diff --git a/interface/src/ui/overlays/ModelOverlay.cpp b/interface/src/ui/overlays/ModelOverlay.cpp
index ca5ca54144..713115bffc 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/overlays/ModelOverlay.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/overlays/ModelOverlay.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 //  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
 //
 
+#include <glm/gtx/quaternion.hpp>
+#include <glm/gtx/transform.hpp>
+
 #include "ModelOverlay.h"
 #include <Rig.h>
 
@@ -60,6 +63,15 @@ void ModelOverlay::update(float deltatime) {
         _model->simulate(deltatime);
     }
     _isLoaded = _model->isActive();
+
+
+    if (isAnimatingSomething()) {
+        if (!jointsMapped()) {
+            mapAnimationJoints(_model->getJointNames());
+        }
+        animate();
+    }
+
 }
 
 bool ModelOverlay::addToScene(Overlay::Pointer overlay, const render::ScenePointer& scene, render::Transaction& transaction) {
@@ -172,6 +184,51 @@ void ModelOverlay::setProperties(const QVariantMap& properties) {
         }
         _updateModel = true;
     }
+
+    auto animationSettings = properties["animationSettings"];
+    if (animationSettings.canConvert(QVariant::Map)) {
+        QVariantMap animationSettingsMap = animationSettings.toMap();
+
+        auto animationURL = animationSettingsMap["url"];
+        auto animationFPS = animationSettingsMap["fps"];
+        auto animationCurrentFrame = animationSettingsMap["currentFrame"];
+        auto animationFirstFrame = animationSettingsMap["firstFrame"];
+        auto animationLastFrame = animationSettingsMap["lastFrame"];
+        auto animationRunning = animationSettingsMap["running"];
+        auto animationLoop = animationSettingsMap["loop"];
+        auto animationHold = animationSettingsMap["hold"];
+        auto animationAllowTranslation = animationSettingsMap["allowTranslation"];
+
+        if (animationURL.canConvert(QVariant::Url)) {
+            _animationURL = animationURL.toUrl();
+        }
+        if (animationFPS.isValid()) {
+            _animationFPS = animationFPS.toFloat();
+        }
+        if (animationCurrentFrame.isValid()) {
+            _animationCurrentFrame = animationCurrentFrame.toFloat();
+        }
+        if (animationFirstFrame.isValid()) {
+            _animationFirstFrame = animationFirstFrame.toFloat();
+        }
+        if (animationLastFrame.isValid()) {
+            _animationLastFrame = animationLastFrame.toFloat();
+        }
+
+        if (animationRunning.canConvert(QVariant::Bool)) {
+            _animationRunning = animationRunning.toBool();
+        }
+        if (animationLoop.canConvert(QVariant::Bool)) {
+            _animationLoop = animationLoop.toBool();
+        }
+        if (animationHold.canConvert(QVariant::Bool)) {
+            _animationHold = animationHold.toBool();
+        }
+        if (animationAllowTranslation.canConvert(QVariant::Bool)) {
+            _animationAllowTranslation = animationAllowTranslation.toBool();
+        }
+
+    }
 }
 
 template <typename vectorType, typename itemType>
@@ -259,6 +316,24 @@ QVariant ModelOverlay::getProperty(const QString& property) {
             });
     }
 
+    // animation properties
+    if (property == "animationSettings") {
+        QVariantMap animationSettingsMap;
+
+        animationSettingsMap["url"] = _animationURL;
+        animationSettingsMap["fps"] = _animationFPS;
+        animationSettingsMap["currentFrame"] = _animationCurrentFrame;
+        animationSettingsMap["firstFrame"] = _animationFirstFrame;
+        animationSettingsMap["lastFrame"] = _animationLastFrame;
+        animationSettingsMap["running"] = _animationRunning;
+        animationSettingsMap["loop"] = _animationLoop;
+        animationSettingsMap["hold"]= _animationHold;
+        animationSettingsMap["allowTranslation"] = _animationAllowTranslation;
+
+        return animationSettingsMap;
+    }
+
+
     return Volume3DOverlay::getProperty(property);
 }
 
