Why does my state transition snap instead of blend?

The transition’s Duration is 0 or a higher-priority transition is also firing this frame. Open the transition’s Inspector and check Duration; should be 0.1–0.3s for natural blends.

What's transition priority?

Multiple transitions can be evaluated each frame. Lower priority number = higher priority. A snap-blend on a high-priority transition can mask a slower blend that would have fired otherwise.

How do I match curves for smoother blends?

On the transition, set Blend Mode to Custom and pick a curve asset. Provides ease-in/out instead of linear, which feels more natural for character motion.

Fix: Unreal AnimBP State Machine Blend Time Stuck

Quick answer: Click the transition arrow in the state machine. In Inspector, set Duration to 0.15–0.3 seconds. Default 0 means snap-blend.

A character transitions from Idle to Run. You expect a smooth blend; instead the pose snaps from one to the other. The transition has no blend time set, defaulting to 0.

Where Duration Lives

Open the AnimBP. Open the State Machine. Click the arrow connecting Idle to Run. The right panel shows transition settings:

Duration: seconds the blend takes. 0 = snap.
Blend Mode: Standard (linear/cubic), Custom (curve asset).
Bidirectional: whether reverse transitions exist.
Priority Order: lower number wins.

Tune Per Transition

Different transitions warrant different times:

Idle ↔ Run: 0.2s (natural walk-up).
Run ↔ Sprint: 0.1s (urgent).
Any → Death: 0s (snap to ragdoll).
Crouched ↔ Standing: 0.3s (deliberate posture change).

Custom Curve for Easing

Right-click in Content Browser → Curves → Curve Float. Create an S-curve from 0 to 1. On the transition: Blend Mode = Custom, Blend Profile = your curve. Eased blend feels more natural than linear.

Audit Conflicting Transitions

If multiple transitions can fire on the same condition, the priority order determines which runs. A high-priority transition with Duration 0 will preempt a lower-priority one with non-zero duration. Set priority deliberately: snap-blends on high priority for emergencies (death, stun); cosmetic blends on lower priority.

Verifying

Open the AnimBP preview with the state machine debugger visible. Toggle the transition condition variable. The current state should fade into the next over the configured Duration, not snap.

“Default Duration is 0. Always set a sensible value. Snap blends should be the exception, not the rule.”

Build a project-wide convention for blend durations (cosmetic 0.2–0.3, emergency 0–0.05) and apply across your state machines.