Animation (Settings) preferences

Auto Key

Auto key: Specifies whether Maya will automatically set keys on a previously animated object’s attributes when you change the values of those attributes. This preference has the same effect as the Animation Controls’ Auto Keyframe Toggle button next to the Animation Preferences button. This option is off by default.

On character sets

These options are available only when Auto Key is on.

For more information, see What are character sets? in the Character Setup guide.

Key Modified Attributes: Sets keys only for attributes that have been modified.
Key All Attributes: Sets keys for all attributes, whether they have been modified or not.

Rotation Interpolation

To set the rotation interpolation options, see Set rotation interpolation for curves in the Keyframe chapter of the Animation guide.

New curve default

Specifies the Type of rotation interpolation used when creating curves. For more information on rotation interpolation, see Animated rotation in Maya.

Independent Euler-Angle Curves: Calculates the rotation using three angles representing rotations about the X, Y, and Z axes, and an order or rotation. In this mode, the curves that define the rotation for a given node are represented in Euler-angles, interpolation is performed on each curve independently in Euler space, and keyframes may occur at your discretion—they are not synchronized with the other sibling rotation curves at the node. You can also animate a single rotation ordinate. This is the default setting.
Synchronized Euler-Angle Curves: Creates curves that have keyframes on sibling curves locked together as in Synchronized Quaternion Curves but the interpolation between keyframes in performed in Euler-space.

It’s useful to keep rotation keyframes synchronized because rotation is a composition of the three separate rotate values. Deleting just one key on a curve can have a dramatic and unexpected effect on the interpolation.
Synchronized Quaternion Curves: Calculates the rotation interpolation using three orientations about the X, Y, and Z axes, and an angle of rotation. The interpolation between keyframes is defined using quaternion interpolation. Keyframes on related curves are locked together. When you add, delete, or move a keyframe on one curve, the corresponding key is also updated in the sibling curves.

For example, if you drag a keyframe on the X curve to frame 14, the corresponding keys on the Y and Z curves also move to frame 14. The Graph Editor displays a quaternion key as a solid diamond shape.

Tangents

Tangents determine the status of curve segments when they enter and exit from a key.

Weighted tangents: Weighted tangents represent the amount of influence a tangent has on an animation curve segment. When on, all new tangents are automatically weighted. Weighted Tangents is off by default. See Edit tangents in the Keyframe chapter of the Animation guide.

Default in tangent

Specifies the default in tangent type. The In Tangent setting controls the shape of the animation segment before a key.

Spline: A spline tangent rounds the animation curve smoothly before the key. If the key’s Out Tangent is also a spline, the tangents of the curve are then co-linear (both at the same angle). This ensures that the animation curve smoothly enters and exits the key.
Linear: A linear tangent creates an animation curve as a straight line before the key.
Clamped: The clamped tangent smoothly rounds the animation curve (like the Spline selection) before a key unless the next key is very close. If so, the In Tangent and the previous key’s Out Tangent are both straight (like the Linear selection), making the animation curve between the keys straight. Clamped is the default In tangent type.
Flat: A flat tangent type sets the tangents before the key to be horizontal with a slope of 0 degrees (flat).
Plateau: A plateau tangent type eases animation curves in and out of their keyframes, flattens curve segments that occur between equal-valued keyframes, flattens keyframes at the points in their curves where hills and valleys occur, and flattens the first and last keyframes on their curves.

Default out tangent

Specifies the default out tangent type. The Out Tangent setting controls the shape of the animation curve right after a key.

Spline: A spline tangent rounds the animation curve smoothly after the key. If the key’s In Tangent is also a spline, the tangents of the curve are then co-linear (both at the same angle). This ensures that the animation curve smoothly enters and exits a key.
Linear: A linear tangent creates an animation curve as a straight line after a key.
Clamped: Specifies the animation curve is smoothly rounded (like the Spline selection) after a key unless the next key is very close. If so, the Out tangent and the previous key’s In tangent are both straight (like the Linear selection), making the animation curve between the keys straight. Clamped is the default Out tangent type.
Flat: A flat tangent type sets the tangents after the key to be horizontal with a slope of 0 degrees (flat).
Stepped: A stepped tangent type forces the animation curve to hold its value from the one key to the next key.
Plateau: A plateau tangent type eases animation curves in and out of their keyframes, flattens curve segments that occur between equal-valued keyframes, flattens keyframes at the points in their curves where hills and valleys occur, and flattens the first and last keyframes on their curves.

Animation Blending

The Animation Blending preferences let you specify the types of blends that can occur between object connections. For example, when you turn on the Always Blend with Existing Connections Animation Blend preference, you can then both animate and constrain a single object.

Always blend with existing connections

When this preference is on:

You can move or key objects that have existing connections such as animation and constraints.
When you key or constrain an object, Maya inserts a pairBlend node between the object’s existing connections and the new keys or constraints.
The Lock Output attribute is off by default for all new constraints.

Always Blend with Existing Connections is on by default.

Blend with all except constraints

When this preference is on:

You can only key objects that are not constrained.
When you key an object, Maya inserts pairBlend nodes between the object’s existing connections and the new keys.
Objects with connections cannot be constrained.
The Lock Output attribute is on by default for all new constraints.

Never blend with existing connectionsi

When this preference is on:

You can only key objects that have no existing connections.
Maya does not insert pairBlend nodes to blend object connections.
The Lock Output attribute is on be default for all new constraints.