Moveable Keyframes?

[Ravager]

Sorry to bother you guys again, but.... do you know if there is a way to move a group of keyframes in the choreography (possibly by using the timeline) to a different time in the choreography? kind of like Flash? And... if that isn't possible... could you make that possible in a future upgrade of A:M?

[Caroline]

Not quite sure if I understand what you mean. You do it the same way as copy/cuts and pastes in all other programs.

 

In the timeline, highlight by dragging a box around the keyframes. Then right click > copy and position the time to where you want the frames and right click > paste. Ctrl C and Ctrl V work too, and so does the Edit menu.

 

If you only want to move it a little way, you can also drag a box around the keyframes, then use the right and left arrow keys.

 

There is one tricky thing, to drag a single keyframe left or right with the mouse, you need to hold the 1 key down (not on the numpad, but above the Q), while you drag.

[Ravager]

that's funny... it wont let me highlight them....

[wedgeeguy]

Hi Ravager ....

 

Caroline is correct. If you need to copy keyframes that occur all at the same point in the timeline then you can do the copy and paste. If you are referring to being able to copy ALL the keyframes from a range of time (ex. all the keyframes that occur from frame 1 to frame 10) then, as far as I know, you can't just copy and paste that block of keyframes somewhere else. I would agree that this would be a nice feature. You can also move keyframes through the EDIT --> MOVE FRAMES option. I would recommend playing around with this because it will be a bit confusing at first. Personally, if I need to insert keyframes at a point in time and don't want to grab a bounding box around all the keyframes I wish to move that occur to the right, I then use the OFFSET option(found when you select EDIT ---> MOVE FRAMES). Position yourself in the timeline where you wish to insert the frames and then set the OFFSET to a positive number that reflects the number of keyframes you wish to insert. Make sure that SLIDE FRAMES THAT ARE ABOVE is checked so it will also move all the keyframes to the right as well. To remove frames you can also enter a negative number into the OFFSET. Be careful though because it may remove keyframes that you wanted to keep. Also keep in mind that what keyframes that are effected is dependent on whether you have the KEY BONE, KEY BRANCH, or KEY MODEL selected.

 

Hope that helps ...

Bruce

[Fuchur]

You have to be in the keyframe, not the channel-mode to move keyframes.

 

*Fuchur*

[Caroline]

copy ALL the keyframes from a range of time

 

I'm not understanding that one, as can't you can just highlight them by drawing a box around then move / copy:

 

keyframe, not the channel-mode to move keyframes

Technical term "channel"? Do you mean the spline mode? Because you can move the keyframes there by holding the 1 key down while you drag sideways.

 

Ravager - are you in the chor? Do you have the timeline window open? There are 2 timeline windows, one that you can open View Menu > Timeline, and one to the right of the PWS - in the two above images, I have used both. I think we need a screen shot.

[Fuchur]

Is there a difference between the PWS- and the real timeline-window? I thought they were the same?

 

But I didnt know the one with the "1" key (x-axis key in modellingwindow) neighter, so maybe there is?

I usally just jumped back to the keyframe-mode to move keys and the "channel"- or better spline-mode (didnt remember the name at the time) to manipulate the interpolation.

 

Thanks for letting me know.

*Fuchur*

[Ravager]

woah, the edit--> move frames option looks too confusing to me...... could someone point out what things do what?

Like these things:

 

 

 

Start: End:

Before: 00:00:00 to 00:00:00

After: 00:00:00 to 00:00:00

 

Offset: Scale:

00:00:00 100

 

_

|_| Snap frames to integers.

 

_

|_| Slide frames that are above range.

[Ravager]

Ravager - are you in the chor? Do you have the timeline window open? There are 2 timeline windows, one that you can open View Menu > Timeline, and one to the right of the PWS - in the two above images, I have used both. I think we need a screen shot.

 

sorry, i am not sure how to do a screenshot in windows..... and i am in the chor, and i am using the timeline from the view menu

[wedgeeguy]

Hello ...

 

Let me first apologize in my last attempt at helping. It seems that you CAN copy a block of keyframes to another point in time. So if you had keyframes on frame 0 .. and frame 5 ... and frame 10 .... select the area on the timeline from frames 0-10 ... cntrl-copy(keyboard method) or COPY from the menu option ... then move up to frame ... oh, let's say frame 20 ... now paste and it should now make three more keyframes at 20(same as frame 0) .... 25(same as frame 5).... and 30(same as frame 10). Looks like this will also work by selecting multiple bones or keyframes on muscle motion. I did have to fiddle with it a bit to figure it out but it is possible.

 

The EDIT --> MOVE FRAMES is confusing. Really I only use it to move keyframes up or down using the OFFSET option. If wish to insert blank keyframes but don't want to grab a bounding box around everything then this is the easiest. Here is a simple example:

 

Keyframes on frame 0 .... frame 5 ... frame 10

 

You want to insert 10 more keyframes between 0 and 5

 

Move to frame 0 in the timeline

 

Select EDIT --> MOVE FRAMES

 

Type 10 in the OFFSET

 

Leave SCALE at 100

 

Make sure that SLIDE FRAMES THAT ARE ABOVE RANGE is checked otherwise you will overwrite keyframes.

 

Press OK

 

New keyframe positions: frame 0 ... frame 15(previously frame 5) ... frame 20(previously frame 10)

 

But of course for something that simple you can just move the keyframes manually. But if you had 1000 frames and needed to insert more frames then it would be easier to do this then to try and grab a bounding box around 1000 frames. By using an OFFSET of a negative number you can move frames backwards but you must be careful to not to overwrite keyframes that you wish to keep. You can also use EDIT --> DELETE KEYFRAMES as well. It is easier then what I am explaining I am sure. Just fiddle with it and it will be come clear.

 

Again my apologies for the confusing everyone and for any future confusion I may add with this explanation.

 

Bruce

[Caroline]

Is there a difference between the PWS- and the real timeline-window?

I think they are the same, Fuchur, just shaped different, so you can see more objects on the one on the PWS, so you can select more keyframes. I usually use the one at the bottom, but if I have dual monitors set up, I use the one on the PWS. The 1 key works on the PWS one too.

 

Ravager - to make a print screen, click Shift + Prt Scr (That key is part of a group of 3 that includes Scroll Lock, unless you are on a laptop or have a Dell, in which case I don't know where it is). Then go into your graphics program, and Paste (Ctrl V). I use Irfanview as my graphics program for printing screens, as it is quick to load. Then you can draw a box around the part you want to keep and crop it (Ctrl Y in Irfanview).

 

Did you try doing a TaoA:M exercise, like Ex 5 take a walk? That might get you started. If you just watch the video http://www.hash.com/2007web/vm.htm, that might help too.

[NancyGormezano]

Looks like this will also work by selecting multiple bones or keyframes on muscle motion. I did have to fiddle with it a bit to figure it out but it is possible.

 

Fiddle is right. Many times I have tried this & I couldn't get it to work

 

However, the trick is to use right click to copy a group of keyframes (rt click, choose copy or use ctrl c) and then when you move to the frame where you want to paste, also use right click, choose paste or ctrl v at that "empty frame". Using Copy/paste from the drop down edit menu doesn't seem to work in this situation (at least not for me).

[robcat2075]

Is there a difference between the PWS- and the real timeline-window? I thought they were the same?

 

PWS timeline shows everything all the time

 

"Timeline" shows only what is selected OR things that were selected when you hit the tack button

 

their functionality for copy/paste operations seems to be the same