rig.
- Correct FBX settings matter a lot: enable Bake Animation, disable Add Leaf Bones, set Apply Scalings to FBX Unit Scale, and apply rotation and scale before export.
- The August 2026 Animation Clip Editor Importer update added import-time settings that help fix scale, rig type, and track issues without re-exporting.
- Frozen motion, missing bones, wrong rotation, and wrong size usually come from export settings or unapplied transforms in Blender.
- Start building in your browser with Nilo’s open beta to generate, rig, and animate characters, then export straight to Roblox without touching Blender.
Before You Start: What You Need to Know
This guide speaks to you if you already have a rigged, animated armature in Blender. You should feel comfortable moving around Blender, know your way around Roblox Studio, and know whether your character uses R6 or R15.
Here are a few terms you will see in the steps:
- Armature is Blender’s name for a skeleton rig, the bone hierarchy that moves and deforms the mesh.
- Keyframes are the saved positions, rotations, and scales of bones at specific frames on the timeline.
- FBX is a file format that carries mesh, skeleton, and animation together. Roblox Studio uses it as a primary way to import animated characters.
- Animation ID is the number Roblox gives a published animation. You use it in scripts and rig properties to play that animation.
- Skinned mesh is a mesh whose vertices are weighted to bones, so the surface bends and stretches when bones move.
Blender and Roblox use different rig setups and coordinate systems. A default FBX export from Blender often creates frozen or broken animations in Studio because the settings do not match what Roblox expects.
There are two main ways to move your animation. FBX export is file-based, works for most rigs, and needs careful settings. The Blender Rig Exporter/Animation Importer clipboard plugin is faster for R15 and custom rigs, but you install an add-on in Blender and a matching plugin in Studio.
Try vibe-coding your next project in Nilo’s open beta if you want to skip some of this setup.
How to Export Blender Animation for Roblox (R6 vs R15)
Now that you know the key terms, the next decision is which export path fits your rig. Pick your path before Step 1. R15 rigs often work best with the clipboard plugin because it avoids the coordinate-system translation that can break FBX. R6 and simple rigs usually work well with FBX export. Skinned meshes need careful bone names and scale. Bones cannot share a name with any exported object, or Roblox may delete or mishandle that bone on import.
Step 1: Prepare Your Blender Scene
Start by selecting the armature and confirming the animation action is assigned to it on the timeline. Check that the rig sits in its correct rest pose. Once those are set, apply rotation and scale by pressing Ctrl+A and choosing Rotation & Scale. Roblox reads unapplied transforms as intentional offsets, which often causes wrong rotation and wrong size when you import Blender assets into Studio.
Step 2: Choose Your Export Path
For FBX, go to File > Export > FBX. For the clipboard plugin, install the Blender Rig Exporter/Animation Importer add-on through Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install. Then install the matching plugin in Studio through Plugins > Manage Plugins.
Step 3: Configure FBX Export Settings
Roblox’s official export documentation recommends these settings:
- Enable Bake Animation. This bakes IK, constraints, and drivers into plain keyframes. Without baking, Studio receives no motion data.
- Disable Add Leaf Bones. Roblox does not use leaf bones, and they often cause missing-bone errors.
- Set Apply Scalings to FBX Unit Scale. If your Blender scene is not already at 0.01 unit scaling, use 0.01 so the model imports at the correct stud size. This keeps scale consistent, since one Roblox stud equals 0.28 meters.
- Uncheck NLA Strips and All Actions inside the Bake Animation panel. Leaving these on exports unintended actions and often causes import problems.
- Set Path Mode to Copy and enable Embed Textures so texture data stays with the file.
Step 4: Export or Copy the Animation
For the FBX path, click Export FBX and save the file. For the clipboard path, use the Blender add-on panel to bake the animation and copy it to the clipboard.
Step 5: Import into Roblox Studio
Open the Animation Editor in Studio and select your rig. Use the importer’s settings to match your rig type and scale. Set Rig Type to R15 or Custom, choose the correct Rest Pose Source, set Rig Scale to match your animation’s stud scale, and pick the right Animation Track. Import the FBX file or paste from the clipboard. Preview the animation and confirm that bones move as expected.
Step 6: Upload and Get Your Animation ID
Publish the animation to Roblox, give it a clear name, and copy the Animation ID. You will paste this number into scripts or into the rig’s Animation property when you want to play it.
Step 7: Test Your Animation In-Game
Run a playtest on your rig in Studio and confirm the animation loops or plays the way you expect. An animation that previews correctly in the editor can still fail at runtime if the asset is not published and owned by the right account, so always test inside a running experience.
Skip the export headaches and try Nilo’s open beta if you want to stay focused on building and playing.
Troubleshooting Import Issues in Roblox Studio
If the import still looks wrong after following the steps above, the importer settings often point to the fix. These options map directly to common Blender export problems.
- Rig Scale corrects animations whose scale does not match the target rig’s stud scale. You can adjust the scale factor at import time instead of going back to Blender.
- Rest Pose Source lets you choose which track supplies the rest pose. This helps when complex Blender rigs create rest-pose mismatches.
- Rig Type should be R15 for humanoid characters or Custom for non-humanoid rigs.
- Animation Track Selection lets you choose which animation track from the file loads into the editor, which helps when one FBX holds several actions.
Animation data on models imported through the Universal Importer now saves automatically under AnimSaves in ServerStorage when the Animation Clip Editor is open. You no longer need a separate import step after selecting the model. For FBX details, check Roblox’s Creator Hub export-settings documentation and the Blender Rig Exporter/Animation Importer add-on listing for current guidance.
