How to Animate and Control a Fish in Blender

Video tutorial

In this tutorial, you will learn how to animate and control a fish in Blender.

Step 1: Prepare your fish model

Place your fish at the center of origin by pressing Ctrl + A and apply all transforms.

Step 2: Add a path for the fish

Place the 3d cursor on the world origin by pressing Shift + S and select Cursor to world origin.

Press Shift + A to add a path Curve as on the image below

Move the path origin to the beginning of the curve and should face the same direction as your fish as in the image below

In edit mode, subdivide your curve four times and move the anchors to make it wavy as in the image below

Select your fish and add a curve modifier. Under Curve Object, select your path curve NurbsPath

Return the 3d cursor to the center of world origin, and add a plane axis empty as in the image below

Select the path curve, then the fish, and finally the empty in that order. Press Control + P and select Object from the dropdown. Now the curve path and the fish should be parented to the empty. You will now use the empty to place the fish anywhere in your scene.

Step 3: Animate the fish

On the first frame select the fish and press I. From the dropdown, select Location to insert the keyframe.

Move to keyframe number 250. Select the fish and move it to the other end of the path curve as in the image below.

With the fish selected and the Dope Sheet window open, select the two keyframes and press T, and from the dropdown select Linear.

Check out more animation and visual effects tutorials here

• Also, check out How to use motion blur in Blender
• Create clay renders in Blender in few simple steps
• Make 3D objects look massive in renders, no more boring renders
• Convert curves into meshes in Blender, in 3 simple steps
• How to install add-ons in Blender