Turntable Viewport Lite — Documentation

Turntable Viewport Lite is a Blender 5+ add-on that creates a live, independent turntable preview in a separate 3D viewport. It lets you keep working in your main viewport while the selected object is previewed from a rotating view in another one.

Unlike a traditional turntable setup, this add-on rotates the viewport view, not the object, camera, or scene. That means your asset stays untouched while you monitor it from a presentation angle in real time.

Requirements

• Blender 5.0 or newer

What’s Included in Lite

• Independent live turntable preview in a separate viewport
• Pivot object selection
• Centering options
• Adjustable turntable speed
• Clockwise or counterclockwise rotation
• Pause and resume controls
• Axis selection
• Rotation space options
• Reset to a front-style -Y view
• Non-destructive workflow

Installation

1. Download the ZIP file.
2. Open Blender.
3. Go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
4. Click Install from Disk.
5. Select the add-on ZIP.
6. Enable Turntable Viewport Lite.

Where to Find It

Open the 3D Viewport, press N to open the sidebar, and look for the Turntable tab.

Basic Workflow

1. Split your Blender workspace so you have two 3D Viewports.
2. Click inside the viewport you want to use as the preview viewport.
3. In the Turntable panel, click Mark This Viewport as Preview.
4. Select the object you want to preview, or assign it in the Pivot Object field.
5. Click Use Selected Object as Pivot if needed.
6. Press Start to begin the turntable preview.
7. Continue working in your other viewport while the preview spins independently.

Panel Overview

Preview Viewport

• Mark This Viewport as Preview
  Marks the current 3D viewport as the dedicated turntable preview viewport.

Pivot / Center

• Pivot Object
  The object the preview will center on.
• Use Selected Object as Pivot
  Sets the currently selected object as the pivot.
• Center Preview on Pivot
  Re-centers the preview viewport.
• Center Mode
  • Object Origin — center on the object’s origin
  • Bounds Center — center on the object’s bounding box center
• Use Selected Object if Pivot is Empty
  Automatically uses the currently selected object if no pivot object is assigned.
• Lock Preview to Pivot
  Keeps the preview centered while rotating.
• Center on Start
  Automatically centers when the preview begins.
• Force Perspective View
  Keeps the preview viewport in perspective mode.

Turntable Controls

• Start
  Starts the live preview rotation.
• Pause
  Pauses the rotation.
• Speed Deg/Sec
  Controls rotation speed in degrees per second.
• Direction
  Choose clockwise or counterclockwise.
• Reverse Direction
  Quickly flips the current direction.
• Axis
  Choose the axis to rotate around.
• Rotation Space
  • World — rotates using world axes
  • Local — rotates relative to the current view orientation
• Update Rate
  Controls how often the preview updates. Lower values are smoother, higher values are lighter on performance.

Reset View

• Reset to -Y View
  Returns the preview to the default front-style orientation.
• Pause on Reset
  Pauses the preview when resetting the view.
• Reset View Distance
  Optionally reset the preview viewport distance.

Status

Displays:

• Running state
• Speed
• Direction
• Axis

Notes

• Turntable Viewport Lite rotates the preview view only.
• It does not animate the object.
• It does not modify camera settings.
• It does not create keyframes.
• It is designed as a non-destructive preview tool.

Best Use Cases

• Modeling
• Sculpting
• Product visualization
• Character review
• Asset presentation
• General workflow preview

Troubleshooting

The preview is not rotating

• Make sure a viewport has been marked as the preview viewport.
• Make sure a pivot object is assigned or selected.
• Confirm the preview is not paused.
• Check that the update rate is not set too high.

The preview is off-center

• Click Center Preview on Pivot.
• Try switching Center Mode from Object Origin to Bounds Center.

The preview view looks wrong

• Click Reset to -Y View.
• Confirm Force Perspective View is enabled if desired.

Support

If you run into issues, please include:

• Blender version
• Add-on version
• A short description of the issue
• Steps to reproduce the problem
  

Turntable Viewport Pro — Documentation

Turntable Viewport Pro expands Turntable Viewport Lite with render and export tools for creating still images, image sequences, MP4 videos, GIF loops, and animated character turntables directly from the marked preview viewport.

Pro is designed for artists who want to turn their live viewport preview into presentation-ready output without setting up a camera, rotating the actual object, or creating extra scene animation.

