1. A method for broadcasting sets of arbitrary animation controls to modeling and animation tools, the method comprising: receiving, at one or more computer systems, information specifying a set of one or more animation variables, each animation variable in the set of one or more animation variables configured to manipulate part of a model object; receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information provided via a user interface associating a first named subset of the set of one or more animation variables with a first portion of the model object; and generating, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, information that configures a modeling and animation tool to display the first named subset of the set of one or more animation variables; wherein the information that configures the modeling and animation tool to display the first named subset of the one or more animation variables is broadcast to the modeling and animation tool in response to a user interacting with the first portion of the model object via the modeling and animation tool such that the modeling and animation tool displays the first named subset of the set of one or more animation variables.