> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://animotive.gitbook.io/animotive-kimodo/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://animotive.gitbook.io/animotive-kimodo/readme.md).

# Introduction

Animotive Kimodo turns two key poses and a short text prompt into finished character animation — generated in **seconds** and dropped straight onto your Sequencer timeline, already retargeted onto your character. No mocap shoot, no hand-keying the in-between frames. Pose, prompt, click **Generate with Kimodo**, and watch the motion appear.

The underlying motion model is [NVIDIA Kimodo](https://research.nvidia.com/labs/sil/projects/kimodo/). The plugin wraps it as a one-click workflow inside **Sequencer**, Unreal's timeline editor: pose your character, describe the motion, and the plugin handles generation, import, and retargeting for you.

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/AFtBFvKe2xI>" %}

## What this guide covers

This guide takes you from a fresh install to your first generated animation, then on to the day-to-day authoring workflow:

* [**Quick Start**](/animotive-kimodo/getting-started/quick-start.md) — install the plugin, pick a backend, open the example scene, and generate. The fastest way to see it work.
* [**Getting Started with MetaHumans**](/animotive-kimodo/getting-started/getting-started-metahumans.md) — get a MetaHuman animating quickly, plus how to bring in your own custom MetaHuman.
* [**Preparing Your Level for Animotive Kimodo**](/animotive-kimodo/getting-started/preparing-your-level.md) — set up a Level, a Level Sequence, and a character ready to prompt.
* [**Prompting with Animotive Kimodo**](/animotive-kimodo/getting-started/prompting-with-animotive-kimodo.md) — text prompts, constraints, and prompting best practice.

The deeper **Setup**, **Working in Sequencer**, and **Advanced** sections in the sidebar are reference material — reach for them when you need detail on a specific surface. Each Unreal Engine concept that matters to the workflow is introduced where it first appears, in language familiar to users of timeline-based editors.

For additional support, product discussion and feature requests join our [Discord.](https://discord.com/invite/ZJEYKVGKkK)

## Where generation happens

Animotive Kimodo can generate in three places, and you pick one during setup:

* **Animotive Kimodo (hosted)** — a managed cloud service. The fastest and easiest way to start, with a free trial included. *Recommended.*
* **Self-Hosted (HTTP)** — a Kimodo server your team runs.
* **Local (Docker)** — the model running on your own GPU.

You choose and configure this in **Tools → Animotive Kimodo → First-Run Setup**, and you can change it at any time. See [Quick Start](/animotive-kimodo/getting-started/quick-start.md) to get going, or the [Setup](/animotive-kimodo/setup/plugin-install.md) section for full details on each option.

***

> Curious what happens after you click **Generate with Kimodo**? See [How It Works](/animotive-kimodo/advanced/how-it-works.md) for the capture → solve → retarget → inject pipeline.

Next: [Quick Start](/animotive-kimodo/getting-started/quick-start.md).