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 the global Tweens class in a node script, 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 logs an error and returns a FAILED handle. Removing or reparenting the node ends its tweens.

Tweens.cancel_tweens(node, true) cancels a whole branch. It reaches automatic playback, not manual schedulers.

Pausing

pause_mode	Playback follows
BOUND (default)	The owner’s can_process(): its process mode and tree pause
SCENE_TREE	Tree pause only
ALWAYS	Neither; plays through pause

A pause menu with process_mode = PROCESS_MODE_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

Playingwait() pending…

Pause the treeRemove Sprite2DReset

set_process(false) is not a pause

BOUND follows can_process(), which set_process(false) doesn’t change. Pause the handle to hold a tween.

Process and physics

Tweens.playback_options() sets the process mode, pause mode, and unscaled time, in that order. Pass the result after the owner; null makes the target its own owner:

var ui := Tweens.playback_options(Tweens.Process.PROCESS, Tweens.Pause.ALWAYS, true)
Tweens.play(label, Tweens.modulate_alpha(1.0, 0.3), null, ui)

This fade keeps its pace through pause and slow motion. Tweens.Process.PHYSICS would update it on physics frames instead.

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.