Keyframe Rotation and Scale Simultaneously in Blender

Keyframing rotation and scale at the same time in Blender allows you to create fluid transform animations without setting keyframes for each property individually. By utilizing combined keying options like Rotation & Scale or LocRotScale, using active keying sets, or enabling auto-keyframing, you can capture both transformations in a single step on any given frame.

Method 1: The Insert Keyframe Menu Shortcut

The quickest standard way to insert a combined keyframe is through the viewport shortcut menu.

  1. Select your object in the 3D Viewport in Object Mode (or select bones in Pose Mode).
  2. Move the Timeline playhead to the frame where you want the animation to begin.
  3. Transform your object using R (Rotate) and S (Scale) to set your desired starting state.
  4. Press I on your keyboard to open the Insert Keyframe Menu.
  5. Select Rotation & Scale from the list.
  6. Move the playhead to your end frame, adjust the object's rotation and scale again, press I, and select Rotation & Scale once more.

Note: If you are also changing the object's position, choose Location, Rotation & Scale (LocRotScale) instead.

Method 2: Setting an Active Keying Set

If you plan to set many keyframes across a sequence, you can configure Blender to default to keyframing both properties automatically whenever you press I.

  1. Go to the Timeline editor at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Click on the Keying dropdown menu (located near the playhead controls).
  3. Click the Active Keying Set field and select Rotation & Scale (or LocRotScale).
  4. Now, whenever your cursor is in the 3D Viewport and you press I, Blender will instantly keyframe both scale and rotation without opening a pop-up menu.

Method 3: Using Auto-Keyframing

Auto-Keyframing records changes automatically as you transform objects in the viewport.

  1. Move the playhead to your desired starting frame.
  2. Turn on Auto Keyframing by clicking the blue Record icon next to the playback controls in the Timeline.
  3. Perform your rotation (R) and scaling (S). Blender will automatically generate keyframes for both properties on the current frame.
  4. Move the playhead to the next position, repeat the transforms, and new keyframes will automatically be created.
  5. Disable the Record icon once you finish to prevent accidental keyframing.

Method 4: Keyframing from the Sidebar (N-Panel)

If you prefer precise numerical values:

  1. Press N in the 3D Viewport to open the Sidebar panel and select the Item tab.
  2. Enter your desired values for Rotation and Scale.
  3. Hover your mouse cursor over the Rotation fields and press I (or right-click and choose Insert Keyframes).
  4. Hover your mouse cursor over the Scale fields and press I again.