Timeline

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Timeline

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Parts of the Timeline
Timeline Navigation
Keyframes
Animation Tracks
Timeline Context Menu

Timeline is used for playing back the animation in the scene, but also for creating animation using Keyframes (for storing character poses) and interpolations (for smooth transitions between key poses).

Parts of the Timeline

Timeline includes several sets of tools.

1. Animation Cycles
2. Tools for working with Keyframes
3. Tools for Interpolation
4. Tools for working with Intervals
5. Fixing Interpolation on change interval/frame
6. Invert frame indicator hotkeys
7. Current frame time
8. Playback tools.
9. Timeline Settings
10. Animation Tracks.
11. Tools for working with Animation Tracks
12. Tools for adjusting the Timeline: length, first and last frames and the part available for editing.

Below, these categories are described in greater detail.

1. Animation Cycles

Used for looping animations.
Described on the corresponding page.

2. Keyframes

Used for storing character poses and positions.

2.1. Add/remove keyframes.

2.2. Mark a keyframe with a Label.

2.3. AutoKey tool.

2.4. Sets the type of Kinematics to be used on Keyframes.

2.5. Sets how user-made changes should be applied: to the current frame only, or to every selected frame.

3. Interpolation

Adds transitions between two (or more) Keyframes to create a smooth motion.

3.1. Sets the type of Interpolation.

3.2. Sets the type of Kinematics to be used on interpolation intervals.

3.3. Reset tangents: restores trajectory tangents to their default state.

3.4. Change interpolation: changes the way how interpolation is set.
On interval (the default value) means interpolation is applied to all currently selected intervals.
On current frame means it’s only applied to the interval pointed by the current frame indicator.

4. Tools for working with Intervals

4.1. Track Stretching Mode.
Changes the lengths of interpolation intervals while preserving their structure.

4.2. Interval Edit Mode.

5. Fixing interpolation on change

6. Invert frame indicator hotkeys

When this is set to F, the next/previous frame hotkeys (A and D by default) would move the current frame indicator to the next or previous frame.
When set to K, they would move the indicator to the next/previous keyframe.

7. Current frame time

Shows the time that corresponds to the current frame (marked by the Current Frame Indicator i.e. the vertical red line with a triangle on top).
Can be customized in the Timeline Settings window.

8. Playback tools

A set of buttons for playing the animation.
Described on the dedicated page.

9. Timeline Settings

Opens a window for customizing the Timeline.

10. Animation Tracks

Used for separating animation into a number of independent 'layers' to make it more convenient to work with.

11. Tools for working with Animation Tracks.

Used to create, delete and otherwise manage Tracks. Described on the same page.

12. Tools for adjusting Timeline

12.1. The part of the Timeline available for editing (and playback).
Drag the corners of this bar (or directly enter the numbers) to change the length of the available part.

12.2. The number of the first frame of the available part of the timeline.
By default, it is set to zero. Increasing this number excludes all frames that come before it.
The excluded frames are not deleted.

12.3. The last frame of the timeline.
Change this number to change the overall length of the Timeline.

12.4. The number of the last Keyframe on the Timeline.
Clicking this sets the end of the available part of the Timeline to this last keyframe.

All Timeline controls are also available in the Timeline menu.

Timeline Navigation

Move through the timeline by pressing the and hotkeys or by moving the red pointer to the frame you need.

Move between keyframes by pressing Shift + A and Shift + B.

Play animation by using the Animation playback controls at the right side of the Timeline.
Alternatively, press X or Space on the keyboard.

To instantly go to the first frame on the Timeline, press Z.

Left-click a frame to select it. A selected frame is marked with a black border.
Ctrl+Right-click a frame to select it on all Animation Tracks at the same time.

Select a group of frames by selecting one frame and then moving the black border left or right while holding .

Hold Ctrl and press either Left Arrow or Right Arrow to expand the selection on either left or right side.

Add or remove frames by pressing the or keys. New frames will be added (or removed) at the right of the selected frame

Keyframes

Keyframes (keys for short) store character poses and positions. If you edit a pose in a regular frame, the changes made will not be recorded. To adjust a pose, you have to create a keyframe for it.

Create a new key by selecting a frame and pressing the Add or remove frame button (or the hotkey).

Create several keys by selecting a group of frames and pressing + .
If the Auto Key feature (the small 'A' sign near the keyfarme button) is enabled, a keyframe is automatically created on the current frame when any changes are applied to the object/character.

Jump between keyframes by pressing or while holding .
You can also set the Inver Frame Indicator to K to get the same effect.

Move a key (or a group of keys) to a different place on the timeline by selecting and dragging it while holding

Note #1

If you move a key to a frame that already has another key, this another key will be deleted and replaced by the one you have moved.

Note #2

The first key in the timeline cannot be moved. If you try to move it, its copy will be created instead (this is because a timeline should start with a keyframe).

Copy a key (or a group of keys) by selecting and dragging it to a new frame while holding + :

Expand or shrink intervals between keys by adding or removing frames

To create an interpolation interval:

1. Select an interval on the Timeline.
This interval should be placed between two keyframes.

2. At the upper part of the Timeline, choose a type of interpolation:

Animation Tracks

The timeline can be split into Animation Tracks for a more convenient workflow.

Timeline Context Menu

The timeline context menu is summoned by right-clicking the Timeline space (where the keyframes and interpolated intervals are located).

Available sections and commands in the Timeline context menu

The contents of the Timeline context menu remain constant, no matter what animation tracks you select. This context menu contains the following sections:

AI description - a selection of motion styles that can be applied to the intervals on the Timeline with the AI interpolation type.
Interpolation type - a selection of interpolation types that can be applied on the Timeline. The interpolation type can also be changed in the dedicated Interpolation type selector on top of the Timeline. Influenced by the state of the Change interpolation on current frame/interval button.
Add|Remove Key - options to add or remove a keyframe on the current frame. Influenced by the state of the Change kinematics on keys on current frame/interval button.