Export Animation from Blender to Roblox Not Working? Symptom-to-Fix Table
If your animation still does not work after the steps above, this table maps five common symptoms to likely causes and fixes. Start with the symptom that matches what you see in Studio.
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix | Where to Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen animation imports, but the character does not move | Bake Animation is off, or the action is not assigned to the armature | Re-export with Bake Animation enabled and confirm the action is assigned in Blender’s Action Editor | Blender FBX export panel > Bake Animation checkbox |
| Bones missing so some or all bones do not appear in Studio | Add Leaf Bones is enabled, or a bone shares a name with an exported mesh object | Disable Add Leaf Bones, rename any bone that shares a name with a mesh object, then re-export | Blender FBX export panel > Armature section; Outliner for name conflicts |
| Wrong rotation so the animation plays, but the character is rotated or offset | Rotation and scale were not applied before export | Use Ctrl+A > Rotation & Scale on the armature and mesh, then re-export | Blender Object Properties; also check Studio’s Rig Type and Zeroed Rotations import option |
| Wrong size so the character is too large or too small | FBX Unit Scale is incorrect | Set Apply Scalings to FBX Unit Scale at 0.01 if the scene is not already scaled, or correct scale at import with the Rig Scale setting | Blender FBX export panel > Transform > Apply Scalings; Studio Animation Clip Editor > Rig Scale |
| Plugin not showing in Studio so the clipboard plugin panel is missing | The plugin is not installed or not enabled | Open Plugins > Manage Plugins, enable the plugin, then restart Studio | Roblox Studio Plugins menu |
Generate and export animations directly to Roblox with Nilo’s open beta if you want a faster path from idea to in-game test.
When You Don’t Need Blender at All
If you mainly want a working Animation ID instead of a hand-keyed Blender performance, you can skip Blender. Nilo stands out as a browser-based alternative that removes the Blender-to-Roblox pipeline. Nilo keeps polycount low so models work directly in Roblox Studio without extra cleanup, and it generates 3D characters, weapons, and props quickly from sketches or text prompts.
For animation, Nilo offers one-click rigging for bipedal humanoid characters. The rigging works best when your character is in a T-pose, which produces higher-quality animation. From there, you can describe what you want the character to do in plain text and let the AI generate the motion.
Finished characters export in RBXMX format, which is Roblox’s native format with textures and attachments in a single file. You can also send them straight into your Roblox experience through a connected Roblox account and API key. In Nilo’s February 2026 survey, 82% of builders rated their experience as “Awesome” or “Good,” and 72% said Nilo makes their creative process easier by “a lot.”
Nilo speeds up your workflow but does not replace Blender for hand-keyed, frame-precise animation. You will still reach for Blender when you want tight control over every pose. When the export step is the main blocker between you and a working Animation ID, Nilo gives you a faster route. Nilo is currently in open beta.
Skip Blender and start building in Nilo’s open beta if you want to stay inside your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to questions builders like you often ask about exporting Blender animations to Roblox.
Can I Import Blender Animations into Roblox?
Yes. Roblox Studio accepts animated FBX and glTF files exported from Blender. The Animation Clip Editor Importer handles the import and, as of August 2026, includes settings that help fix common Blender-to-Roblox mismatches at import time. You can also use the Blender Rig Exporter/Animation Importer clipboard plugin to transfer animation data directly without a file. Nilo offers a browser-based path where you generate, rig, and animate in one place, then export straight to Roblox.
What Are the Best FBX Export Settings for Roblox?
Roblox’s official documentation recommends Apply Scalings set to FBX Unit Scale, with 0.01 used when your Blender scene is not already scaled. Add Leaf Bones should be disabled. Bake Animation should be enabled. NLA Strips and All Actions should be unchecked inside the Bake Animation panel. Simplify should be set to 0.0. Path Mode should be Copy with Embed Textures enabled, and Custom Properties should be enabled in the Include section. Apply rotation and scale in Blender with Ctrl+A > Rotation & Scale before exporting, because this single step prevents most wrong-rotation and wrong-size errors.
Do I Need to Bake Animation in Blender Before Exporting to Roblox?
Yes, when your rig uses IK, constraints, or drivers. These systems live inside Blender and FBX does not carry them directly. Baking converts them into plain keyframes that Roblox can read. Without baking, the FBX file holds no usable motion data and the animation imports frozen. Enable Bake Animation in the FBX export panel and uncheck NLA Strips and All Actions.
How Do I Fix a Frozen Animation in Roblox Studio?
A frozen animation almost always means Bake Animation was off during export or the animation action was not assigned to the armature in Blender. Re-export with Bake Animation enabled and confirm the correct action is active in Blender’s Action Editor before exporting. If the animation still does not move after re-import, check that the rig in Studio matches the rig type you selected in the Animation Clip Editor Importer.
What Is the Difference Between R6 and R15 for Animation Export?
R6 uses six rigid body parts with no elbows, knees, or wrists, so limbs rotate from the shoulder or hip only. R15 uses fifteen articulated parts with joints at elbows, knees, ankles, and wrists, which allows more fluid movement and supports modern Roblox features like Layered Clothing. For export, the main point is that R6 rigs usually work reliably with FBX, while R15 rigs often do better with the clipboard plugin. See the “How to Export Blender Animation for Roblox (R6 vs R15)” section above for the full breakdown.
Can I Export Animations from Blender to Roblox Without a Plugin?
Yes. FBX export is the plugin-free path. Export from Blender as FBX with the settings above, then import the file into Roblox Studio using the Animation Clip Editor. The clipboard plugin is faster for many R15 rigs but needs extra setup in both Blender and Studio. If you want to skip both paths, Nilo lets you generate and export animations directly to Roblox from your browser with no Blender or plugin required.
