The Curve Editor

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.

 

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:

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.

 

To insert another key, just click where you want to place it.

Modifying Curves

You can modify a value by:

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.

 

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.


Selecting Keys and Curves

You can select curves and keys in several ways:

Deleting Keys

You can delete keys either by:

Deleting Curves

You can delete entire curves in several ways:



Navigating the Curve Editor

There are several functions to help you use the Curve Editor window.

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.  
  Deletes selected keys Delete
  Pan area Middle Button, Alt+Left Button
  Expand Curve Editor to fill entire screen Space Bar