Waveform Controller
 
 
 
Command entry:Main toolbar (Curve Editor (Open)) Select a track in the Track View hierarchy. Track View menu bar Controller menu Assign Waveform Float
Command entry:Graph Editors Track View - Curve Editor Select a track in the Track View hierarchy. Track View toolbar Controller menu Assign Waveform Float

The Waveform controller is a float controller that provides regular, periodic waveforms. Created originally to control blinking lights, you can use it on any float value.

To view how the trajectory of an object is being affected by the Waveform controller, turn on Motion panel Trajectories.

Procedures

To use the Waveform controller to animate the visibility of a sphere:

  1. Create a sphere.
  2. Open Track View, and select the Sphere track.
  3. On the Tracks menu choose Visibility Track Add.
  4. Select the Visibility track, click Controller Assign, and select Waveform Float.
  5. Play the animation to see the effect.

To use the Waveform controller to animate the radius of a sphere:

  1. Create a sphere.
  2. Open Track View - Dope Sheet, and expand the Object (Sphere) track.
  3. Select the Radius track, click Controller Assign, and choose Waveform Float from the Assign Controller dialog.
  4. Play the animation to see the effect.

Interface

After assigning the Waveform controller, in Track View, right-click its track to display its properties in the Waveform Controller dialog.

List Window

Displays waveforms in a list.

Add

Adds a new waveform to the end of the list. The default waveform is a sine wave with a period of 10 frames and with an amplitude of 100.

Insert

Inserts a new waveform before the selected waveform slot.

Remove

Deletes the selected waveform. This is not available when only one waveform remains.

Move Up and Move Down

Shifts the selected waveform up and down in the list, allowing the waveform order to be altered.

Disable

Disables the selected waveform.

Waveform group

This group provides control parameters for the currently selected waveform.

TipUsing the Sphere example, you can observe the waveform in the Function Curve displays of the Track View, and watch changes in the waveform while testing the parameters described below.
Name

Contains the name of the waveform.

Waveform Icons

Specifies five waveform types: Sine, Square, Triangle, Sawtooth, and Half Sine.

Inverted

Flips the waveform vertically.

Flipped

Flips the waveform horizontally.

Period

Sets the number of frames to complete one waveform pattern. Spinner Value=float, 0.01 to 9,999,999

Duty Cycle

For square waves only, specifies the percentage of time the square wave is "on." Default=50, Spinner Value=float, 0 to 100

Amplitude

Sets the height of the wave. Spinner Value=float, 0 to 9,999,999

Phase

Sets the offset of the wave. Spinner Value=float, 0 to 1

Vertical Bias group

A waveform's output value can be altered by adjusting the Vertical Bias parameter. Spinner Value=float, -9,999,999 to 9,999,999

Centered

Centers the waveforms vertical bias about zero. For example, a 100 unit amplitude waveform would range from -100 to 100.

Auto > 0

Shifts the waveform above the zero line.

Auto < 0

Shifts the waveform below the zero line.

Manual

Lets you set the waveform manually by adjusting the spinner.

Effect group

Each waveform has an Effect parameter, which can be one of the following:

Add

Causes the current waveform's value to be added to the previous waveform's output. This is the default.

Multiply

Multiplies the previous waveform's output by this waveform's value.

Clamp Above

Limits the previous waveform's output to be above this waveform's value.

Clamp Below

Limits the previous waveform's output to be below this waveform's value.

Characteristic Graph

Characteristic Graph shows one of three displays, controlled by the radio buttons below the display.

This Wave

Shows the current waveform only, independent of all other waveforms.

This Output

Shows the output of the current waveform, including all previous waveforms.

Final Output

Shows the output of all the waveforms in the list. You can also see the final output by turning on the Track View — Curve Editor display for the track which has the waveform controller assigned.

All displays show the output graph of the controller waveforms in a solid dark line, with the zero line drawn in a dotted gray line. Two numeric displays to the right show the high and low range of the waveform curve. The graph automatically scales vertically to fit the waveform output curve, and scales horizontally to two times the period of the longest-period waveform.