---

name: r3f-animation description: React Three Fiber animation - useFrame, useAnimations, spring physics, keyframes. Use when animating objects, playing GLTF animations, creating procedural motion, or implementing physics-based movement.

React Three Fiber Animation

Quick Start

import { Canvas, useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useRef } from 'react'

function RotatingBox() {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    meshRef.current.rotation.x += delta
    meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta * 0.5
  })

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="hotpink" />
    </mesh>
  )
}

export default function App() {
  return (
    <Canvas>
      <ambientLight />
      <RotatingBox />
    </Canvas>
  )
}

useFrame Hook

The core animation hook in R3F. Runs every frame.

Basic Usage

import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useRef } from 'react'

function AnimatedMesh() {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    // state contains: clock, camera, scene, gl, mouse, etc.
    // delta is time since last frame in seconds

    meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta
  })

  return (
    <mesh ref={meshRef}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="orange" />
    </mesh>
  )
}

State Object

useFrame((state, delta, xrFrame) => {
  const {
    clock,           // THREE.Clock
    camera,          // Current camera
    scene,           // Scene
    gl,              // WebGLRenderer
    mouse,           // Normalized mouse position (-1 to 1)
    pointer,         // Same as mouse
    viewport,        // Viewport dimensions
    size,            // Canvas size
    raycaster,       // Raycaster
    get,             // Get current state
    set,             // Set state
    invalidate,      // Request re-render (when frameloop="demand")
  } = state

  // Time-based animation
  const t = clock.getElapsedTime()
  meshRef.current.position.y = Math.sin(t) * 2
})

Render Priority

// Lower numbers run first. Default is 0.
// Use negative for pre-render, positive for post-render

function PreRender() {
  useFrame(() => {
    // Runs before main render
  }, -1)
}

function PostRender() {
  useFrame(() => {
    // Runs after main render
  }, 1)
}

function DefaultRender() {
  useFrame(() => {
    // Runs at default priority (0)
  })
}

Conditional Animation

function ConditionalAnimation({ isAnimating }) {
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame((state, delta) => {
    if (!isAnimating) return
    meshRef.current.rotation.y += delta
  })

  return <mesh ref={meshRef}>...</mesh>
}

GLTF Animations with useAnimations

The recommended way to play animations from GLTF/GLB files.

Basic Usage

import { useGLTF, useAnimations } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'

function AnimatedModel() {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions, names } = useAnimations(animations, group)

  useEffect(() => {
    // Play first animation
    actions[names[0]]?.play()
  }, [actions, names])

  return <primitive ref={group} object={scene} />
}

Animation Control

function Character() {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions, mixer } = useAnimations(animations, group)

  useEffect(() => {
    const action = actions['Walk']
    if (action) {
      // Playback control
      action.play()
      action.stop()
      action.reset()
      action.paused = true

      // Speed
      action.timeScale = 1.5  // 1.5x speed
      action.timeScale = -1   // Reverse

      // Loop modes
      action.loop = THREE.LoopOnce
      action.loop = THREE.LoopRepeat
      action.loop = THREE.LoopPingPong
      action.repetitions = 3
      action.clampWhenFinished = true

      // Weight (for blending)
      action.weight = 1
    }
  }, [actions])

  return <primitive ref={group} object={scene} />
}

Crossfade Between Animations

import { useGLTF, useAnimations } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useState, useEffect, useRef } from 'react'

function Character() {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions } = useAnimations(animations, group)
  const [currentAnim, setCurrentAnim] = useState('Idle')

  useEffect(() => {
    // Fade out all animations
    Object.values(actions).forEach(action => {
      action?.fadeOut(0.5)
    })

    // Fade in current animation
    actions[currentAnim]?.reset().fadeIn(0.5).play()
  }, [currentAnim, actions])

  return (
    <group ref={group}>
      <primitive object={scene} />
    </group>
  )
}

Animation Events

function AnimatedModel() {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions, mixer } = useAnimations(animations, group)

  useEffect(() => {
    // Listen for animation events
    const onFinished = (e) => {
      console.log('Animation finished:', e.action.getClip().name)
    }

    const onLoop = (e) => {
      console.log('Animation looped:', e.action.getClip().name)
    }

    mixer.addEventListener('finished', onFinished)
    mixer.addEventListener('loop', onLoop)

    return () => {
      mixer.removeEventListener('finished', onFinished)
      mixer.removeEventListener('loop', onLoop)
    }
  }, [mixer])

  return <primitive ref={group} object={scene} />
}

Animation Blending

function CharacterController({ speed = 0 }) {
  const group = useRef()
  const { scene, animations } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const { actions } = useAnimations(animations, group)

  useEffect(() => {
    // Start all animations
    actions['Idle']?.play()
    actions['Walk']?.play()
    actions['Run']?.play()
  }, [actions])

  // Blend based on speed
  useFrame(() => {
    if (speed < 0.1) {
      actions['Idle']?.setEffectiveWeight(1)
      actions['Walk']?.setEffectiveWeight(0)
      actions['Run']?.setEffectiveWeight(0)
    } else if (speed < 5) {
      const t = speed / 5
      actions['Idle']?.setEffectiveWeight(1 - t)
      actions['Walk']?.setEffectiveWeight(t)
      actions['Run']?.setEffectiveWeight(0)
    } else {
      const t = Math.min((speed - 5) / 5, 1)
      actions['Idle']?.setEffectiveWeight(0)
      actions['Walk']?.setEffectiveWeight(1 - t)
      actions['Run']?.setEffectiveWeight(t)
    }
  })

  return <primitive ref={group} object={scene} />
}

Spring Animation (@react-spring/three)

Physics-based spring animations that integrate with R3F.

