Keyframes

Answers in this category:

1. How can I create or edit a keyframe?
2. what are 'avail' keys
3. How can I create a moving camera? Specifically, I want a camera to rotate around an object while staying trained on that object. Can't seem to move the camera after I make it use an IKA limb.

1 - How can I create or edit a keyframe?

Contributed by Nathan Vegdahl.

To create a keyframe:

Make sure that you are NOT in edit mode.

Go to the frame that you want to make the keyframe on (use the arrow keys).

Select the object that you want to make the keyframe for.

Move/rotate/scale the object to the position you want to make the keyframe with.

Press the I-KEY to bring up the keyframe menu.

Click on the kind of keyframe you want to make (position, rotation, size, etc).

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*HINTS:

The reason for the I-KEY being the key that brings up the keyframe menu is because a keyframe is more acurately described as an "indexed position".

Each object has it's own set of keyframes (i.e. pressing the I-KEY will only index the position of the currently selected object).

If you create two keyframes for a single object on the same frame, then the keyframe that was created second will over-write the first.

If an object already has one or more keyframes, then you must press the I-KEY after moving the object to make its position on that frame permenant.

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2 - what are 'avail' keys

Contributed by Daniel Jircik.

To do a basic keyframe animation start with frame 1, Say perhaps you are animating an IKA based skeleton, hit A Key to select all elements. I Key = AVAIL .Go to your next frame position , adjust your models and again A key selects all, then I key = AVAIL to record all changes. The only drawback is that it creates IPOs on all axis and sometimes produces eratic results when intermixed with other Key Frame Entries on a specific axis.

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3 - How can I create a moving camera? Specifically, I want a camera to rotate around an object while staying trained on that object. Can't seem to move the camera after I make it use an IKA limb.

Contributed by paradoxon.

it's simple.

1. place the cursor at the point your camery should follow.
2. in the first frame check if your camera looks at this point.
3. switch to "rotate around cursor" DOTKEY
4. the next step is to insert a keyframe I-KEY.
5. switch to the next desired keyframe.

remarks:
to move around a point i rotate for each keyframe 45° to make a sinus.

if you are unsure about keyframeanimation then check out the keyframe animation tutorials.

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