Animating Components

Each position on the animation slider is a key-frame time. You may set the position and orientation for each object at each key-frame time on the slider. When the animation is played, 3D Canvas will interpolate positions between these key-frames.

As you set-up your animation, the currently selected object's path is displayed as a positioning aid. Colored points indicate key-frame non-interpolated positions. A red point indicates a path origin, or sub-path origin. Sub-paths are used to indicate a non-curved point in the animation path.

AnimationPath.gif (6772 bytes)

Button-ResetAll.gif (138 bytes) resets all the key-frames for the scene. This results in the loss of all animation information for the scene.

Button-DeleteSmall.gif (918 bytes) resets the currently selected component's animation key-frames. This results in the loss of all animation information for the selected component.

Button-Pause.gif (134 bytes) adds a single key-frame pause at the object's current location.

Button-AnimationPath.gif (129 bytes) will be in a "pushed" state whenever the object you are animating is at an interpolated position rather than a key-frame position. If not "pushed", you can click on this to cause the current animation time to use an interpolated position rather than a key-frame position.

Button-ControlPoint.gif (129 bytes) will be in a "pushed" state whenever the object you are animating is at a key-frame position. If not "pushed", you can click on this to cause the current object's position to become a fixed non-interpolated position.

Button-ControlPointFixed.gif (129 bytes) will be in a "pushed" state whenever the object you are animating is at a path origin, or sub-path origin key-frame position. If not "pushed", you can click on this to cause the current key-frame position to be the beginning of a sub-path.

There are times where interpolation will produce unexpected results. Our animation interpolator must be given enough information to determine what it is you intend. For example, if you want an object to rotate an entire revolution, you must provide a minimum of 3 orientations for the object. If you give only two orientations, the interpolator cannot determine if you wanted the object to rotate a half revolution, and then back, or an entire revolution.

You may also set-up a component rotational velocity using the Properties window. The Properties window can be accessed by right-clicking on an object and selecting "Properties". This form of rotational form of animation only occurs when you are playing or recording an animation.