Animation option gone???

Hello, i have imported a model i want to animate. So to aimate i use the animate screen (you know where it says model, materiel, ect. well, its not there, the only option is model. Is there a way i can still animtate without opening the animate screen? Like by using action editor? Or what could i export the model out as? I have tried DAE but it doesn’t work.
Thanks.

right click on the black line that separates the 3d veiw and the buttons, a menu should come up asking No header or Split Area , Press split aarea and another 3d eviw shold come up , Next to Veiw a grid icon is there, press it and change it to Time line thisis the same thing on the Animation screen
you have to scroll across the bottom to find the record button