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How Do I Download an Animated Video from Blender?

Published in Blender Video Export 3 mins read

To download an animated video from Blender, you need to render your animation and then save it to a file format like MP4, MOV, or MKV. Here's how:

  1. Go to the Output Properties: In the Properties panel (usually on the right side of the Blender interface), click on the Output Properties tab (it looks like a printer icon).

  2. Choose Your Output Folder: In the "Output" section, specify where you want to save your video. Click the folder icon to browse and select a directory. If you skip this step, Blender will save the video in the default location (usually a temporary folder).

  3. Set the File Format: In the "Output" section, find the "File Format" dropdown menu. Choose a video format. Popular choices include:

    • FFmpeg video: This gives you the most flexibility. Within this option, you can select a specific codec (see next step).
    • AVI JPEG/RAW: These are older formats and generally not recommended for final delivery.

  4. Choose a Codec: If you selected "FFmpeg video," another dropdown menu will appear labeled "Encoding." Select a suitable video codec from the "Container" option. Popular choices include:

    • MP4: A widely compatible format that's good for general use. Choose "H.264" as the video codec within the "Video Codec" option.
    • MOV: A format commonly associated with QuickTime.
    • MKV: A flexible and open-source container format.

  5. Configure Video Encoding Settings (if necessary): Under the "Video" section of the Encoding settings, you can adjust parameters like:

    • Codec: If not pre-selected by the container. H.264 is a good general purpose choice.
    • Output Quality: Control the compression level (and therefore the file size and visual quality). "Perceptually Lossless" is often a good starting point. You can adjust the "Bitrate" if you need more control over file size.

  6. Frame Range: Ensure your frame range is correctly set in the "Output" properties. By default, it starts at frame 1. Adjust the "Start Frame" and "End Frame" to match the duration of your animation.

  7. Render the Animation: Go to the "Render" menu at the top of the Blender window and select "Render Animation" (or press Ctrl+F12). Blender will now render each frame of your animation and save it as a video file in the specified folder with the chosen format.

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