Requirements

• Blender 5.0 or newer

• FFmpeg is required for MP4 export

• FFmpeg is required for GIF export

• FFmpeg is not required for still image export

• FFmpeg is not required for PNG image sequence export

What’s Included in Pro

In addition to the Lite features, Pro includes:

• Viewport still rendering

• Turntable render export

• PNG image sequence export

• MP4 export

• GIF export

• Animated character turntable support

• Scene timeline support

• Custom frame range support

• Animation timing options

• Recalculate center each frame for moving characters

• Custom frame count

• Custom FPS

• Custom orbit degrees

• Custom output resolution

• Viewport shading options for export

• Hide overlays during render

• Transparent background option where supported

• Fixed render distance option

• Restore preview view after render

• Restore timeline after render

• FFmpeg path field

• FFmpeg check/support workflow

Installation

1. Download the ZIP file.

2. Open Blender.

3. Go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.

4. Click Install from Disk.

5. Select the add-on ZIP.

6. Enable Turntable Viewport Pro.

Where to Find It

Open the 3D Viewport, press N to open the sidebar, and look for the Turntable Pro tab.

Pro Export Workflow

1. Set up the preview viewport using the normal Turntable Viewport workflow.

2. Assign or select the object, character, mesh, or armature you want to preview.

3. Choose your export settings in the Render / Export section.

4. Select an export format:

   • Still Image

   • PNG Image Sequence

   • MP4

   • GIF

5. Set frame count, FPS, orbit degrees, resolution, and shading mode.

6. Choose whether to use the current preview angle or reset to the front-style -Y view.

7. Click Render Still or Render Turntable.

Render / Export Panel Overview

Output Folder

Sets the folder where rendered files will be saved.

Filename Prefix

Sets the base name used for exported files.

Example:

turntable

May output files such as:

turntable_still.png
turntable_0001.png
turntable.mp4
turntable.gif

Export Format

Choose the turntable output format.

• MP4 — exports a video file using FFmpeg

• GIF — exports a looping GIF using FFmpeg

• Image Sequence — exports PNG frames without requiring FFmpeg

Still Format

Choose the format used for still renders.

Supported still formats:

• PNG

• JPEG

• WEBP

Frame Count

Controls how many frames are rendered for the turntable.

Higher frame counts create smoother motion but take longer to render.

FPS

Controls the playback speed for MP4 and GIF exports.

Example:

• 24 FPS for standard animation preview

• 30 FPS for smoother social media/video output

• 12–15 FPS for lighter GIF output

Orbit Degrees

Controls how far the viewport rotates during the export.

Common values:

• 90 — quarter turn

• 180 — half turn

• 360 — full turntable

• 720 — two full rotations

Start View

Controls the starting angle for the render.

• Current Preview View — starts from the current marked preview viewport angle

• Reset -Y View — starts from the front-style -Y orientation

Viewport Shading

Choose the viewport shading mode used during export.

Options may include:

• Current

• Wireframe

• Solid

• Material Preview

• Rendered

Use Material Preview or Rendered for polished presentation output.

Hide Overlays During Render

Temporarily hides viewport overlays while rendering.

This is useful for cleaner marketplace, portfolio, and client-preview output.

Restore View After Render

Restores the marked preview viewport after the render completes.

This helps keep your working setup intact after exporting.

Transparent Background

Attempts to use a transparent background when supported by the selected output format and viewport/render setup.

PNG is usually the best format for transparency.

Resolution X / Y

Controls the output resolution.

Examples:

• 1080 x 1080 for square social posts

• 1920 x 1080 for HD video

• 1200 x 600 for 2:1 marketplace images

• 1080 x 1920 for vertical video workflows

Use Fixed Render Distance

Locks the preview viewport to a specific distance during export.

This helps keep framing consistent across the full turntable render.

Fixed Render Distance

Sets the distance used when Use Fixed Render Distance is enabled.

Keep PNG Sequence After MP4/GIF Encode

Keeps the rendered PNG frames after MP4 or GIF encoding.

Disable this if you only want the final MP4 or GIF file.

Enable this if you want backup frames or plan to edit the sequence later.

FFmpeg Path

Sets the path to FFmpeg for MP4 and GIF export.

If FFmpeg is already installed and added to your system PATH, this can usually be left blank.

If FFmpeg is not detected automatically, browse to your ffmpeg.exe file.

Animated Character Support

Turntable Viewport Pro can render a viewport turntable while Blender’s timeline animation plays.

This allows you to export rotating previews of:

• Animated characters

• Posed characters

• Armatures

• Moving meshes

• Walk cycles

• Action previews

• Product animations

• Mechanical animations

The object itself is still not rotated by the add-on. The viewport rotates while Blender advances the timeline.

Animated Character Workflow

1. Select the animated character, mesh, or armature.

2. Click Use Selected Object as Pivot.

3. Set the desired export format.

4. In the animation settings, choose an animation source.

5. Choose the timing mode.

6. Enable Recalculate Center Each Frame if the character moves through space.

7. Enable Restore Timeline After Render if you want Blender to return to the original frame after export.

8. Click Render Turntable.

Animation Source Options

Current Pose Only

Renders the turntable from the current pose or current frame only.

