This stage of the Curve Editor's development allows you to create,
see, and modify animation curves or Lookup curves. You can change the
curve type, as well as its cycling mode. For more information on specific curve
types, jump to About Splines.
Loading Curves
into the Editor
To load a parameter into the Curve Editor, click on the clock
icon next to the parameter:
.
By ticking it, that parameter is loaded. However, you haven't actually set that
parameter to be animated, unless it is already animated with on-screen controls.
You must continue to insert a key to animate that value by clicking on the curve
in the Curve Editor, or by using the Autokey function
on each parameter in the Parameter View.
You can unload a parameter by clicking again on the parameter button, or you
can hit Backspace to unload selected parameters.
You can also hit the
button. This will load all animated parameters from the current node into the
Curve Editor. If you want to view only the curves related to the
current node, hit
.
Adding
Keys
- Once you have loaded a parameter into the Curve Editor, go to the
Curve Editor Tab. There is one in the Functions Window, and another
in the Node View area. Either one is fine. You will see a straight dotted
line, indicating that there is a non-animated, constant value.
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Click on the line, and a key point will be created. You can either
drag it around, or, if it is still selected, you can enter numerical
values in the windows at the bottom of the Curve Editor:
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Since there is only one key, you still have a constant value, i.e.
no animation. However, there is now a Hermite curve in the actual original
parameter window at the bottom. To add a second key, click again.
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To insert another key, just click where you want to place it.
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The second way is to use the Autokey function in the parameter window or the
on-screen controls . When these are turned on, you are entering a key at the
current frame whenever you change a value.
Modifying Curves
You can modify a value by:
- Grabbing a key or keys and adjusting position in the Curve Editor
- Changing its value in the parameter pages or on-screen controls when Autokey
is turned on,
- Select the key and use the text ports at the bottom of the screen as virtual
sliders (Ctrl+Drag) to change Key (its time) or Value.
For a tutorial on using local variables and expressions to control your curves,
jump to the Fan Tutorial.
If you are using Hermite splines, you can break tangents by Ctrl+clicking
on the tangent end. To rejoin the tangents, hit Shift+click on
it.
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By using the axis lock button
,
you can lock Y movement
or X movement
.
You can also use the right mouse menu directly on the button to select what
you want.
To change a curve type, select the curve by dragging over it,
and select the new spline type from the popup menu. See About
Splines for an explanation on the different spline types.
To change a curve cycle mode, select the curve and select the
cycle mode from the popup menu.
KeepValue |
This will maintain the end values off to infinity. |
KeepSlope |
This will take the slope of the curve at the two
ends and shoot them off to infinity. If your tangents are flat,
this won't do anything different than KeepValue. |
RepeatValue |
This will repeat the curve over and over again. |
MirrorValue |
This will repeat the curve, inverting it each time
it is repeated. |
OffsetValue |
This will repeat the curve, placing the first point
of the repeated curve sample over the last point of the previous
curve sample. |
For graphs of these types, jump to About
Splines.
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Selecting Keys
and Curves
You can select curves and keys in several ways:
- Drag the mouse over a segment to select a curve, or Shift+Drag
to add to the selection.
- Drag over keys to select them.
- Ctrl+A to select all curves.
- Shift+A to select all points on active curves
- Use the Curve List to select curves by name.
- The Current Only button at the bottom of the Editor lists
out only the curves in the currently loaded Parameter page.
Deleting Keys
You can delete keys either by:
- Selecting them and hitting Delete
- By moving the time slider to where the key is, and hitting the Delete
Key
button if you are using an on-screen control. This will only delete keys related
to the on-screen controls.
- By using the right-mouse menu in the Parameter View, you can
delete a key from any one parameter by going to that frame and selecting Delete
Current Key.
- If the key is on an on-screen control, you can also use Backspace
in the Viewer. This will only delete keys related to the on-screen controls.
Deleting Curves
You can delete entire curves in several ways:
- Select all points on the curve (Shift+A) and hit Delete
- Select the curve, and convert it to a Const curve type
- Go to the parameter in the Parameter View, and select Clear
Expression from the right-mouse menu.
Navigating the
Curve Editor
There are several functions to help you use the Curve Editor window.

- By dragging on either the Value or the Time axis, you will scale that axis,
with your initial click point as the center of your scaling.
- To pan on a specific axis, use Alt+drag on that axis.
- To pan both Value and Time, Alt+drag within the actual Editor window
itself.
- To scale both Value and Time, Ctrl+Alt+drag within the Editor window.
- To frame all curves within the Editor window, hit Home.
- To expand the Curve Editor full screen, hit Space Bar. Hit
it again to reduce it back down.
- You can turn a curve invisible by toggling its Visibility in the Curve
List. Click on the V at the top of the list to invert visibility
selections.
Right Mouse Menus and Hot Keys
Curve Editor Right Mouse menu and Hot Keys
Function
|
Effect
|
Hot Key |
Remove Curves |
This will remove selected curves from the Curve Editor.
It will not delete the animation. |
Backspace |
Hide Curves |
This will turn off visibility of selected curves. You can
also press the visibility button on the Curve List. |
|
Show Curves |
This will show selected curves. You are selecting curves
in the Curve List before doing this function. |
|
Toggle Visibility |
This inverts the visibility of all selected curves. |
|
Select All Curves |
Selects all curves in the Curve List. |
Ctrl+A |
Select CVs |
Selects all CVs on active curves. Therefore, to select all
CVs on all loaded curves, hit Ctrl+A and then Shift+A. |
Shift+A |
Zoom In |
Zooms in on the Curve Editor |
+ |
Zoom Out |
Zooms out on the Curve Editor |
- |
Frame All |
Frames all visible curves |
Home |
Frame Selected Curves |
Frames all selected curves |
Ctrl+F |
Frame Selected CVs |
Frames all selected CVs. |
Shift+F |
Toggle Frame/Timecode |
Toggles the time display from frames to time code. |
T |
Toggle Sticky Time |
When this is on, the current frame will be set to whatever
key you are modifying. |
S |
Toggle Time Snap |
When this is on, keys will snap to frames, rather than float
values. |
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Deletes selected keys |
Delete |
|
Pan area |
Middle Button, Alt+Left Button |
|
Expand Curve Editor to fill entire screen |
Space Bar |