Animation
Use
A range of animation tools can be used to create new scene animations, and to modify animation within files imported from other applications system.
Animation supports object grouping, the display of motion paths, changing pivot points, and keyframes. A key is a value fixed in time; single value keys such as opacity, and vector key such as position and color. Keys can be created and edited using the 3D Editor toolbar or the timeline.
The timeline shows time progressing in a graph-like display beginning at the left. It shows the keys for the currently selected object and is used to edit those keys. Various other animation Controls and options are available with which to create and modify animations.
The Animations panel displays a list of all the components that are associated with any animation in the current 3D file. A right-click context menu is also available, from where you can perform a number of functions relating to animation.
It is possible to create both a linear type animation where an object moves from one point to another like a pool ball bouncing off cushions, and a more fluid animation, where the object takes smoother corners. Animations can also be made cyclic; the entire animation is made to repeat from beginning to end. Repeated animation is displayed as dotted red lines in the timeline.
The following is an example of how to create an animation using the timeline, with a scene that includes the three objects as shown below.
Activities
Creating a Simple Animation
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Display the animation timeline and drag the bottom edge of the timeline downwards so that it is displayed in about 1/3 of the total screen space.
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Display the 3D Editor toolbar, and click
Edit Keyframes. A red box surrounds the time/frame slider for animation control. In addition, the 3D Viewport is highlighted red, and displays [REC] in the upper right hand corner of the viewport. -
Click one of the 3D Editor Navigation tools (for example, Move, Rotate, or Scale).
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Select the object or objects that you want to animate first.
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Move the time/frame slider in the timeline to the position to which you want to move the objects. The timeline’s purple “time/frame line” moves with the time/frame slider. This line shows the current time/frame. You can also move the line and time/frame slider by clicking at the frame you require in the timeline.
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Move the objects along their axes to the position that you require. As you move the objects, the related tracks, keys and axes curves are re-positioned in the timeline.
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Expand the current sequence in the timeline to view the related tracks, keys and axes curves.
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Move the time/frame slider to the next position to which that you want to move the objects.
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Move the objects along their axes to the next position that you require.
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Right-click in the timeline and choose
Track Properties 
TCB Interpolation
. The axes curves are smoothed out. -
Slide the time/frame slider back and forth between the frames. The objects move smoothly along the axes.
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Move to the last frame in which you positioned the objects.
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Right-click in the timeline, and choose
Track Options End Cyclic. This repeats the animation continuously. The repeats are displayed as dotted lines in the timeline. -
Click Forward on the Animation controls to play the animation.
Editing an Animation Using the Timeline
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Open the file for which you want to edit the animation.
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Display the animation timeline.
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Select the keys for the objects you want to edit and drag the key around the timeline.
Editing an Animation Using the 3D Editor Toolbar
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Open the file for which you want to edit the animation.
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Click
on the 3D Editor toolbar. -
Select the objects you want to edit.
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Use the 3D Editor transformation tools to edit the objects.
A key is created for the current transformation type in the current frame every time you edit the animation.
Manually Advancing Through an Animation
Drag the time/frame slider to move forwards and backwards through the animation.