Create a key frame animation

Create the behavior

1. Press B to show the Behaviors interface.
2. Select the objects in the scene you wish to animate.
   NoteAny objects currently selected when a Key Frame Animation is created are automatically added to the animation.
3. Click the arrow beside the Create button and select New Key Frame Animation.

   A new key frame animation behavior is added , with an icon in the Behaviors interface.

4. If an object is selected when the animation is created, the Key Frame Properties window will open.

   

Setting key frames

Key frame animations require 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).

1. 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 be keyframed on a each timeline. However, multiple objects can be added to the same Key Frame Animation behavior - each with their own timelines and key frames.
2. 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.
3. Open the Key Frame Animation Properties window by double-clicking on the behavior icon. Or right-click on the key frame animation icon in the Behaviors interface, and select Properties... from the menu.
4. Click in the timeline to set the key frame location in time.

   

   A grey 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 framerate of the animation is determined by your hardware, and at the output stage of animation rendering.
5. Press the Add New Key button (shown below) 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.
6. Use the Transform Handles (H) to reposition the object int he scene.
7. 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.

8. Drag the new key frame to the desired location along the timeline in relation to the first.
   NoteIf an exact time is desired, type the value in the Key frame time field below the timeline.
9. Preview the animation by “scrubbing” the timeline. Click and drag in the timeline between the two key frames. The key framed object will move in the viewport at the speed you drag.

   

10. 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 key frame animation behavior. Each will have its own timeline and key frames, and they can be viewed relative to each other in the Behavior Properties window, and played back all at once with the behavrio Playback Controls.

Add additional objects to the behavior

1. Open the Key Frame Animation Properties window by double-clicking on the behavior icon. Or right-click on the key frame animation icon in the Behaviors interface, and select Properties... from the menu.
2. Select the objects in the scene you wish to add.
3. 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.

   

4. Click and drag in the second timeline to set a keyframe position, and key frame as usual.

Switch between multiple timelines

Each object timeline must be key framed and edited individually. They are stacked to allow synchronization of the timepoints and reference to each other.

1. Click in the timeline of the object you wish to key frame or transform.

   The timeline will turn orange, and the associated object in the scene will be selected for transformation.

2. Move the time location bar (grey vertical bar) to set the location for new key frames.
3. Sscrubbing 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 key frame animation behavior is distracting, those objects can be hidden using the standard View > Hide command.

Basic Key Frame Animation Properties

Name:

Click in the Name field and type to set the name of the behavior.

Associated objects:

Click theChoose 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 key frame and the last key frame.

Play Mode:

Set the way the overall animation will play back. Once to start and stop from first to last key frame. 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:

Set how animations are interpreted based on the object pivots. For more information, see:

Timeline Controls

Key frame action buttons

Key frame time

The current time of the selected key frame. Type a numeric value to move the key frame to that precise time.

Add new key frame

Hotkey: “,” (comma). Adds a key frame at the current time with the current position and orientation of the selected object.

Update key frame

Hotkey: “.” (period). Updates the currently selected key frame with the position and orientation of the object. Overwrites any previous keyed values.

Delete key frame

Hotkey: “k”. Deletes the currently selected key frame. If multiple key frames are selected, all are deleted.

Frame navigation buttons

Go to first key frame

Moves the playback location to the first key frame in the active timeline, and selects it.

Go to previous key frame

Moves the playback location to the next key frame to the left of the current time in the active timeline, and selects it.

Go to next key frame

Moves the playback location to the next key frame to the right of the current time in the active timeline, and selects it.

Go to last key frame

Moves the playback location to the last key frame in the active timeline, and selects it.

Timeline navigation buttons

Zoom In

Zooms the timeline in around the currently selected key frame(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 key frame(s). The duration of the animation does not change, but the displayed time fits into the UI.

Editing animations

Animations can be adjusted by editing single or multiple key frames along the timeline.

Editing individual key frames

• Move a key frame interactively: click on the key frame handle (it will turn orange to indicate it is selected) and drag it on the timeline. The Key frame time will update with the current position of the selected key frame.
  NoteIndividual key frames can be dragged “past” other key frames in the timeline. This will significantly alter your animation!
• Move a key frame numerically: click on the key frame handle to select the key, and type a new time position in the Keyframe Time dialog.
• Delete a key frame: press the k key or the Delete Keyframe button.

Editing multiple key frames

Multiple key frames on a single timeline can be edited at once. This permits scaling of the key frames relative to each other, as well as movement.

• Select multiple key frames: Shift-click to add mutliple key frames to a selection.

  Each key will highlight in orange and the multi-key Edit Handles will appear in the timeline.

• Move multiple key frames together: click on the central arrows of the multi-key Edit Handles, and drag in the desired direction.

  

  NoteMutliple key frames cannot be dragged “past” other key frames in the timeline, and will stop whenever a selected keyframe encounters a non-selected keyframe.
• Scale multiple key frames together: click on the endpoint arrows of the multi-key Edit Handles, and drag away from the center to scale the selected key frames relative to each other. The key frame on the opposite end will remain in the same position.

  

Key frame animation modes

Key frame animations are created by interpreting the changes between two or more set key frames. The way the pivot rotations and transforms are interpreted can be changed by setting the key frame animation mode.

Set the key frame animation mode

• Position mode: Preserves object positions at all key frames. The animation between key frames 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 key frame 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 key frames 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 key frame.

  Changing the object pivot position will not alter the relative animation, but will affect object position at all key frames. This is similat 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.

Key frame animation limitations

• All transforms are keyed at once: In many dedicated ainmation applications, rotation, translation, and scale can be key framed and manipulated seperately for each object on a single timeline. In Showcase key frame animation behaviors, all three transforms are key framed together.

  For example: an object must move 10 units in 10 seconds, and rotate 90 degrees in 5 seconds. To acheive both of these, three key frames are needed. #1 at the intial (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 seperately from the main object. This allows each timeline and key frames to be adjusted independently, while the single object inherits all transforms.
• Rotation greater than 180 degrees:Key frame animation works by finding the shortest distance between key framed 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 key frame is set at rotation=0, and again after rotating the object 270 degrees. The second key frame 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 key frames at regular intervals less than 180. For 270 degrees, use 4 key frames. #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 will proceed 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.