Bezier Controllers

A Key Info dialog with identical parameters to this rollout is available by right-clicking a key in Track View or the track bar.

Key number—Shows the current key number. Click the right or left arrows to go to the next or previous key.

Time—Specifies when in time the key occurs.

Time Lock—Controls dragging the key horizontally in Track View edit modes.

X/Y/Z—Adjusts the position of the selected object at the current key.

Key Tangent—Two flyouts set the interpolation properties of the in tangent and out tangent of the key.

Choosing Bezier Tangent Types—Sets the tangent types for one or more keys in the same track using the In and Out tangent flyouts.

See Tangent Types for detailed information on each of the available tangent choices.

Tangent Copy—Copies the tangent type between the tangents of the current key or between the tangents of the previous and next key. Use the arrow buttons on either side of the Key Tangent flyouts.

The left arrow of the In tangent copies to the Out tangent of the previous key.

The right arrow of the In tangent copies to the Out tangent of the current key.

The left arrow of the Out tangent copies to the In tangent of the current key.

The right arrow of the Out tangent copies to the In tangent of the next key.

Choosing Bezier Tangent Types—Sets the tangent types for one or more keys in the same track using the In and Out tangent flyouts.

Bezier Scale Controller (Lock X)—Causes the X value to affect all three axes of scale. The Y and Z values are ignored and their function curves are not displayed.

When X is locked, the Y and Z values are not affected by changes in the X value. If you lock X when all three axes are at identical values, alter the X value, and then unlock X, the Y and Z values remain where they were while X retains its new value.

Controls in the rollout affect velocity in three ways:

In/Out—The In field displays the rate of change as the parameter approaches the key. The Out field displays the rate of change as the parameter leaves the key.

These fields are active only for keys using the Custom tangent type.

The number in the field is the rate of change expressed as parameter units per Tick. By changing the two values for X, Y, and Z you are changing the length and angle of the tangent handle.

Lock button—When on, changing one Custom tangent changes the other by equal but opposite amount. For example, if the Lock button is on and the In value is 0.85, then the Out value is -0.85.

Normalize Time—Averages the position of the keys in time and is applicable to any consecutive blocks of selected keys. Useful if you want to smooth out the motion and have an object that speeds up, slows down, speeds up, and slows down.

Constant Velocity—Interpolates values between a key and the next one in a way that makes the object move at a constant velocity across that curve segment.

Free Handle—Used for automatically updating the length of the tangent handle. When this is turned off, the length of the tangent is at a fixed percentage from its neighboring key. As you move a key, the handles adjust to stay the same percentage away from the neighboring keys. When this is turned on, the handle lengths are based on time lengths.

Create Position Lock Key / Create Rotation Lock Key—Makes the incoming handle of the current key linear, and the out going handle of the previous key linear. This is to prevent overshoot from the spline interpolation.

To use these two features, you must first create a keyboard shortcut in Customize > Customize User Interface. Look for Create Position Lock Key and Create Rotation Lock Key in the keyboard shortcut list and assign a key. Or you can also add these commands to the quad menu.