Animator Workflow Bundle — Documentation

The Animator Workflow Bundle includes three Blender 5+ add-ons designed to improve animation previewing, motion review, posing, and asset presentation:

• Turntable Viewport Pro
• Timeline Speed Controller
• Silhouette Thumbnail

Each add-on is installed separately and can be enabled or disabled independently.

Requirements

• Blender 5.0 or newer
• Windows, macOS, or Linux
• FFmpeg may be required for certain Turntable Viewport Pro video-export formats

Installation

The bundle contains three individual add-on ZIP files.

1. Download the bundle package.
2. Extract the main bundle ZIP.
3. Open Blender.
4. Go to Edit → Preferences → Extensions.
5. Open the dropdown menu in the upper-right corner.
6. Select Install from Disk.
7. Choose one of the included add-on ZIP files.
8. Enable the installed add-on.
9. Repeat for the remaining two add-ons.

Do not extract the individual add-on ZIP files before installing them.

After installation, save your Blender preferences so the add-ons remain enabled when Blender restarts.

Turntable Viewport Pro

Turntable Viewport Pro creates a live rotating preview in a separate Blender 3D Viewport.

The preview rotates the viewport around your asset rather than rotating the object itself. Your object transforms, animation, camera, and scene setup remain unchanged.

Main Features

• Independent live turntable preview
• Separate 3D Viewport workflow
• Adjustable rotation speed
• Clockwise and counterclockwise rotation
• Pause and resume controls
• Pivot-object selection
• Origin and bounding-box centering
• Axis and rotation-space controls
• Front-view reset
• Still-image and animation export
• PNG, MP4, and GIF output options
• Non-destructive operation

Basic Usage

1. Open or create a second 3D Viewport.
2. Select the object you want to preview.
3. Open the Turntable Viewport controls.
4. Choose the preview viewport and pivot settings.
5. Set the rotation speed and direction.
6. Start the turntable preview.
7. Continue working normally in your main viewport.

The preview viewport remains independent from your primary working viewport.

Exporting

Turntable Viewport Pro can export turntable previews in supported still-image and animation formats.

Before exporting:

• Confirm the desired resolution.
• Check the frame range.
• Choose the output location.
• Select PNG, MP4, or GIF.
• Verify that FFmpeg is available when using a format that requires it.

Timeline Speed Controller

Timeline Speed Controller changes how quickly animation is previewed without permanently changing the scene’s frame rate or retiming the animation.

Main Features

• Playback speeds from 0.25× to 3×
• Quick speed presets
• Slow-motion playback
• Faster animation previews
• Reverse playback
• Ping-pong playback
• Timeline header controls
• N-panel controls
• Optional frame-preview limits
• Real-time playback options

Basic Usage

1. Open the Timeline Editor.
2. Locate the Timeline Speed Controller button or controls.
3. Select a playback-speed preset.
4. Press Play in the Timeline.
5. Enable Reverse or Ping-Pong when needed.
6. Return to 1× for normal playback.

Speed Presets

• 0.25× — Detailed slow-motion review
• 0.5× — Half-speed playback
• 0.75× — Slightly slowed playback
• 1× — Normal playback
• 1.5× — Moderately faster playback
• 2× — Double-speed playback
• 3× — Fast preview playback

Timeline Speed Controller affects preview behavior only. It does not move keyframes, alter animation data, or permanently change the scene FPS.

Silhouette Thumbnail

Silhouette Thumbnail creates a live shape preview that helps evaluate poses, proportions, balance, and visual readability.

The silhouette is viewport-independent, allowing you to continue navigating and editing in the main viewport without losing the preview angle.

Main Features

• Live silhouette preview
• Viewport-independent display
• Real-time shape updates
• Zoom-aware preview
• Support for models and character rigs
• Adjustable preview appearance
• Optional background controls
• Automatic exclusion of cameras, lights, and empties
• Useful for posing, modeling, rigging, and animation

Basic Usage

1. Select the model or character you want to evaluate.
2. Open the Silhouette Thumbnail controls.
3. Enable the live preview.
4. Choose the desired viewing angle.
5. Adjust the preview size, background, or display options.
6. Continue posing or editing the asset.

The silhouette updates as the model’s pose, position, rotation, and visible shape change.

Recommended Workflow

The three add-ons can be used together:

1. Use Turntable Viewport Pro to monitor the asset from a secondary rotating angle.
2. Use Timeline Speed Controller to slow down or accelerate animation playback.
3. Use Silhouette Thumbnail to check whether poses remain clear and readable.

This provides simultaneous control over viewing angle, playback speed, and shape evaluation.

Updating the Add-ons

When an update is released:

1. Download the latest bundle package.
2. Close any active preview or playback sessions.
3. Install the updated ZIP file through Blender’s Extensions preferences.
4. Restart Blender when recommended.
5. Confirm the updated version is enabled.

Your Blender project files do not normally need to be modified when updating the add-ons.

Support Information

When requesting support, include:

• Blender version
• Operating system
• Add-on version
• A description of the issue
• The full error message or traceback
• Steps needed to reproduce the problem
• Screenshots or a small example file when relevant