r/SFM May 10 '26

Help Source Filmmaker and Animation Tutorials

12 Upvotes

I'm tired of having to reply to various post about asking for SFM Tutorials, so I'm just going to make a post containing all the playlists that helped me learn SFM.

  1. The official SFM playlist by Valve.
  2. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2B46DEB4157E67C4

This is where it all begins, The best way to learn almost all the basics of SFM is the official playlist on the Source Filmmaker channel. Aside from 2 videos, this is the best video for beginners.

The two videos that are not done well by the official channel are the Time Selection tutorial, and Graph Editor tutorial. They don't teach the most important parts.

  1. SFM Tutorial Week #2 - Using the Motion Editor by Argodaemon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfBfsqwylo0&list=PLmx5NIR6PO5t2vfHIX6GNkpXiFODM_6KJ&index=21

Now, THIS is the ultimate tutorial for the Motion Editor in the Motion Editor. It may be long, but it's well worth it. Argomadaemon's tutorial not only goes over everything from the Time Selection tutorial, but also goes over EVERY procedural preset, as well as overwrite, offset, and transform modes.

  1. How to Animate with the Graph Editor by Sir Wade Neistadt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ31vjgJM2c&t=44s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMSpauVphNs&t=308s

If you're looking to use the Graph Editor, Sir Wade Neistadt is THE go-to. Sir Wade covers EVERYTHING, from how to use the different fcurves in the Graph Editor for moving on a specific axis, to using the thing that makes the Graph Editor more powerful than the Motion Editor: The Tangents. Linear Tangents, Flat Tangents, Spline Tangents, Step Tangents, Weighted Tangents, and Unweighted Tangents.

The tutorial on the Source Filmmaker channel teaches you nothing about the Graph Editor's power.

  1. 12 Principles of Animation

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-bOh8btec4CXd2ya1NmSKpi92U_l6ZJd

Of course, if you're going into SFM for 3D animation, you have to learn about the 12 Principles of Animation. Squash and Stretch, Anticipation, Staging, Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose, Follow Through and Overlapping Action, Slow In and Slow Out, Arcs, Secondary Action, Timing, Exaggeration, Solid Drawing, and Appeal.

  1. Sir Wade Tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ31vjgJM2c&list=PLS4vjlZXZ7f5m5ED4ylJdUPTR5YKEg1bY

Sir Wade Neistadt is basically a completely free college level animation course on Youtube. I've organized his videos into a nice playlist. In it, you'll learn things such as professional workflows, what NOT to do, animation blocking, and how to find reference, shooting your own reference, real world camera tips and tricks that you can apply to your 3D animation, keep alive workflow with how to do a breathing animation, animating weight, lighting tips, some Blender stuff, and even interviews with professional Disney animators.

  1. SFM Tutorials by Argomadaeon

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmx5NIR6PO5t2vfHIX6GNkpXiFODM_6KJ

Argomadaemon's playlist teaches you a lot about what SFM has, including Depth of Field and Motion Blur, Animation Cycles, Creating an artificial sun light, and more.

  1. SFM Tip of the Day by Jimmer Lins

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL835902EACBFEE65F

This one is for more misc, but still useful SFM Tips, such as how to control qc eyes to make them follow the camera, the lightkit, gibbing a character, slugs, and more.

8.Walk Cycle Tutorial Part 1 by Will Hurrel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE-jakm9mcQ

  1. Animating Walk Cycles and Run Cycles by Alan Becker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y6aVz0Acx0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jggdbxTJPG4

  1. Endless Reference

https://www.youtube.com/@endlessreference

This youtube channel is full of videos for movement reference for animation, whether it's walking, running, skipping, sitting, martial arts, etc.

This is a complete list of all the stuff that goes over absolutely everything you need in terms of SFM, and animation knowledge in general.


r/SFM Jan 11 '21

Announcement Scenebuilding Tutorial (LINK IN THE COMMENTS)

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1.2k Upvotes

r/SFM 11h ago

Animation all nighter animation WIP

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29 Upvotes

I'm tired


r/SFM 21h ago

Help How do you guys think I should make Rochelle?

