Can multiple animations be saved in a .blend file?

Question

With the current version, I created a simple mesh with bones, and by using the Dope Sheet I created two actions. I made animations for each action. Then I exported to FBX to check in Unity3d. So I saw that Blender is good enough for my needs. Then I saved this stuff into a .blend file.

Some time later I loaded this file and saw there was only one animation. I re-created another and saved, exited Blender, and re-loaded the file. The only animation was loaded with what I exited the program.

My question is: what is the proper way to create multiple animations with Blender, such that they can be re-loaded. I would like to have a separate timeline for each animation.

(Script is good too, because I want this for an importer; wanted to test it before coding.)

Answer 1

I think your issue is that Blender is not saving the animation datablocks because there aren't any objects using them. You can protect the datablocks by adding a fake user like so:

1. Go to the NLA editor

2. Select the Action

3. Open your properties panel (N)

4. In the top panel (Animation Data) select the action you want to protect from the dropdown.

5. Click the F next to the name to give the action a fake user:

   

Alternatively this can be done in the header of the Dope Sheet editor while in Action Editor mode.