5

Working with your Animation

In This Section:

• Using the Anim Stats Window 188
• Using the Scene Info Window 191
• Editing Expression Controls 196
• Copying Channels From One Object to Another 199
• Deleting Animation Channels 202
• Deleting Static Animation and Flat Tangent Curves 205
• Creating Custom Playback Sequences 208
• Separating Animated Models into Components 212

Using the Anim Stats Window

The Anim Stats window displays the number of animation-related attributes for selected DAG nodes.

These following attributes are included in the window's columns:

Object Names

DAG node name. Edit it by double-clicking on the field.

Clusters

Number of clusters affecting the node or geometry below the node.

Constraints

Number of constraints affecting the node.

For example, if only the node's rotations are animated, channels would be 3 (X, Y, and Z).

Channels

Number of node attributes that are animated.

Min Frame

Earliest keyframe, if there is any keyframed animation. If there isn't, the value is 0.

Max Frame

Latest keyframe, if there is any keyframed animation. If there isn't, the value is 0.

For example, if translate, rotate, and scale were animated, and a new timewarp created, Param Curves would be 10 curves (we don't count the timewarp for every channel).

Param Curves

Number of parameter curves that are directly animating this node. Note that instanced curves are only counted once.

Expressions

Number of expressions that directly animate the node.

As with Param Curves, keyframes on instanced curves are only counted once.

Keyframes

Total number of keyframes in the curves that animate this node.

Sort By Menu

Nothing

Shows the nodes in DAG order, with the DAG type icon.

Type

Sorts the nodes by type, with the DAG type icon.

Name

Sorts by name (doesn't show the DAG type icon).

List Mode Menu

All

Shows all nodes in the system.

Constrained

Show all constrained nodes.

Clustered

Shows all nodes that are directly clustered; that is, the node that you see as a cluster member in the cluster editor.

Animated

Shows all animated nodes.

Active

Shows active nodes.

Hierarchy

Shows active nodes and all nodes below them.

Select Menu

Select all rows

Highlights all rows in the window

Pick selected rows

Does a model-pick on the nodes in the selected rows. If nodes on the same branch are highlighted, the highest node is picked.

Using the Scene Info Window

The Scene Info window has five sections: Clusters, Sets, IK, Anim, and Geometry. These sections display all attributes for the specified file.

Clusters

Clusters

The total number of clusters in the scene.

Multi

The number of multi-clusters in the scene.

Exclusive

The number of exclusive clusters in the scene.

Empty

The number of empty clusters in the scene.

For example, if a plane with 16 CVs was in 2 multi- clusters, then 32 CV memberships would be reported. This is a better indicator of the complexity of the model and the amount of work spent in cluster transforms.

CV Members

The sum of the number of CVs affected by each cluster, as opposed to the total number of CVs affected by one or more clusters.

Average CVs/Cluster

Average number of CVs per cluster.

Sets

Sets

The total number of sets in the scene.

Multi

The number of multi-sets in the scene.

Exclusive

The number of exclusive sets in the scene.

For example, a sphere that's in 2 sets counts as 2 members.

Total Members

The number of set members, as opposed to the number of objects in 1 or more sets.

Average Members

The average number of members per set.

IK

Handles

The total number of IK handles in the scene.

Multi

The number of multi-chain IK handles in the scene.

Single

The number of single-chain IK handles in the scene.

Spline

The number of spline IK handles in the scene.

Constraints

The total number of constraints in the scene.

Point

The number of point constraints.

Orientation

The number of orientation constraints.

Aim

The number of aim constraints.

Anim

Param Curves

Total number of param curves in the scene.

Keyframes

The total number of keyframes on all the param curves.

Average Keys/Curve

The average number of keys per curve.

Motion Paths

The total number of motion paths in use.

Expressions

The total number of expressions in the scene.

Channels

The total number of animatable attributes that are actually animated.

Actions

The total number of actions.

Static Actions

The total number of static actions.

Shaders/Textures/Lights

The total number of shaders, textures, and lights (that is, entities accessible from the multi-lister) that have one or more animated parameters.

Geometry

Surfaces

The total number of NURBS surfaces in the model.

Surface CVs

The total number of surface CVs, including overlapping CVs, for closed surfaces.

Curves

The total number of curves in the model.

Curve CVs

The total number of curve CVs.

Polysets

The total number of polysets in the model.

Polyset CVs

The total number of polyset vertices.

Polygons

The total number of polygons in all polysets.

Faces

The total number of faces in the model.

Trims

The total number of trim surfaces in the model, not counting those currently inside shells.

Shells

The total number of shells in the model.

Curves on Surface

The total number of curves-on-surface in the model.

Construction History Targets

The total number of construction history targets in the model.

Blend Surfaces

The total number of blend surfaces in the model.