Animation Editor Preferences

Controls the animation editor and its animation explorer functions. These options applies to any editor that is displayed in the animation editor: fcurve editor, dopesheet, expression editor, or scripted operator editor.

For more information, see The Animation Editor.

To display: Do either of the following:

Choose Explorer Preferences in the animation editor.

or
Choose File Preferences from the main menu in the Softimage window. Then click the Editors Animation Editor icon in the explorer on the left of the Preferences property editor.

Animation Editor

Selection Tools

These options affect only the Select tool (press Y) in the fcurve editor.

These options make is easier to use the animation editor when you have many fcurves and keys. As well, if you're switching to Softimage from other 3D softwares, these options make the workflow similar to them.

Prevent movement on LMB

This option is off by default for the Softimage and 3ds Max interaction modes, but on by default for the Maya interaction mode.

With this on, you can select fcurves, keys, and slope handles with the left mouse button (LMB), but you cannot move them. This makes it easier to select or rectangle-select fcurves or keys without accidentally clicking on a slope handle.

If this is off, you can move keys and slope handles with the left mouse button.

Translate on MMB

This option is on by default for the Softimage and Maya interaction modes, but off by default in the 3ds Max interaction mode.

With this on, you can use the middle mouse button (MMB) to move fcurves, keys, or slope handles, which leaves the right mouse button free for using the context menu. To constrain movement horizontally or vertically, hold down the Shift key as you drag (the movement is restrained in the first direction that you drag after pressing Shift).

This option doesn't use the position where you click, so you don't need to actually click on the selection to move it. This makes it impossible for you to lose your selection by mistake in case you didn't click precisely.

On Multiple Selection

These options determine how the nodes in the animation explorer are expanded or collapsed by default when multiple objects are selected.

Fcurve Editor

You can select how the animation explorer nodes are displayed in the fcurve editor when there are multiple objects selected:

Expanded initially expands nodes for the selected objects in the animation explorer. This is on by default.
Collapsed displays only the object nodes for the selected objects in the animation explorer.

Dopesheet

You can select how the animation explorer nodes are displayed when there are multiple objects selected and you open the dopesheet:

Expanded initially expands nodes for the selected objects in the animation explorer.
Collapsed displays only the object nodes for the selected objects in the animation explorer. This is on by default.

Disable Auto Switch

Prevents the animation editor from automatically switching to the expression, scripted operator, or fcurve editor based on the type of animation found on the selected elements.

Animation Explorer

Sets preferences for behavior in the animation explorer.

For more information in general about the animation explorer, see Using the Animation Explorer.

Track Selection	Automatically ensures that the first selected node is visible in the animation explorer.
Parameter Sorting Method	The sorting method used by the animation explorer parameters: None (creation), Alphabetical, or Layout.
Max. Number of Curves to Display	The maximum number of curves to load in the animation editor when opening it or changing the selection. This can help prevent a delay when loading a large number of fcurves, such as with a branch-selected object. A value of zero (0) displays all curves. Although the slider goes only to 100, you can enter a value up to 30,000.
Auto Select Marked Params	Automatically selects the object's marked parameters that are visible in the animation editor when you open it. This selects the parameters in the animation explorer and also select its fcurves in the graph or tracks in the dopesheet.
Auto Select Newly Keyed Params	Automatically adds the object's most recently keyed parameters to the selection in the animation explorer. This selects the parameters in the animation explorer and also select its fcurves in the graph or tracks in the dopesheet.
Always Show Root Objects	Displays the selected object's root node at all times in the animation explorer, even if they don't match the filters in the Explorer menu. For example, if a selected object has no keyable parameters, its object node is still displayed in the animation explorer.