Player Animation Library
by ZigyTheBird
Player Animation Library gives mod developers a way to animate the player model without conflicting with other mods that do the same.
What it does
Developers can bring in keyframed motion authored in common modeling tools, in both GeckoLib and Bedrock layouts. Animations can drive the player's body parts, and Molang expressions control values over time. Effect keyframes, which work like particle keyframes, can be placed inside an animation.
Custom pivot points let a developer rotate a chosen part of the model around a point other than the default, such as a hip bone that turns everything except the legs. Custom bones can be added, and their position can be read back so other code can spawn particles at that spot. The library itself does nothing in play; it only provides these tools to other mods.
Players need the mod on the client, while the server can add it for extra features, so the server side is optional. The license is MIT, and the source code, issue tracker and wiki are public. The mod is published for Fabric and NeoForge, with builds covering 1.21.1 – 26.3.
Key features
Blender and Blockbench loading
Animations exported from Blender or Blockbench as JSON files can be loaded in GeckoLib or Bedrock format.
Molang expressions
Animation values can be driven by Molang expressions, which let an animation change with game state over time.
Effect keyframes
Effect keyframes trigger events at chosen points in an animation, in the same way particle keyframes do.
Custom pivot points
A developer can set a pivot for a body part, such as a hip, so that part rotates around that point while others stay in place.
Custom bones with positions
Custom bones can be defined and their location read back, so other code can place particles at that position.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.21.x6 of 6 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Required by 43 mods
Use cases
Combat and movement mods
Mods that change how the player moves or fights, such as combat rolls and attack animations, can drive the player model through the library.
Emote mods
Emote packs can play animations on the player model, with the library handling the loading and playback.
Who it’s for: The library is aimed at mod developers who want to animate the player model. Players do not use it directly; they install it because other mods require it.
How it compares
CooParticlesAPI is a client and server library for 1.21.1 on Fabric and NeoForge, under All rights reserved, and it is not open source. ParticleDrawing is open source under the Apache License 2.0 and targets NeoForge for 26.2 with a client and server environment. Particle Packs is client-side only, open source under the Apache License 2.0, and built for Fabric 1.21.4.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player Animation Library | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.21.1 – 26.3 | Client required, server optional | 2026-10-06 |
| CooParticlesAPI | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-08-14 |
| ParticleDrawing | NeoForge | 26.2 | Client and server | 2026-09-10 |
| Particle Packs | Fabric | 1.21.4 | Client-side only | 2025-01-27 |
Questions
Does a player need Player Animation Library to play?
Which loaders does Player Animation Library support?
Can it load animations made in Blockbench?
In the catalog
Player Animation Library is one of 3,514 Library mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,348 Library mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from ZigyTheBird
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What the author says
A library that allows mods to animate the player, in a way that doesn't conflict with other mods. (and much more!) This mod is a library for mod developers, and does not do anything on it's own. Here are SOME of the features: You can load animations from Blender and Blockbench JSON files. (GeckoLib and Bedrock…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/player-animation-library
- Owner
- ZigyTheBird
- Published
- 2025-06-10
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-10-06
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15