Workflow for making custom animations for an FBX model using Blender?

I've got a model I bought from the Asset Store. It's perfect, but it only comes with some basic animations (like walking/running/jumping). I need to add a set of custom animations for game-specific interactions (like pushing buttons, opening doors or sitting in a chair).

The model has all its animations in separate FBX files.

I can't afford anything from Autodesk as I don't have the budget for that. I'm using Blender instead.

If I open the model itself, I can make animations for it. So far they've failed to import to Unity (the model starts in the ground then slowly rises upward with no actual animation), but I think that's because I exported it wrong. If I get it working though, I wind up with a prefab that has only my animations. I'll lose the ones that come with the model, which are better than anything I could make.

If I open the animation files themselves, I get the model's head (by itself), armature and the corresponding animation. I might be able to use that to make custom animations, but it's difficult to do without the model to help me visualize it.

Does anyone know how I would go about adding custom animations to the model? I've spent three hours searching in Google and I can't find an answer that would work for me.

 

You could duplicate the animation clips in Unity that's embedded in the original asset store fbx and apply those on your updated model with custom animations via mecanim or timeline. (Presumably also via custom script but I don't have experience with that.)

In Blender for your custom animations, define action blocks (use the dope sheet action panel). Give actions actual names or else it will be confusing looking for them in Unity if you let Blender just lable them with default generic names. Even if it's just a non-moving one frame pose make sure there's a keyframe for all bones (assuming you're using a bone rig) at the beginning and end of action or pose's frame range. Exporting can be tricky so you might have to do test exports with different fbx export toggles on or off (or you should be able to find a youtube video explaining this).

I assume you know the difference between "generic" and "humanoid" rigs in Unity.

Good luck.

 

Thank you!