Keyframe objects on animation layers
 
 
 

Keyframing objects on animation layers is very similar to regular keyframing. After you have added an object’s attributes to a layer, you can keyframe in your scene as usual.

As you key, visual feedback in the Animation Layer Editor shows you the status of each layer. A green dot displays next to the layer name if the layer is active, and a red dot displays if the layer is affected. A layer’s status is determined by the keying mode you are using and whether it includes objects selected in the scene.

For additional information on the red and green indicators, see Active keying feedback. To better understand when a layer is active or affected, see Animation layer states.

NoteYou can always keyframe objects in your scene without adding their attributes to layers. If necessary, you can extract that animation onto layers later. See Extract animation from your scene onto a layer.

To keyframe on animation layers

  1. Create layers for as many objects or attributes as you require to organize your work. See Create an animation layer.
  2. Add and remove attributes from your animation layers to organize which attributes will be keyed on each layer.

    For example, if you create two layers for animating a sphere, you can add its Translation attributes to one layer and its Rotation attributes to the other.

  3. In the Animation Layer Editor, select the keying mode you want to use from the Options menu.

    Three keying modes let you set how layers become active for keyframing:

  4. Manipulate and keyframe objects in your scene as usual. See Set keys.

    As you set keys, use the Active keying feedback to monitor which animation layers are being keyed.

TipWhen selecting layers for keyframing, you can also use Animation layer drop-down below the Animation Controls.

To set the key tick color for each animation layer

Setting the layer ghost color also sets the layer’s key tick color in the Timeline. See Set the ghost color

To change the size of key ticks, see Set the appearance of key ticks in the Time Slider.

Setting Zero keys

Zero keys let you define a point in time where you want the layer’s animation to have no offset from the original animation. Using Zero keys, you can demarcate the time range where you want a layer’s animation to start and end.

For example, if you have an animation sequence of 50 frames and you only want to modify the animation between frames 20 and 30, set Zero keys at frame 20 and 30 to bracket the area you want to edit. Create your modified animation between frames 20 and 30, then play your result animation. The original animation plays fully before frame 20 and after frame 30, with your modified animation playing fully in between.

To set a Zero key

  1. Click in the Animation Layer Editor.
    Note As you set a Zero key, the object(s) you are keyframing may move if it is not at its ‘zero’ position from the original animation.

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