# How to Animate a 3D Walking Character (https://academy.spline.design/collections/spline-101-build-your-first-interactive-scene/how-to-animate-a-3d-walking-character)

> A video tutorial from the Spline Academy.

- Product: Spline 3D
- Level: beginner
- Duration: 13 min 51 s
- Published: 2024-09-12
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4XnfmD0tg
- Part of: [Spline 101 | Build Your First Interactive Scene](https://academy.spline.design/collections/spline-101-build-your-first-interactive-scene.md)

## About this tutorial

🚶Learn how to bring a character to life by animating a walk cycle using Spline!

We’ll dive into key concepts like states, events, and transitions, while I guide you step-by-step through creating basic leg and arm movements. You’ll also learn how to add personality to your character with bounces, micro animations, and mix with game controls so the walking motion responds to user interaction.

Discover how you can also import pre-animated characters into Spline by watching this tutorial 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpYK67LQItI

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4XnfmD0tg&t=0s) Intro
- [0:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4XnfmD0tg&t=30s) Understanding States and Events
- [1:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4XnfmD0tg&t=97s) Creating a Walking Cycle
- [7:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4XnfmD0tg&t=423s) Adding Personality with Bounce and Micro Animations
- [8:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4XnfmD0tg&t=512s) Incorporating Game Controls for Walking Simulation
- [13:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4XnfmD0tg&t=794s) Importing Pre-animated Characters

## Related documentation

- [How state-based animation works](https://docs.spline.design/interaction-states-events-and-actions/how-state-based-animation-works)
- [Moving the Object Pivot](https://docs.spline.design/designing-in-3-d/moving-the-object-pivot)
- [Game Controls Event](https://docs.spline.design/interaction-states-events-and-actions/events/game-controls-event)
- [Transition Action](https://docs.spline.design/interaction-states-events-and-actions/actions/transition-action)