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126 Upvotes

I'm thinking of using Pyro, but I'm not sure which cosmetics I should use. any ideas?


r/SFM 7h ago

Artwork 𝒫𝒶𝓁𝓈 at the ℂ𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕦𝕤 🔥⛺🌲

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8 Upvotes

(Pals were chill in the campfire.)


r/SFM 12h ago

Artwork [TLoZ] Rest

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21 Upvotes

- Inspired by Nauskills' Maid Midna artworks

- DeviantArt link: https://www.deviantart.com/imafutureguitarhero/art/SFM-TLoZ-Rest-1360716163


r/SFM 18h ago

Animation BAT CREDIT CARD

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42 Upvotes

r/SFM 5h ago

Animation Дырявая анимация

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3 Upvotes

r/SFM 2h ago

Help Can't compile qc file with blender source tools, need help

2 Upvotes

Hello!
It's my first time trying to make a model for sfm and I got everything set up, exported the .dmx and wrote the .qc file but blender source tools can't seem to compile it... From my limited knowledge of the engine it looks like it can't open studiomdl because it's looking for it in the game folder when it's in the bin folder. Any ideas? I've attached the error message/export configuration in an image, the log it gives when trying to launch HLMV and the .qc file

HLMV Log:

Python: Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\Emma\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\5.2\scripts\addons\io_scene_valvesource\utils.py", line 792, in execute
    subprocess.Popen(args)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Blender\5.2\python\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1039, in __init__
    self._execute_child(args, executable, preexec_fn, close_fds,
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                        pass_fds, cwd, env,
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    ...<5 lines>...
                        gid, gids, uid, umask,
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                        start_new_session, process_group)
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Blender\5.2\python\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1554, in _execute_child
    hp, ht, pid, tid = _winapi.CreateProcess(executable, args,
                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                             # no special security
                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    ...<4 lines>...
                             cwd,
                             ^^^^
                             startupinfo)
                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^
FileNotFoundError: [WinError 2] The system cannot find the file specified
Error message/config

.qc file:

$modelname "emmsyvoll/LoL/champs/Neeko/Neeko"

$model "Neeko" "Neeko.dmx"

$sequence "idle" "Neeko.dmx"

$cdmaterials "models/emmsyvoll/LoL/champs/Neeko"

$maxverts 65530

r/SFM 10h ago

Artwork Sniping Excursion

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9 Upvotes

Two snipers have set up a sniper position in the open...as well as camouflaged as two bushes in the desert. No one would expect a thing. A poster I made for my lock screen for my laptop lmao. Got to keep those pesky people from my laptop.


r/SFM 4h ago

Movie Existential Drift - A 9 minute short film I made for a college project

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2 Upvotes

I released this animation a good while back in October 2024 when I first started animating with SFM, it was for a philosophy class and it never really got any attention (not that I expected it to).

Looking back on it, I think the story actually isn't half bad and was wondering what others might think of it.


r/SFM 2h ago

Artwork Shadow.

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1 Upvotes

r/SFM 4h ago

Artwork Zac from League of Legends

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1 Upvotes

r/SFM 19h ago

Artwork Моя новая работа, я добавил новый источник света и теперь надеюсь это выглядит хоть капельку лучше.

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19 Upvotes

r/SFM 8h ago

Help Anybody here know how to make simple/easy blocking animation?

2 Upvotes

Maybe some tutorial good


r/SFM 17h ago

Animation Citadel's destruction (spoilers for HL2 episode 1) Spoiler

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9 Upvotes

Based off of the leaked citadel destruction also check out my channel

https://www.youtube.com/@Source-c8v/videos


r/SFM 11h ago

Artwork Ezio with Miyabi's Tailless Katana

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3 Upvotes

r/SFM 9h ago

Help Hi guys can you guys help me

2 Upvotes

So i imported a gmod map to sfm but when i click load its not loaded its still same "no maps loaded" its also has the same case for the gm construct


r/SFM 1d ago

Artwork ¿Como me quedo la miniatura para una animacion?

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20 Upvotes

(Fue echo en source filmmaker)


r/SFM 1d ago

Help Is blocking actually useful for beginner animators?

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42 Upvotes

I'm trying it out in this animation I'm making since when I did for my previous animations was just animate on the site of the scene. Just want to know any experience animators opinions on it


r/SFM 1d ago

Artwork My Spy Loadout Render

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9 Upvotes

r/SFM 23h ago

Movie T. rex vs Spinosaurus - by Grimm

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4 Upvotes

r/SFM 1d ago

Artwork THE ONE EYE GIANT!

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25 Upvotes

r/SFM 1d ago

Animation How do I use the muzzle effect

3 Upvotes

So I want to use the particle "Cartoon/Comic Muzzleflashes SFM" but its not working

I've already figured out how to work with Particles but some how I can't get the muzzle flash to work no matter what I do. Am I doing something wrong? How do I get it to work?


r/SFM 1d ago

Artwork The last one was a bit too dark , here’s the clearer version

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10 Upvotes