Animation is the technique of using frames (or steps) to give the illusion of smooth movement. In SL, avatars can be animated using the animation inventory item type.
Animations move (animate) avatars. There is a set of stock animations used for things such as standing, walking, running, etc., and users can upload their own animations in Biovision Hierarchy (BVH) format.
(For information on animating a prim/object via dynamics, a texture via llSetTextureAnim, and particles via llParticleSystem, see their respective entries. This page is about animating avatars.)
Functions
llGetAnimation
llGetAnimationList
llStartAnimation
llStopAnimation
Built-in Animations
These animations are built-in to SL for use with llStartAnimation and llStopAnimation (current as of SL 1.8.1).
See ClientAssetKeys for these animation UUIDs. In total there are 133 animations built into the game.
aim_l_bow
aim_r_bazooka
aim_r_handgun
aim_r_rifle
angry_fingerwag
angry_tantrum
away
backflip
blowkiss
bow
brush
busy
clap
courtbow
crouch
crouchwalk
dance1
dance2
dance3
dance4
dance5
dance6
dance7
dance8
dead
drink
express_afraid
express_afraid_emote
express_anger
express_anger_emote
express_bored
express_bored_emote
express_cry
express_cry_emote
express_disdain
express_embarrassed_emote
express_frown
express_kiss
express_laugh
express_laugh_emote
express_open_mouth
express_repulsed
express_repulsed_emote
express_sad
express_sad_emote
express_shrug
express_shrug_emote
express_smile
express_surprise
express_surprise_emote
express_tongue_out
express_toothsmile
express_wink
express_wink_emote
express_worry
express_worry_emote
falldown
female_walk
fist_pump
fly
flyslow
hello
hold_l_bow
hold_r_bazooka
hold_r_handgun
hold_r_rifle
hold_throw_r
hover
hover_down
hover_up
impatient
jump
jumpforjoy
kick_roundhouse_r
kissmybutt
land
laugh_short
motorcycle_sit
musclebeach
no_head
no_unhappy
nyanya
peace
point_me
point_you
prejump
punch_l
punch_onetwo
punch_r
rps_countdown
rps_paper
rps_rock
rps_scissors
run
salute
shoot_l_bow
shout
sit
sit_female
sit_generic
sit_ground
sit_to_stand
sleep
smoke_idle
smoke_inhale
smoke_throw_down
snapshot
soft_land
stand
stand_1
stand_2
stand_3
stand_4
standup
stretch
stride
surf
sword_strike_r
talk
throw_r
tryon_shirt
turn_180
turnback_180
turnleft
turnright
type
walk
whisper
whistle
wink_hollywood
yes_happy
yes_head
yoga_float
Built-in Animation Priorities
When a custom animation is uploaded, a prompt appears asking for a priority value from 0-4. The higher the number, the higher the priority. By using higher priority values the custom animation will play on top of an already playing built-in animation, overriding it. Below is the list of default animations that I used in my animated pressesntation with their built-in priority values. It should also be noted that the individual avatar bones have their own priorities (user-created animations cannot take advantage of this at present). This makes overriding animations a bit more complex.
avatar_aim_L_bow: 2
avatar_aim_R_bazooka: 2
avatar_aim_R_handgun: 2
avatar_aim_R_rifle: 2
avatar_angry_fingerwag: 2
avatar_angry_tantrum: 2
avatar_away: 2
avatar_backflip: 2
avatar_blowkiss: 2
avatar_bow: 2
avatar_brush: 2
avatar_clap: 2
avatar_courtbow: 2
avatar_cross_arms: 2
avatar_crouch: 0
avatar_crouchwalk: 0
avatar_curtsy: 2
avatar_dance1: 2
avatar_dance2: 2
avatar_dance3: 2
avatar_dance4: 2
avatar_dance5: 2
avatar_dance6: 2
avatar_dance7: 2
avatar_dance8: 2
avatar_dead: 4
avatar_drink: 2 express_afraid: 2
express_afraid_emote
express_anger: 2
express_anger_emote
express_bored: 2
express_bored_emote
express_cry: 2
express_cry_emote
express_disdain
express_embarrassed: 2
express_embarrassed_emote
express_frown
express_kiss
express_laugh: 2
express_laugh_emote
express_open_mouth
express_repulsed: 2
express_repulsed_emote
express_sad: 2
express_sad_emote
express_shrug: 2
express_shrug_emote
express_smile
express_surprise: 2
express_surprise_emote
express_tongue_out
express_toothsmile
express_wink: 2
express_wink_emote
express_worry: 2
express_worry_emote avatar_falldown: 3
avatar_female_walk: 0
avatar_fist_pump: 2
avatar_fly: 0
avatar_flyslow: 0
avatar_hello: 2
avatar_hold_L_bow: 2
avatar_hold_R_bazooka: 2
avatar_hold_R_handgun: 2
avatar_hold_R_rifle: 2
avatar_hold_throw_R: 2
avatar_hover: 0
avatar_hover_down: 0
avatar_hover_up: 0
avatar_impatient: 2
avatar_jump: 0
avatar_jumpforjoy: 2
avatar_kick_roundhouse_R: 2
avatar_kissmybutt: 2
avatar_kneel_left: 2
avatar_kneel_right: 2
avatar_land: 0
avatar_laugh_short: 2
avatar_motorcycle_sit: 4
avatar_musclebeach: 2
avatar_no_head: 2
avatar_no_unhappy: 2
avatar_nyanya: 2
avatar_peace: 2
avatar_point_me: 2
avatar_point_you: 2
avatar_prejump: 0
avatar_punch_L: 2
avatar_punch_onetwo: 2
avatar_punch_R: 2
avatar_RPS_countdown: 2
avatar_RPS_paper: 2
avatar_RPS_rock: 2
avatar_RPS_scissors: 2
avatar_run: 0
avatar_salute: 2
avatar_shoot_L_bow: 2
avatar_shout: 2
avatar_sit: 4
avatar_sit_female: 4
avatar_sit_generic: 4
avatar_sit_ground: 3
avatar_sit_ground_constrained: 3
avatar_sit_to_stand: 2
avatar_sleep: 4
avatar_slowwalk: 0
avatar_smoke_idle: 2
avatar_smoke_inhale: 2
avatar_smoke_throw_down: 2
avatar_snapshot: 2
avatar_soft_land: 2
avatar_stand: 0
avatar_stand_1: 0
avatar_standup: 3
avatar_stretch: 2
avatar_stride: 1
avatar_surf: 4
avatar_sword_strike_R: 2
avatar_talk: 1
avatar_throw_R: 2
avatar_tryon_shirt: 1
avatar_turn_180: 3
avatar_turnback_180: 3
avatar_turnleft: 1
avatar_turnright: 1
avatar_type: 2
avatar_uphillwalk: 0
avatar_walk: 0
avatar_whisper: 0
avatar_whistle: 2
avatar_wink_hollywood: 2
avatar_yes_happy: 2
avatar_yes_head: 2
avatar_yoga_float: 2