In brief
- Motion Paths show the paths traced by object origins and bone joints across frames.
- You can calculate paths for selected bones with Calculate Path, or update an existing path with Update Path.
- Update All Paths recalculates paths for visible objects and poses; by default, Clear Paths removes all paths.
- The Graph Editor lets you edit F-Curves, which define how properties change over time, and their keyframe handles.
This guide covers how to inspect animation and edit keyframes with Motion Paths and the Graph Editor, as described in Blender’s official documentation. Motion Paths make the paths traced by points across frames visible, while the Graph Editor lets you edit F-Curves, which show how property values change over time. The steps are based on the “latest” version of Blender’s online manual; the documentation does not specify a particular Blender version number.
1. Calculate and update Motion Paths
For bone animation, first select the relevant bones and switch to Pose Mode. You can access the Motion Paths panel from the Armature properties, or use the Pose › Motion Paths menu in the 3D Viewport. Object paths are managed from the Motion Paths panel under Object Properties in Object Mode.
Click Calculate Path to create paths for selected bones. Use Update Path to refresh the shape of a previously calculated path to reflect the current animation. Keep track of which bones are selected: according to the manual, these operations affect only selected bones and their paths. Update All Paths is a separate command; it recalculates paths for all visible objects and poses.
Check the scope of the command when clearing paths, too. By default, Clear Paths clears the paths for all objects and bones. To remove paths only for selected objects or bones, use the command with the Shift key.
The section of the calculated path before the current frame appears red, while the section after it appears green. These colors depend on the “Before Current Frame” and “After Current Frame” options in 3D Viewport user preferences. Small dots along the path represent frames. Motion Paths update automatically when poses or keyframes are edited; during playback, updates are enabled only for the Around Frame type.
2. Choose the calculation range and path details
Paths Type in the Motion Paths panel determines how the displayed time range is set. Around Frame displays a specified number of frames before and after the current frame. In Range uses a defined start and end range. Choose the appropriate type to inspect a short section of motion or review a wider range.
When using In Range, Calculation Range determines how the range is set:
All Keys covers the span between the first and last keyframes of the active object or bone.
Selected Keys uses the span between the first and last selected keyframes.
Scene Frame Range uses the scene’s frame range, or the preview range if enabled.
Manual Range lets you set the start and end frames manually.
To preserve a manually defined range, select Manual Range under Calculation Range. The range change takes effect when the path is refreshed with Update Path or Update All Paths. To change the frame range of a calculated path, you must first delete the existing path and then recalculate it with the desired range.
For the Around Frame type, Frame Range Before and Frame Range After set the number of frames displayed on either side of the current frame. Step displays a point every n frames along the path. If frame numbers are also enabled, this option can help reduce overlapping markers in the 3D Viewport. For bone paths, Bake Location selects whether the calculation uses the bone heads or tails.
3. Adjust the path display and camera option
Frame Numbers displays frame numbers beside path points. For bone paths, Keyframes marks relevant keyframes with yellow squares; Keyframe Numbers displays their numbers. Lines toggles the lines between points. Thickness sets line thickness, while Custom Color sets a custom path color.
When Bake to Active Camera is enabled, the path is calculated in the screen plane of the active scene camera. The result is useful only for that camera. The manual also notes that switching cameras with markers is not supported. Therefore, do not treat this option as a camera-independent motion path in a scene with camera changes.
4. Edit F-Curves in the Graph Editor
In the Graph Editor, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the animated property’s value. Keyframes define values at specific frames; the values in between are calculated automatically between those keyframes. Each keyframe has two handles that affect the shape of the surrounding curve.
To focus on a property’s curve, right-click the property and choose View in Graph Editor. In the Graph Editor, Frame Selected zooms in on the selected keyframes and adjusts the view to fit them. Frame All fits all keyframes into the visible area. Pan the view with the middle mouse button, zoom with the wheel, or scale horizontally or vertically with Ctrl and the middle mouse button.
To review a particular section of an animation, set a preview range with Set Preview Range. Playback is then limited to that range. Clear Preview Range removes the range; Set Preview Range to Selected creates a preview range that covers the selected keyframes. Snap To options snap keyframes to whole frames, seconds, or the nearest marker. When Absolute Time Snap is enabled, keyframes snap to multiples of the selected unit.
Common mistakes
Assuming Clear Paths removes only selected items: By default, it clears paths for all objects and bones. Use the command with Shift to clear only selected items.
Treating Update All Paths as a selection-based operation: This command recalculates paths for visible objects and poses; consider it separately from operations that apply to selected bones.
Expecting a range change to take effect immediately: Update the calculated path; changing the range may require deleting and recalculating the path.
Using Bake to Active Camera independently of the camera: This option is tied to the active camera’s screen plane and does not support camera switches using markers.
Losing track of unnecessary curves in the Graph Editor: Frame the view around selected keyframes or isolate selected F-Curves with Local View.
Benefits for architectural animation workflows
Motion Paths let you track the origins of moving objects or the joints of rig bones across frames in architectural animations. This makes it possible to inspect the motion path and position changes between frames directly in the 3D Viewport. The Graph Editor makes animated property curves and keyframe handles visible. Setting a specific preview range makes it easier to review a short section of motion repeatedly.
The manual does not specify hardware requirements or licensing conditions for these features, and it does not give a particular Blender version number. For office workflows, it is important to account for the limitations of the camera-based bake option and the need to recalculate paths after changing the range. Knowing that Clear Paths clears all paths by default also helps reduce the risk of accidentally removing paths for other objects and bones in the scene.
Sources
2 sourcesSource texts are not republished; short quotes are marked, everything else is our own summary and commentary.
For architecture and interior design studios, the practical benefit of these tools is that camera or object movement can be checked not just through playback, but also through a visible frame-by-frame path and curve. A preview range can make reviews more focused for visualization teams that repeatedly evaluate a particular transition.
In dense scenes, remember that Clear Paths clears all paths by default; you need to press Shift to clear only selected items. The source documentation does not specify hardware or licensing requirements, and it does not name a particular Blender version. It’s a good idea to test the features in a small scene to verify the workflow in the installation you use.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a motion path in Blender?
Select the relevant bones, switch to Pose Mode, and click Calculate Path in the Motion Paths panel. Object paths are managed from the Object Properties panel in Object Mode.
Does Clear Paths in Blender remove only selected paths?
No. By default, it clears paths for all objects and bones. Use it with Shift to clear only selected items.
What is the Blender Graph Editor used for?
The Graph Editor is used to edit F-Curves, which show how properties change over time. Keyframes and their handles help control the shape of the curves.
