🎹 Pianimator Quick Start Guide

Thank you for choosing Pianimator! Follow these steps to get your first MIDI-driven animation running in minutes.

1. Installation

1. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
2. Click Install... and select the Pianimator_[platform].zip file.
3. Enable the add-on by checking the box next to "Pianimator - MIDI to Motion".

2. One-Click Dependency Setup

Pianimator requires FluidSynth to generate audio. We've made this easy:

1. Open the Animation panel in the Sidebar (press N in the 3D Viewport) then extend Pianimator.
2. Click the "Install Dependencies" button.
3. Wait for the confirmation message. Blender may freeze for a moment while it downloads the necessary libraries—this is normal!

3. Setting Up Your Piano

1. Import your piano rig into the scene.
2. Ensure your rig follows the standard nomenclature: Note.A0, Note.A0#, Note.B0 ... up to Note.C8 and Pedal.sustain, Pedal.sostenuto (optional)
3. In the Pianimator panel, use the dropdown to select your Piano Rig.

4. Animating from MIDI

1. Select MIDI: Click the folder icon to load your .mid file.
2. Track Selection: By default, Pianimator uses "Auto-Detect Piano." If your file has multiple instruments, you can manually select the specific track from the list.
3. Timing: Set your Start Frame and BPM. (Note: If "Override BPM" is off, it will use the tempo embedded in the MIDI file).
4. Ensure the "Generate Audio" checkbox is active if you want to generate the .wav file and add it automatically to the Video Sequence Editor (VSE).
5. Bake: Click "Bake MIDI." Pianimator will now generate keyframes for the keys and pedals.

💡 Pro-Tips for Best Results:

• MIDI Quality: For the best animation, use MIDI files where the piano is on its own dedicated track.

• Key Rotation: If the keys rotate too much or too little, adjust the "Press Angle" and "Key Rotation Axis" settings in the panel before baking.

• Support: If you encounter any issues with the dependency installer, ensure Blender is running with Administrator/System permissions so it can write the libraries to the scripts folder.