Animation

Project item animation lets you set a simple alternate position for an item in the 3D view.

This is not meant to be a full animation system. It is mainly a practical way to show simple movement, such as sliding a drawer out of a cabinet or shifting an item to reveal how it fits into the assembly.

Animation Position

For each project item, you can set an animated position using:

• X
• Y
• Z

These values describe where the project item should move when animation is turned on.

For example, if you have a drawer inside a cabinet, you might animate it forward on the Z axis so it appears pulled open.

Delay

You can also set a delay before the item moves to its animated position.

This is useful when several project items have animation settings and you want them to move in sequence instead of all at once.

For example:

Drawer 1 delay: 0ms Drawer 2 delay: 200ms Drawer 3 delay: 400ms

Play Button

If any animation settings are applied to the project, a small play button appears in the top-right corner of the 3D view.

Use this button to toggle between:

• The normal position
• The animated position

This makes it easy to quickly preview how moving parts, drawers, panels, or other project items relate to the rest of the design.

Project Items vs. Parts

This section is about animating the project item as a whole.

Part-level animation is handled separately. That is where you can control movement for individual parts inside a project item.

Good Uses for Project Item Animation

Project item animation works well for simple movement, such as:

• Sliding a drawer open
• Pulling a tray forward
• Moving a removable insert upward
• Showing a cabinet component separated from the main body
• Creating a quick exploded-style view

Keep it simple. The goal is to make the design easier to understand, not to build a movie studio inside your box.