motionsmith-animate-install

MotionSmithAnimate · Installation
MotionSmith animation studio concept with a character, motion tools and neon panels.
MotionSmith Animate for Blender

Install and
set up.

From the extension ZIP to your first generated motion: the MotionSmith Runtime, the Llama 3 text encoder and the worker, step by step.

Start installing ↓Documentation
Concept artwork · The screenshots below show the actual preferences.
Blender 5.2 LTS · Windows x64Preferences order: Runtime → Llama 3 → Worker → Library → UpdatesCurrent development build · Release pending
00

Before you start

MotionSmith Animate has three parts, installed separately: the extension (this ZIP), the MotionSmith Runtime with the motion model, and the Llama 3 8B Instruct text encoder from Hugging Face. Everything runs locally on your computer.

  • Blender 5.2 LTS on Windows x64.
  • An NVIDIA GPU with CUDA for motion generation (the default). A CPU option exists, without a performance guarantee.
  • Disk space for the runtime (several GB) and the Llama 3 8B model.
  • A free Hugging Face account with access to Meta’s Llama 3 8B Instruct.
  • Online Access turned on in Blender (Edit → Preferences → System → Network) to download the runtime from the preferences.
Using the MotionSmith Pro plugin for Unreal Engine as well? Both share the same MotionSmith Runtime folder. Run only one MotionSmith worker at a time, in Blender or in Unreal: each loads the model on the GPU and Llama into memory.
01

Install

Every step below happens in Edit → Preferences. The preferences of MotionSmith Animate are numbered in the same order.

Install / 01

Install the extension

  1. Open Edit → Preferences → Get Extensions.
  2. Open the menu at the top right and choose Install from Disk, then pick the MotionSmith Animate ZIP.
  3. In Add-ons, make sure MotionSmith Animate is enabled, then expand it.
MotionSmith Animate enabled in Blender's Add-ons list with its website, type, maintainer, version and file.
MotionSmith Animate enabled in Preferences. Expand it to see its own preferences.
Install / 02

MotionSmith Runtime

The top of the preferences shows three checks: Runtime, Llama 3 and Worker. Each turns into a tick when its part is ready. How to Install opens the documentation.

MotionSmith Animate preferences header with Runtime, Llama 3 and Worker checks, How to Install, and section 1 MotionSmith Runtime with Runtime Folder and Reinstall Runtime.
The status checks at the top, and section 1: the MotionSmith Runtime.
  1. Keep Runtime Folder at its default, %LOCALAPPDATA%\MSR, unless you want the runtime on another drive. In use shows the folder that is used.
  2. Press Install Runtime. It downloads the MotionSmith Runtime 1.0.0 (several GB) and unpacks it into the Runtime Folder, with a progress bar you can cancel.
  3. When it finishes, the panel reads Runtime 1.0.0 is already installed and the button becomes Reinstall Runtime. An older runtime shows Update Runtime.
Install Runtime replaces files of the same name and deletes nothing else. If the runtime is already installed, for example by the Unreal plugin, point Runtime Folder at it and skip the download. With Online Access off, the panel says so and the download is not started.
Install / 03

Llama 3 8B Instruct (text encoder)

The motion model reads your prompt through Meta’s Llama 3 8B Instruct. Meta’s licence must be accepted on Hugging Face, so you download it yourself.

Section 2 Llama 3 8B Instruct with Llama Model Folder, the found Hugging Face cache path, the four download steps, Llama Download Page and Copy Download Command.
Section 2: the Llama 3 8B Instruct text encoder, found in the Hugging Face cache.
  1. Sign in to Hugging Face and open the model page with Llama Download Page.
  2. Accept Meta’s licence on that page. The approval can take a while.
  3. Create an access token (Settings → Access Tokens). Then, in a terminal with the Hugging Face command-line tool, run:
hf auth login
hf download meta-llama/Meta-Llama-3-8B-Instruct

Copy Download Command copies the second line. The model lands in the Hugging Face cache, where it is found automatically: the panel shows Found: and its path. If you keep the model in another folder, set Llama Model Folder.

Install / 04

Worker

The worker is the local process that generates motion. It starts only when you press a button and stops with Blender.

Section 3 Worker with Worker Script, Find Worker, Stop, Worker: Ready, Diffusion Device CUDA and Text Encoder Device CPU.
Section 3: the worker, running and Ready. The Worker Script path shown is a development setup.
  1. Leave Worker Script empty to use the worker installed with the MotionSmith Runtime. Find Worker fills in its path.
  2. Press Run to try it. It loads the model, which takes about a minute, and the status becomes Worker: Ready. Stop shuts it down.
  3. Keep Diffusion Device on CUDA and Text Encoder Device on CPU, the defaults.
Current development build: the worker is not yet installed by the runtime download. Until it is, set Worker Script to the kimodo_worker.py file you received.
Install / 05

Library and Output

Section 4 Library and Output with Library Folder, Auto-save to Library, Output Folder, Animation Folder with its add button, and Download Free Starter Animations.
Section 4: where the library, generated jobs and your animation folders live.
Setting Use
Library Folder Your saved motions and poses. Empty uses MotionSmith Library next to Blender’s version folders, shared by every Blender version. In use shows the folder.
Auto-save to Library Saves every generated motion to the library. On by default.
Output Folder Raw generated jobs. Empty uses the extension’s own user folder.
Animation Folder Folders of your FBX animations for the External Animations panel. + adds another folder; × removes one.
Download Free Starter Animations Downloads a free pack of ready clips with previews. Unpack it and pick its folder as an Animation Folder.
Install / 06

Updates

Section 5 Updates showing the installed MotionSmith version and Check for Update.
Section 5: updates are checked only when you press the button.

Check for Update asks the MotionSmith update server whether a newer version exists; it needs Online Access and runs only when you press it. When there is one, Get Update opens the MotionSmith site. Nothing is downloaded or installed automatically.

02

First generation

  1. In the 3D Viewport, press N, open the MotionSmith tab and choose Motion.
  2. Press Start in the status row and wait for Ready. The model loads once per worker session.
  3. In Character, pick your character’s armature as the Target Rig. For an unrigged mesh, build one first with Rigging → Quick Rig.
  4. In Motion Generation, write a prompt such as “A person walks forward at a relaxed, natural pace.”, set Seconds and press Generate. Generation needs Object Mode.

The documentation explains every panel from here on.

If something is missing

A check at the top of the preferences is not ticked

Runtime, Llama 3 and Worker each match one section below them. Open that section: it says what it could not find and in which folder it looked.

Install Runtime does nothing

Turn on Online Access in Edit → Preferences → System → Network. Behind a firewall, download and unpack the runtime yourself and set Runtime Folder to it.

Llama 3 is not found

Check that the download finished and that Meta’s licence was approved for your account. If the model is outside the Hugging Face cache, set Llama Model Folder to the folder that holds its config.json.

The worker does not reach Ready

Check Worker Script and that no other MotionSmith worker (for example in Unreal Engine) is running. Open Window → Toggle System Console to read the worker’s messages.

For support, include the Blender and add-on versions, the exact message in the panel and screenshots.

Contact support ↗

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