Graph Editor toolbar

Move Nearest Picked Key Tool

This tool lets you manipulate individual keys and tangents with a single mouse action.

This tool differs from the Move Tool. It works on one key at a time, or on the closest selected key of an active curve without you having to precisely select a key point or tangent handle in the graph view.

Move Nearest Picked Key Tool options window

Double-click the Move Nearest Picked Key Tool icon to open the Tool Settings window.

Direct Key settings

Set one of the following options:

Move Only: Disables the Move Nearest Picked Key tool’s ability to sweep throughout a curve’s keys (see Move Over, below).
Move Over: The default setting lets the tool sweep through an active curve along the curve’s keys. This expedites the fine-tuning of animation curves.
Selected only: When on (default), single-click editing works only on selected curves. When off, you can single-click to edit all curves. Disable this option if you want to allow single-click manipulation for all curves.

TipIf you want to use a single-click tangent editing workflow, set tangent handles to always display by selecting View > Tangents > Always from the Graph Editor menu bar.

See also Use single-click curve editing.

Insert Keys Tool

Choose the Insert Keys Tool to place new keys on an existing animation curve. Click to select the curve to which you will add a new key.

-drag to set the location of the new key. Releasing the mouse button places the key. The new key will have tangents that preserve the original animation curve segment’s shape.

Add Keys Tool

The Add Keys Tool lets you add keys to a selected animation curve anywhere in the graph view.

-drag to set the location of the new key. Releasing the mouse button places the key. The new key’s tangents will be of the same type as the adjacent keys’ types.

Key Stats fields

The Key Stats fields numerically represent a selected key’s time and value. You can edit them by entering values from the keyboard, or relatively by using the following operators in the input:

Operator	Function
+=value	the entered value is added to the existing value
*=value	the entered value multiplies the existing value
-=value	the entered value is subtracted from the existing value
/=value	the entered value divides the existing value

Lattice Deform Keys Tool

You can manipulate curves in the Graph Editor with the Lattice Deform Keys Tool. The Lattice Deform Keys tool lets you draw a lattice deformer around groups of keys, so that you can manipulate many keys at once. This tool gives you a high-level of control over your animation curves.

See Transformation Tools > Lattice Deform Keys Tool.

Frame all

This icon frames all the current animation curve’s keys in the Graph Editor graph view.

Frame playback range

This icon frames all the keys within the current Playback Range in the Graph Editor graph view.

Center the view about the current time

This icon centers the current time in the Graph Editor graph view.

Spline Tangents

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Spline. See Spline.

Clamped Tangents

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Clamped. See Clamped.

Linear Tangents

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Linear. See Linear.

Flat Tangents

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Flat. See Flat.

Step Tangents

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Stepped. See Stepped.

Plateau Tangents

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Plateau. See Plateau.

Buffer Curve Snapshot

To take a snapshot of a curve, select the animation curve and use Curves > Buffer Curve Snapshot or the Buffer Curve Snapshot button. See Buffer Curve Snapshot.

Use Buffer Curve Snapshot and Swap Buffer Curves to compare changes to the current animation curve with its previous shape. Note that a gray curve representing the original curve is visible.

Swap Buffer Curve

To swap the buffer curve with the edited curve, use Curves > Swap Buffer Curve or the Swap Buffer Curve button. See Swap Buffer Curve.

Use Buffer Curve Snapshot and Swap Buffer Curves to compare changes to the current animation curve with its previous shape. Test your animation by toggling back and forth between these curves freely.

Break Tangents

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Break Tangents. See Break Tangents.

A broken tangent displays in blue.

Unify Tangents

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Unify Tangents. See Unify Tangents.

Free Tangent Weight

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Free Tangent Weight. See Free Tangent Weight.

Lock Tangent Weight

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Tangents > Lock Tangent Weight. See Lock Tangent Weight.

You can visually identify locked or broken tangents and weight locked tangents.

The Graph Editor displays the status of locked or broken tangents.By default, an unlocked tangent displays in green. When locked, both tangents display in the same color.

Auto Load Graph Editor

This button toggles the Auto Load Selected Objects option found in the List menu. See Auto Load Selected Objects.

Load Graph Editor from Selection

This button loads selected objects into the Graph Editor when Auto Load Selected Objects is not on. See Load Selected Objects.

Time Snap

Using the Time Snap Tool forces keys moved in the graph view to the nearest integer time unit value. This is on by default.

Value Snap

Using the Value Snap Tool forces keys in the graph view to the nearest integer value.

NoteSnap settings have no effect on tangent manipulation.

Normalize/Denormalize curves

These icons provide easy access to toggle the Graph Editor menu bar item View > Display Normalized. See Display Normalized.

Renormalize

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu item View > Renormalize. See Renormalize.

Enable/Disable Stacked Curves Display

Cycle Before

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Curves > Pre Infinity > Cycle. See Cycle.

Cycle Before with Offset

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Curves > Pre Infinity > Cycle with Offset. See Cycle with Offset.

Cycle After

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Curves > Post Infinity > Cycle. See Cycle.

Cycle After with Offset

This icon provides easy access to the Graph Editor menu bar item Curves > Post Infinity > Cycle with Offset. See Cycle with Offset.

Open the Dope Sheet

This icon opens the Dope Sheet and loads the current objects’ animation keys.

Open the Trax Editor

This icon opens the Trax Editor and loads the current objects’ animation clips.