Work with animation parameters in Alias

00:00

Let me use set keyframe, and by default, channels are created for all of the transform parameters, but not for the visibility.

00:09

And this is because the keyframe tools refer to what is set up in the parameter control window.

00:15

So, I can use this to, for example, limit the keyframes to only the X translate, and the Y rotate.

00:22

So, if I now delete these static actions and set the keyframe again, it only sets those two channels.

00:30

Let's do the second keyframe and set that.

00:38

So, it means we're not having to use Delete Static Actions all the time.

00:43

So, let's say I have another keyframe I want to set and roll this ball down the slope.

00:50

That's now going to involve a Z parameter.

00:53

But I'd be slightly cautious before doing that move, and I'm going to go back to my keyframes and I'm going to overwrite them

00:59

to include that Z parameter.

01:02

Otherwise, when I set my third keyframe, then this Z value will get baked in the only value, and my ball will stay at this level.

01:16

So, let's have a look at animating visibility.

01:20

And I'll do that on this slope part.

01:24

So, if I go back to the beginning and set that keyframe, I've only got the visibility set there,

01:30

and then if I go to keyframe 10, I can set the keyframe again.

01:35

And the only way to change the visibility is to do it on the keyframe value.

01:42

So, anything below .5 is invisible, and anything above .5 is visible.

01:48

So, if I play that back, my slope is appearing too soon, and that's because these keyframes are being evaluated from 0 to 1,

01:55

so halfway along, it becomes greater than 0.5.

01:59

So when I'm animating visibility, I'll typically use tangent type, which is Step.

02:05

And what Step will do is, it will hold that value constantly until you hit the next keyframe, and then it will suddenly change to the next value.

02:14

and we get our slope appearing when we want it to.

02:17

So, the Parameter Control settings are referred to in the Set Keyframe and also in the Delete Channels tool.

02:24

And it's optionally referred to in the Channels Filter,

02:28

where I can choose to filter what I can see on the screen using that parameter control settings.

02:33

Or alternatively, do it independently by changing the settings in this window.