Installation

npm install @react-spring/three

Basic Spring

import { useSpring, animated } from '@react-spring/three'

function AnimatedBox() {
  const [active, setActive] = useState(false)

  const { scale, color } = useSpring({
    scale: active ? 1.5 : 1,
    color: active ? '#ff6b6b' : '#4ecdc4',
    config: { mass: 1, tension: 280, friction: 60 }
  })

  return (
    <animated.mesh
      scale={scale}
      onClick={() => setActive(!active)}
    >
      <boxGeometry />
      <animated.meshStandardMaterial color={color} />
    </animated.mesh>
  )
}

Spring Config Presets

import { useSpring, animated, config } from '@react-spring/three'

function SpringPresets() {
  const { position } = useSpring({
    position: [0, 2, 0],
    config: config.wobbly  // Presets: default, gentle, wobbly, stiff, slow, molasses
  })

  // Or custom config
  const { rotation } = useSpring({
    rotation: [0, Math.PI, 0],
    config: {
      mass: 1,
      tension: 170,
      friction: 26,
      clamp: false,
      precision: 0.01,
      velocity: 0,
    }
  })

  return (
    <animated.mesh position={position} rotation={rotation}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial />
    </animated.mesh>
  )
}

Multiple Springs

import { useSprings, animated } from '@react-spring/three'

function AnimatedBoxes({ count = 5 }) {
  const [springs, api] = useSprings(count, (i) => ({
    position: [i * 2 - count, 0, 0],
    scale: 1,
    config: { mass: 1, tension: 280, friction: 60 }
  }))

  const handleClick = (index) => {
    api.start((i) => {
      if (i === index) return { scale: 1.5 }
      return { scale: 1 }
    })
  }

  return springs.map((spring, i) => (
    <animated.mesh
      key={i}
      position={spring.position}
      scale={spring.scale}
      onClick={() => handleClick(i)}
    >
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="orange" />
    </animated.mesh>
  ))
}

Gesture Integration

import { useSpring, animated } from '@react-spring/three'
import { useDrag } from '@use-gesture/react'

function DraggableBox() {
  const [spring, api] = useSpring(() => ({
    position: [0, 0, 0],
    config: { mass: 1, tension: 280, friction: 60 }
  }))

  const bind = useDrag(({ movement: [mx, my], down }) => {
    api.start({
      position: down ? [mx / 100, -my / 100, 0] : [0, 0, 0]
    })
  })

  return (
    <animated.mesh {...bind()} position={spring.position}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="hotpink" />
    </animated.mesh>
  )
}

Chain Animations

import { useSpring, animated, useChain, useSpringRef } from '@react-spring/three'

function ChainedAnimation() {
  const scaleRef = useSpringRef()
  const rotationRef = useSpringRef()

  const { scale } = useSpring({
    ref: scaleRef,
    from: { scale: 0 },
    to: { scale: 1 },
    config: { tension: 200, friction: 20 }
  })

  const { rotation } = useSpring({
    ref: rotationRef,
    from: { rotation: [0, 0, 0] },
    to: { rotation: [0, Math.PI * 2, 0] },
    config: { tension: 100, friction: 30 }
  })

  // Scale first (0-0.5), then rotation (0.5-1)
  useChain([scaleRef, rotationRef], [0, 0.5])

  return (
    <animated.mesh scale={scale} rotation={rotation}>
      <boxGeometry />
      <meshStandardMaterial color="cyan" />
    </animated.mesh>
  )
}

Morph Targets

Blend between different mesh shapes.

import { useGLTF } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useRef } from 'react'

function MorphingFace() {
  const { scene, nodes } = useGLTF('/models/face.glb')
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame(({ clock }) => {
    const t = clock.getElapsedTime()

    // Access morph target influences
    if (meshRef.current?.morphTargetInfluences) {
      // Animate smile
      const smileIndex = meshRef.current.morphTargetDictionary['smile']
      meshRef.current.morphTargetInfluences[smileIndex] = (Math.sin(t) + 1) / 2
    }
  })

  return (
    <primitive ref={meshRef} object={nodes.Face} />
  )
}

Controlled Morph Targets

function MorphControls({ morphInfluences }) {
  const { nodes } = useGLTF('/models/face.glb')
  const meshRef = useRef()

  useFrame(() => {
    if (meshRef.current?.morphTargetInfluences) {
      Object.entries(morphInfluences).forEach(([name, value]) => {
        const index = meshRef.current.morphTargetDictionary[name]
        if (index !== undefined) {
          meshRef.current.morphTargetInfluences[index] = value
        }
      })
    }
  })

  return <primitive ref={meshRef} object={nodes.Face} />
}

// Usage
<MorphControls morphInfluences={{ smile: 0.5, blink: 1, angry: 0 }} />

Skeletal Animation

Accessing Bones

import { useGLTF } from '@react-three/drei'
import { useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber'
import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'

function SkeletalCharacter() {
  const { scene } = useGLTF('/models/character.glb')
  const headBoneRef = useRef()

  useEffect(() => {
    // Find skeleton
    scene.traverse((child) => {
      if (child.isSkinnedMesh) {
        const skeleton = child.skeleton
        const headBone = skeleton.bones.find(b => b.name === 'Head')
        headBoneRef.current = headBone