Use this for static character poses, product models, props, and non-animated assets.

Use Scene Timeline

Uses the current Blender scene frame range.

This is useful when your animation is already set up in the timeline.

Custom Frame Range

Allows you to define a specific start and end frame for the export.

Use this when you only want to render part of an animation.

Animation Timing Options

Stretch Range to Output

Maps the selected animation range across the full exported turntable frame count.

This is useful when you want the animation to fit exactly inside the rendered preview.

Step and Hold

Advances through the animation using frame steps.

This can be useful for slower previews, stepped previews, or stylized animation review.

Loop Range

Loops the selected animation range across the exported turntable.

This is useful for walk cycles, idle animations, looping product animations, and GIF exports.

Recalculate Center Each Frame

When enabled, the add-on updates the viewport center during each rendered frame.

This is useful for characters or objects that move away from their starting position.

Recommended for:

• Walking characters

• Root motion animation

• Moving vehicles

• Animated props

• Large pose changes

• Characters with shifting bounds

Restore Timeline After Render

Restores Blender’s original timeline frame after the render finishes.

This helps keep your scene exactly where it was before exporting.

FFmpeg Notes

MP4 and GIF export require FFmpeg.

If FFmpeg is missing, Pro can still export:

• Still images

• PNG image sequences

If MP4 or GIF export fails:

1. Confirm FFmpeg is installed.

2. Confirm FFmpeg is added to your system PATH, or set the FFmpeg Path manually.

3. Try exporting a PNG image sequence first.

4. If the PNG sequence works, the issue is likely FFmpeg path or encoding related.

Recommended Export Settings

Marketplace Preview

• Format: MP4

• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or 1200 x 600

• FPS: 24 or 30

• Orbit Degrees: 360

• Shading: Material Preview or Rendered

• Hide Overlays: Enabled

GIF Preview

• Format: GIF

• Resolution: 800 x 800 or 1080 x 1080

• FPS: 12–15

• Orbit Degrees: 360

• Frame Count: 48–90

• Hide Overlays: Enabled

Portfolio Turntable

• Format: MP4

• Resolution: 1920 x 1080

• FPS: 24 or 30

• Orbit Degrees: 360

• Shading: Rendered

• Hide Overlays: Enabled

Compositing / Editing

• Format: Image Sequence

• Resolution: As needed

• FPS: As needed

• Keep PNG Sequence: Enabled

• Transparent Background: Enabled if supported

Notes

• Turntable Viewport Pro renders from the marked preview viewport.

• It does not rotate the actual object.

• It does not create object animation keyframes.

• It does not require a camera setup.

• It can render static assets or animated characters.

• MP4 and GIF export require FFmpeg.

• PNG image sequence export is the safest fallback if video encoding fails.

Best Use Cases

• Character turntables

• Animated character previews

• Walk cycle previews

• Product model showcases

• Hard surface asset previews

• Client review videos

• Marketplace listing videos

• Portfolio presentation renders

• GIF loops for social media

• Quick viewport playblasts

Troubleshooting

MP4 or GIF export fails

• Confirm FFmpeg is installed.

• Confirm the FFmpeg path is correct.

• Try leaving the FFmpeg path blank if FFmpeg is already in your system PATH.

• Try setting the path directly to ffmpeg.exe.

• Export a PNG image sequence first to confirm the viewport render pipeline is working.

The turntable renders but the MP4/GIF does not appear

• Check the output folder.

• Confirm the PNG frames were created.

• Confirm FFmpeg is installed correctly.

• Try enabling Keep PNG Sequence After MP4/GIF Encode.

• Try a shorter frame count for testing.

Animated character does not move during export

• Make sure Animation Source is not set to Current Pose Only.

• Use Scene Timeline or Custom Frame Range.

• Confirm the character animation plays normally in Blender.

• Confirm the frame range includes the animated section.

Animated character moves out of frame

• Enable Recalculate Center Each Frame.

• Use the armature or root object as the pivot.

• Try Bounds Center instead of Object Origin.

• Enable Fixed Render Distance for more consistent framing.

Render is too slow

• Lower the resolution.

• Lower the frame count.

• Use Solid or Material Preview instead of Rendered.

• Export an image sequence first.

• Reduce the number of orbit degrees if a full 360 is not needed.

Output is off-center

• Click Center Preview on Pivot before rendering.

• Use Bounds Center.

• Use Fixed Render Distance.

• Re-mark the preview viewport if needed.

Support

If you run into issues, please include:

• Blender version

• Add-on version

• Operating system

• Export format used

• Whether FFmpeg is installed

• Whether you are rendering a static or animated asset

• A short description of the issue

• Steps to reproduce the problem