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Workflow Overview

This page provides a comprehensive overview of the Vertex Animation Toolset workflow, helping you understand how the different components work together to create efficient animated characters.

The Complete Workflow

Workflow Overview

The Vertex Animation Toolset workflow consists of several key stages:

graph TD
    A[1. Asset Creation] --> B[2. Asset Configuration]
    B --> C[3. Implementation]
    C --> D1[Single Character]
    C --> D2[Multiple Characters/Crowds]
    D2 --> E[4. Crowd Management]
    D1 --> F[5. Animation Control]
    E --> F

1. Asset Creation

The first step is to convert your skeletal mesh animations into vertex animations:

  1. Right-click on your skeletal mesh in the content browser
  2. Choose either "Make Bone Animation" or "Make Vertex Animation"
  3. Select the animations you want to include
  4. Create and save your VA Asset Collection

For detailed instructions, see the Quick Start Guide.

2. Asset Configuration

Once your VA Asset Collection is created, you can configure it using the VA Asset Editor:

  • Adjust animation build settings
  • Configure mesh properties
  • Set up custom data for instance variations
  • Rebuild the asset after making changes

For more information, see VA Asset Collection and VA Asset Editor.

3. Implementation Options

The Vertex Animation Toolset offers two main implementation paths:

Single Character Implementation:

For individual characters that need precise control:

  • Use the VA Mesh Component
  • Configure animation lists and logic
  • Control animations through the VA Animation Player

Multiple Characters/Crowds Implementation:

For efficiently rendering multiple characters:

  • Use the VA Instanced Mesh Component
  • Manage instances through code or the Crowd Tools
  • Control batch animations through the VA Animation Player

4. Crowd Management

For scenes with multiple characters, the Crowd Tools provide intuitive ways to place and manage instances:

5. Animation Control

Control your vertex animations through:

Decision Guide

When to use Bone vs. Vertex Animation

Bone Animation Vertex Animation
✓ Enables animation sharing between meshes ✓ More performant
✓ Supports more animations and vertices ✓ Lower material costs
✗ Not as performant as Vertex Animation ✗ Doesn't support animation sharing
Best for: Projects with many shared animations Best for: Maximum performance in crowds

When to use VA Mesh vs. VA Instanced Mesh Component

VA Mesh Component VA Instanced Mesh Component
✓ Individual control over a single character ✓ Efficient rendering of multiple characters
✓ More detailed control options ✓ Better performance for crowds
✗ Not optimized for multiple instances ✗ Less individual control over each instance
Best for: Hero characters, important NPCs Best for: Background characters, crowds

Next Steps