@@ -301,3 +376,138 @@ QString ModelOverlay::getName() const {
     }
     return QString("Overlay:") + getType() + ":" + _url.toString();
 }
+
+
+void ModelOverlay::animate() {
+
+    if (!_animation || !_animation->isLoaded() || !_model || !_model->isLoaded()) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+
+    QVector<JointData> jointsData;
+
+    const QVector<FBXAnimationFrame>&  frames = _animation->getFramesReference(); // NOTE: getFrames() is too heavy
+    int frameCount = frames.size();
+    if (frameCount <= 0) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (!_lastAnimated) {
+        _lastAnimated = usecTimestampNow();
+        return;
+    }
+
+    auto now = usecTimestampNow();
+    auto interval = now - _lastAnimated;
+    _lastAnimated = now;
+    float deltaTime = (float)interval / (float)USECS_PER_SECOND;
+    _animationCurrentFrame += (deltaTime * _animationFPS);
+
+    {
+        int animationCurrentFrame = (int)(glm::floor(_animationCurrentFrame)) % frameCount;
+        if (animationCurrentFrame < 0 || animationCurrentFrame > frameCount) {
+            animationCurrentFrame = 0;
+        }
+
+        if (animationCurrentFrame == _lastKnownCurrentFrame) {
+            return;
+        }
+        _lastKnownCurrentFrame = animationCurrentFrame;
+    }
+
+    if (_jointMapping.size() != _model->getJointStateCount()) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    QStringList animationJointNames = _animation->getGeometry().getJointNames();
+    auto& fbxJoints = _animation->getGeometry().joints;
+
+    auto& originalFbxJoints = _model->getFBXGeometry().joints;
+    auto& originalFbxIndices = _model->getFBXGeometry().jointIndices;
+
+    const QVector<glm::quat>& rotations = frames[_lastKnownCurrentFrame].rotations;
+    const QVector<glm::vec3>& translations = frames[_lastKnownCurrentFrame].translations;
+
+    jointsData.resize(_jointMapping.size());
+    for (int j = 0; j < _jointMapping.size(); j++) {
+        int index = _jointMapping[j];
+
+        if (index >= 0) {
+            glm::mat4 translationMat;
+
+            if (_animationAllowTranslation) {
+                if (index < translations.size()) {
+                    translationMat = glm::translate(translations[index]);
+                }
+            }
+            else if (index < animationJointNames.size()) {
+                QString jointName = fbxJoints[index].name;
+
+                if (originalFbxIndices.contains(jointName)) {
+                    // Making sure the joint names exist in the original model the animation is trying to apply onto. If they do, then remap and get it's translation.
+                    int remappedIndex = originalFbxIndices[jointName] - 1; // JointIndeces seem to always start from 1 and the found index is always 1 higher than actual.
+                    translationMat = glm::translate(originalFbxJoints[remappedIndex].translation);
+                }
+            }
+            glm::mat4 rotationMat;
+            if (index < rotations.size()) {
+                rotationMat = glm::mat4_cast(fbxJoints[index].preRotation * rotations[index] * fbxJoints[index].postRotation);
+            }
+            else {
+                rotationMat = glm::mat4_cast(fbxJoints[index].preRotation * fbxJoints[index].postRotation);
+            }
+
+            glm::mat4 finalMat = (translationMat * fbxJoints[index].preTransform *
+                rotationMat * fbxJoints[index].postTransform);
+            auto& jointData = jointsData[j];
+            jointData.translation = extractTranslation(finalMat);
+            jointData.translationSet = true;
+            jointData.rotation = glmExtractRotation(finalMat);
+            jointData.rotationSet = true;
+        }
+    }
+    // Set the data in the model
+    copyAnimationJointDataToModel(jointsData);
+}
+
+
+void ModelOverlay::mapAnimationJoints(const QStringList& modelJointNames) {
+
+    // if we don't have animation, or we're already joint mapped then bail early
+    if (!hasAnimation() || jointsMapped()) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (!_animation || _animation->getURL() != _animationURL) {
+        _animation = DependencyManager::get<AnimationCache>()->getAnimation(_animationURL);
+    }
+
+    if (_animation && _animation->isLoaded()) {
+        QStringList animationJointNames = _animation->getJointNames();
+
+        if (modelJointNames.size() > 0 && animationJointNames.size() > 0) {
+            _jointMapping.resize(modelJointNames.size());
+            for (int i = 0; i < modelJointNames.size(); i++) {
+                _jointMapping[i] = animationJointNames.indexOf(modelJointNames[i]);
+            }
+            _jointMappingCompleted = true;
+            _jointMappingURL = _animationURL;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+void ModelOverlay::copyAnimationJointDataToModel(QVector<JointData> jointsData) {
+    if (!_model || !_model->isLoaded()) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // relay any inbound joint changes from scripts/animation/network to the model/rig
+    for (int index = 0; index < jointsData.size(); ++index) {
+        auto& jointData = jointsData[index];
+        _model->setJointRotation(index, true, jointData.rotation, 1.0f);
+        _model->setJointTranslation(index, true, jointData.translation, 1.0f);
+    }
+    _updateModel = true;
+}
+
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/overlays/ModelOverlay.h b/interface/src/ui/overlays/ModelOverlay.h
index 8d8429b29e..edee4f7ac6 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/overlays/ModelOverlay.h
+++ b/interface/src/ui/overlays/ModelOverlay.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #define hifi_ModelOverlay_h
 
 #include <Model.h>
+#include <AnimationCache.h>
 
 #include "Volume3DOverlay.h"
 
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ public:
 
     float getLoadPriority() const { return _loadPriority; }
 
+    bool hasAnimation() const { return !_animationURL.isEmpty(); }
+    bool jointsMapped() const { return _jointMappingURL == _animationURL && _jointMappingCompleted; }
+
 protected:
     Transform evalRenderTransform() override;
 
@@ -53,6 +57,14 @@ protected:
     template <typename vectorType, typename itemType>
         vectorType mapJoints(mapFunction<itemType> function) const;
 
+    void animate();
+    void mapAnimationJoints(const QStringList& modelJointNames);
+    bool isAnimatingSomething() const {
+        return !_animationURL.isEmpty() && _animationRunning && _animationFPS != 0.0f;
+    }
+    void copyAnimationJointDataToModel(QVector<JointData> jointsData);
+
+
 private:
 
     ModelPointer _model;
@@ -62,6 +74,25 @@ private:
     bool _updateModel = { false };
     bool _scaleToFit = { false };
     float _loadPriority { 0.0f };
+
+    AnimationPointer _animation;
+
+    QUrl _animationURL;
+    float _animationFPS { 0.0f };
+    float _animationCurrentFrame { 0.0f };
+    bool _animationRunning { false };
+    bool _animationLoop { false };
+    float _animationFirstFrame { 0.0f };
+    float _animationLastFrame = { 0.0f };
+    bool _animationHold { false };
+    bool _animationAllowTranslation { false };
+    uint64_t _lastAnimated { 0 };
+    int _lastKnownCurrentFrame { -1 };
+
+    QUrl _jointMappingURL;
+    bool _jointMappingCompleted { false };
+    QVector<int> _jointMapping; // domain is index into model-joints, range is index into animation-joints
+
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_ModelOverlay_h