Export Animation with Textures in Blender
Exporting an animation from Blender 3.6 may seem straightforward, but it's common for textures not to be included and the result to appear gray, as if all the texturing work were invisible. This happens because many export formats do not save materials or because the configuration is incomplete. The key is to understand how export works and what you need to adjust to preserve textures correctly.
Ways and Tips to Export with Textures Correctly
- Choose a compatible format: With textures and animations, such as FBX or GLTF/GLB, which allow carrying geometry, animation, and materials.
- When exporting to FBX: In the export options, make sure to enable Include > Textures and Embed Textures so that the images are included within the file.
- For GLTF/GLB: Blender already handles PBR textures very well; just verify that your materials are configured with Principled BSDF and that the textures are correctly linked.
Remember that some engines or external programs may require textures to be in a folder next to the exported file, not just embedded. If you use formats like OBJ or Alembic, they usually do not support animation and textures together, so avoid them for animations.
Extras for Blender and Professional Workflow
If you use Cycles or Eevee, check that the textures used are compatible and not using nodes that cannot be exported. You can also use specific addons to export animations with more complex materials.
Because we've all gone through that glorious moment when the render turns gray and we think: now what, did the art disappear like black magic? Relax, you're not the only wizard lost in the Blender forest.