Presets, keyframes and clips

Presets

Select a moving part, pick a preset under Preset, set its values and press Apply preset. The preset replaces the keyframes of that part in the current clip, sets the clip length and turns Loop on or off. Other parts keep their keys.

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1. 11. Open / Close: pick the motion
2. 22. Hinge axis: Y is up in the studio: a door or gate turns around Y
3. 33. Apply preset: writes the keyframes into the timeline

• Open / Close

  For:Swing open to an angle, then back. Doors, gates, lids, hatches.
  Values and defaults:Hinge axis Y, Angle 90°, Open at 30 f, Closed at 60 f

• Open (hold)

  For:Swing open to an angle and stay there.
  Values and defaults:Hinge axis Y, Angle 90°, Open at 30 f

• Rotate (loop)

  For:Continuous spin. Fans, wheels, windmills, rotating signs.
  Values and defaults:Spin axis Z, Speed 30 rpm

• Oscillate

  For:Swing back and forth around rest. Pendulums, levers, swings.
  Values and defaults:Swing axis X, Amplitude 20°, Period 60 f

• Bob / Float

  For:Bob up and down around rest. Floating, hovering props.
  Values and defaults:Direction Y, Travel 0.1 u, Period 60 f

• Extend / Retract

  For:Slide out a distance, then back. Drawers, pistons, telescopes.
  Values and defaults:Direction Y, Travel 0.5 u, Extended at 30 f, Retracted at 60 f

• f is frames. At 30 FPS, 30 f is one second.
• u is units, which are metres at real size.
• A negative Angle turns the other way. Two leaves of a gate usually need opposite signs.
• Only Open (hold) turns Loop off; the other presets turn it on.

Keyframes with the gizmo

For motion no preset covers, set keys by hand. Type a frame in the toolbar, pick a tool, select a moving part and drag the gizmo in the view. When you let go, the studio stores a key at that frame.

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1. 11. Play / pause (space)
2. 22. Frame: current frame of the clip
3. 33. Rotate (keyframe): turn a part in the view to set a key
4. 44. Set hinge / pivot point: drag the hinge in the view

• Rotate (keyframe)

  rotation around the pivot

• Translate (keyframe)

  position, relative to the pivot

• Scale (keyframe)

  size

• Set hinge / pivot point

  no key: moves the pivot

A clip needs at least two keys on one part to move. A key after the end of the clip makes the clip longer. Clear this bone's animation under the preset removes all keys of the selected part.

The timeline

The timeline has one row per moving part and channel. A row is named after the part's bone, the name shown next to the part in the list, such as bone_2, plus rot, tra or sca for rotation, position or size.

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1. 11. bone · rot: one row per moving part and channel
2. 22. Keyframe: drag to move it in time, click to edit easing

• Scrub: click or drag anywhere in the rows. The red playhead moves and the view follows.
• Move a key: drag it left or right. It snaps to whole frames and cannot land on another key.
• Edit a key: click it. Its easing and Delete appear in Properties.

The view at frame 30 of the gate, with both leaves open:

Easing

A selected key offers four easings: linear, easeIn, easeOut, easeInOut. They shape how the motion speeds up and slows down around the key.

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1. 11. easeInOut: how the motion speeds up and slows down around this key
2. 22. Delete: removes this key

Clips, duration, FPS and loop

A prop can carry several clips, for example open and close for a door that stays open between them.

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1. 11. Name (in-game clip): the clip name your script plays
2. 22. Duration (frames): 60 frames at 30 FPS = 2 seconds
3. 33. Loop: repeats the clip in game

• Name (in-game clip)

  The clip name your script plays. Lower case, digits and underscores.

• Duration (frames)

  The length. New clips start with 60.

• FPS

  Frames per second for the whole prop, 1 to 240, 30 at the start.

• Loop

  Repeats the clip when the test command plays it.

• The + next to Clip in the Rig column adds a clip; the menu below it switches between clips. Each clip has its own keys.
• The test command in the resource plays the first clip. Your own script can play any of them; see Playing it from your own script.
• Every clip needs keys. A clip without keyframes makes the render fail, and clips cannot be deleted yet. Only add a clip you are going to animate.