Animations can be created
within Showcase by transforming objects (changing their Translation,
Rotation, or Scale) and setting “keyframes” of each position to
keep. Separating these keyframes on a timeline determines how fast
or slow the object moves from position to position.
Keyframe animations are
based on object transformations changing over time. The transform
tools are used extensively in animating this behavior. See
Move, scale, and rotate objects visually for
more information on transforming objects and using the Handles.
Create a keyframe animation
Create the behavior
- Press B to show
the Behaviors interface.
- Select the objects in the scene you wish
to animate.
NoteAny objects currently
selected when a Keyframe Animation is created are automatically
added to the animation.
- Click the arrow beside the Create button
and select Keyframe Animation.
A new keyframe animation
behavior is added, with an icon in the Behaviors interface.
- If an object is selected when the animation
is created, the Keyframe Properties window will open.
Setting keyframes
Keyframe animations require
that two “key frames” be defined for an animation to occur. The
animation is the automatic interpolation of an object between two
or more positions in space (with Translation, Rotation, and Scale).
- Select the object you wish to animate.
If the object was selected when you created the behavior, it can
be selected by clicking on its timeline in the Properties window.
NoteOnly single hierarchy
nodes (single objects or group nodes) in the scene can have keyframes
applied on a timeline. However, multiple objects can be added to
the same Keyframe Animation behavior - each with their own timelines
and keyframes.
- Position the object in the scene where
you would like it to be at one time in your animation. Use the Transform
Handles (H) for the easiest manipulation.
- Open the Keyframe Animation Properties window
by double-clicking on the behavior icon. Or right-click the keyframe
animation icon in the Behaviors interface, and select Properties... from
the menu.
- Click in the timeline to set the keyframe
location in time.
A gray bar will appear
on the timeline as a marker, and a tooltip will indicate what time
you are at.
NoteAll times are in
marked in seconds. The frame rate of the animation is determined
by your hardware, and at the output stage of animation rendering.
- Press the Add New Key button
(shown in the following image) or press the “,” (comma) hotkey.
The current position
and orientation of the selected object in the scene will be “saved” in
this key. A new line will appear on the timeline with an orange
triangular handle on the bottom to indicate it is selected.
- Use the Transform Handles (H) to reposition
the object in the scene.
- Press the Add New Key button
or use the “,” (comma) hotkey
to set a second keyframe.
The timeline will automatically
advance by 1 second to prevent overlapping keyframes.
- Drag the new keyframe to the desired
location along the timeline in relation to the first.
NoteIf an exact time
is desired, type the value in the Keyframe time field
below the timeline.
- Preview the animation by “scrubbing”
the timeline. Click and drag in the timeline between the two keyframes.
The animated object will move in the viewport at the speed you drag.
- Press the Playback Controls button to
play the animation at full speed.
For more information
on the behavior Playback Controls, see:
Play the turntable animation.
Animating more than one
object
Multiple objects in the
scene can be animated within a single keyframe animation behavior.
Each will have its own timeline and keyframes, and they can be viewed
relative to each other in the Behavior Properties window,
and played back all at once with the behavior Playback
Controls.
NoteParent nodes (groups
higher in the hierarchy) cannot be added to keyframe animation behaviors
that already contain their children (or sub-objects in the hierarchy).
To animate objects and their sub-objects at the same time, create
multiple keyframe animation behaviors and link them together. See
Link multiple behaviors together.
Add additional objects to the behavior
- Open the Keyframe Animation Properties window
by double-clicking on the behavior icon. Or right-click the keyframe
animation icon in the Behaviors interface, and select Properties... from
the menu.
- Select the objects in the scene you wish
to add.
- Press the Choose button
for Associated Objects, and select Add Selection To from the
menu.
An additional timeline
with the name of the new object to the left of it will appear in the
Properties window.
- Click and drag in the second timeline
to set a keyframe position, and keyframe as usual.
Switch between multiple timelines
Each object timeline
must be keyframed and edited individually. They are stacked to allow
synchronization of the timepoints and reference to each other.
- Click in the timeline of the object you
wish to keyframe or transform.
The timeline will turn
orange, and the associated object in the scene will be selected for
transformation.
- Move the time location bar (gray vertical
bar) to set the location for new keyframes.
- Scrubbing the timeline (sliding the time
location bar) will cause the animations in other timelines to display
in the viewport as well.
NoteIf the movement of
other objects in the same keyframe animation behavior is distracting,
those objects can be hidden using the standard command.
Basic Keyframe Animation
Properties
- Name:
-
Click in the Name field
and type to set the name of the behavior.
- Associated objects:
-
Click the Choose button
and Add or Remove objects from the behavior, or Select all objects
in the behavior.
- Duration:
-
The total duration of
the animation. The time between the first keyframe and the last
keyframe.
- Play Mode:
-
Set the way the overall
animation will play back. Once to start
and stop from first to last keyframe. Loop to continually
restart when the end of the animation is reached. Oscillate to
play backwards and forwards when either end of the animation is
reached.
- Position or Pivot mode:
-
Timeline Controls
Keyframe action buttons
- Keyframe time
-
The current time of the
selected keyframe. Type a numeric value to move the keyframe to
that precise time.
