Lifetime and pausingLifetime and pausing

A node owns the tweens started on it. When it leaves the scene tree, they end, even while paused.

Examples use using Godot; and using tweens.gd; in a Node method, with targets inside the scene tree.

Target and owner

Target

The object that receives values: a node, material, or other supported object.

Owner

The node whose lifetime ends playback. A node tween’s owner is its target.

Nodes

Start a tween once its node is in the tree, in _Ready or later; starting outside the tree throws. Removing or reparenting the node ends its tweens.

node.CancelTweens(includeChildren: true) cancels a whole branch. It reaches automatic playback, not manual schedulers.

Pausing

PauseMode	Playback follows
Bound (default)	The owner’s CanProcess(): its process mode and tree pause
SceneTree	Tree pause only
Always	Neither; plays through pause

A pause menu with ProcessMode = ProcessModeEnum.Always keeps animating under Bound. Pausing a handle holds it in every mode.

Try it: pause the tree, then change the pause mode.

Animations are paused

Reduce Motion is on, or Animation Effects are off.
(e.g. in your accessibility settings)

Enable this demoApplies to this demo until you reload.

• root paused
• Level
• Sprite2D owner + target

PlayingEnd pending…

Pause the treeRemove Sprite2DReset

SetProcess(false) is not a pause

Bound follows CanProcess(), which SetProcess(false) doesn’t change. Pause the handle to hold a tween.

Process and physics

PlaybackOptions sets the pause mode and the clock at the start call. ProcessMode = TweenProcessMode.Physics updates on physics frames, and UseUnscaledTime = true ignores Engine.TimeScale:

var ui = new PlaybackOptions { PauseMode = TweenPauseMode.Always, UseUnscaledTime = true };
label.TweenModulateAlpha(1, 0.3, playback: ui);

This fade keeps its pace through pause and slow motion.

Resources

A material isn’t in the tree, so its tweens take an owner: a node, or the scene tree. See materials and shaders. Tweens never duplicate or dispose the resources they animate.

Playback optionsPause, process, and time-scale options, and every start call.