From Blender to Browser: How to Export 3D Animations to Lottie

This blog is authored by Vyankatesh Lutukurthi

"I’m a Motion Graphics Designer specializing in 2D/3D animations with After Effects and Blender. I create engaging visuals, video edits, and Lottie animations to bring brand stories to life."

Previously, in my blog post "From Blender to Browser: Making 3D Work on the Web,", I discovered how using Lottie kept 3D animations lightweight on webpages—after plenty of trial and error.

This article (as a sequel to my initial blogpost, shall we say) will explain exactly how I used LottieFiles to export my 3D animations from Blender into a light and smooth Lottie.

Step 1: Create and animate your 3D model

Start in Blender, where your imagination shapes the scene.

• Design and animate your 3D model as usual.
• Set your animation frame rate to 24fps to ensure smooth playback across devices.

Whether you're building character motion, product showcases, or abstract art, this foundational step defines the storytelling power of your animation.

Step 2: Export the animation from Blender

Once you're satisfied with your animation:

• For transparent scenes, tick Transparent Background in the Render tab.
• Export the animation as a PNG sequence—this preserves high visual fidelity while keeping it versatile for post-processing.

(Optional) Step 3: Optimize the PNG sequence

For faster loading times:

• Convert your PNG sequence into WebP format for better optimization and faster web loading.

Step 4: Import the sequence into After Effects

Open Adobe After Effects and:

• Import your PNG or WebP sequence for final adjustments.

Step 5: Export as a Lottie animation

Now the magic happens.

• Install the LottieFiles for After Effects plugin.
  
• Select your composition timeline.
  
• Use the LottieFiles plugin panel to render your animation.

You'll get the option to:

• Export using standard compression (free) or;
  
• Use premium compression for a smaller, performance-optimised file.

The result? A sleek .json Lottie file that retains the movement of your 3D model—at a fraction of the size of a video or GIF.

Step 6: Share with your developer

Done rendering? Simply share the exported Lottie .json file with your developer.

You now have an interactive, lightweight 3D animation that plays natively on the web—no video hosting, no heavy assets.

Why go Lottie?

Lottie lets you turn complex 3D animations into lightweight, scalable, and interactive web elements; without compromising quality or speed.

• Lightweight: Lottie files are up to 600% smaller than GIFs or videos, ensuring fast load times.
  
• Scalable: As vector-based animations, they stay crisp at any size—no pixelation.
  
• Interactive: Easily trigger animations on scroll, hover, or click to create dynamic web experiences.
  
• Cross-platform: Use the same Lottie file across web, iOS, Android, and design tools like Figma and Webflow.
  
• Easy handoff: Designers export directly from After Effects, and developers get a clean JSON file ready to embed.

In short, Lottie makes it easy to bring 3D animations to the web—beautifully, responsively, and efficiently.