- Add new keyframe
-
Hotkey: “,” (comma). Adds a keyframe at
the current time with the current position and orientation of the selected
object.
- Update keyframe
-
Hotkey: “.” (period). Updates the currently
selected keyframe with the position and orientation of the object. Overwrites
any previous keyed values.
- Delete keyframe
-
Hotkey: k”. Deletes the currently selected
keyframe. If multiple keyframes are selected, all are deleted.
Frame navigation buttons
- Go to first keyframe
-
Moves the playback location
to the first keyframe in the active timeline, and selects it.
- Go to previous keyframe
-
Moves the playback location
to the next keyframe to the left of the current time in the active
timeline, and selects it.
- Go to next keyframe
-
Moves the playback location
to the next keyframe to the right of the current time in the active
timeline, and selects it.
- Go to last keyframe
-
Moves the playback location
to the last keyframe in the active timeline, and selects it.
Timeline navigation buttons
- Zoom In
-
Zooms the timeline in
around the currently selected keyframe(s). The duration of the animation
does not change, but the displayed time fits into the UI.
- Zoom Out
-
Zooms the timeline out
around the currently selected keyframe(s). The duration of the animation
does not change, but the displayed time fits into the UI.
NoteTimeline navigation
can also be done with the standard navigation shortcuts and mouse
movements. Alt-RMB to
zoom in/ out, and Alt-MMB to pan
left/ right.
Editing animations
Animations can be adjusted
by editing single or multiple keyframes along the timeline.
Editing individual keyframes
- Move a keyframe interactively: click
on the keyframe handle (it will turn orange to indicate it is selected)
and drag it on the timeline. The Keyframe time will update with the
current position of the selected keyframe.
NoteIndividual keyframes
can be dragged “past” other keyframes in the timeline. This will
significantly alter your animation!
- Move a keyframe numerically: click
on the keyframe handle to select the key, and type a new time position
in the Keyframe Time dialog box.
- Delete a keyframe: press
the k key or the Delete
Keyframe button.
Editing multiple keyframes
Multiple keyframes on
a single timeline can be edited at once. This permits scaling of
the keyframes relative to each other, as well as movement.
Keyframe animation modes
Keyframe animations are
created by interpreting the changes between two or more set keyframes.
The way the pivot rotations and transforms are interpreted can be
changed by setting the keyframe animation mode.
Set the keyframe animation mode
- Position mode: Preserves
object positions at all keyframes. The animation between keyframes
is based entirely on the object position and orientation at the
time the key was made. To alter the animation, reposition the object
at either keyframe and update the key.
For example: a door opens
by rotating along a set axis. If the axis of rotation is not perfect
in Position Mode, alter the position at the end keyframe to match
what is expected. If the rotation changes within the animation,
set another key after correcting the rotation at the interior time.
- Pivot mode: Updates
object positions when the object pivot is moved. The animation between
keyframes is based on the object position and the pivot point for
orientation. To alter the animation, reposition the pivot or reposition
the object at either keyframe.
Changing the object pivot
position will not alter the relative animation, but will affect object
position at all keyframes. This is similar to a traditional animation
workflow. For example: a door opens by rotating along a set axis.
If the axis of rotation is not perfect in Pivot Mode, simply move
the pivot to where the object rotation axis should be.
Keyframe animation limitations
- All transforms are keyed
at once: In many dedicated animation applications, rotation,
translation, and scale can be keyframed and manipulated separately
for each object on a single timeline. In Showcase keyframe animation
behaviors, all three transforms are keyframed together.
For example: an object
must move 10 units in 10 seconds, and rotate 90 degrees in 5 seconds.
To achieve both of these, three keyframes are needed. #1 at the
initial (non) transformed location, #2 at 5 seconds with 90 degrees
of rotation and 5 units of movement, and #3 at 10 seconds with 5
more units of movement.
NoteThis limitation can
be overcome by grouping objects to themselves and animating the
group nodes separately from the main object. This allows each timeline and
keyframes to be adjusted independently, while the single object
inherits all transforms.
- Rotation greater than 180
degrees: Keyframe animation works by finding the shortest
distance between keyframed positions and orientations. In cases
of rotation, this can mean that the shortest distance is actually
the reverse of the direction the object was originally rotated.
For example: an object
must rotate 270 degrees (3/4 of a revolution). A keyframe is set
at rotation=0, and again after rotating the object 270 degrees.
The second keyframe is actually rotation=270 or -90, as the position
is all that is considered. So playback will result in -90 degree
rotation (backwards of what is intended).
NoteTo correctly rotate
objects beyond 180 degrees, set keyframes at regular intervals less
than 180. For 270 degrees, use 4 keyframes. #1 at 0 degrees, #2
at 90 degrees, #3 at 180 degrees, and #4 at 270 degrees. Each increment
is less than 180 degrees, so the rotation takes place in the right
direction.
- Relative speed: The
common Playback Controls include + (plus) and - (minus) buttons
to adjust the speed of playback. Once these are used, the per-second
notations on the timeline lose their absolute timing, but retain
their relative distance to each other. In other words, the animation
speed has become relative.