Extending the influence of a direction handle

Along with controlling the level of acceleration and deceleration, you can also extend the influence of a keyframe outward or inward in relation to an adjacent keyframe. Influence determines how quickly the Speed or Velocity graph reaches the value you set at the keyframe, giving you an additional degree of control over the shape of the graph. The incoming handle increases the influence of a keyframe value on the previous keyframe when you drag it to the left, and it decreases the influence on the previous keyframe when you drag it to the right.

To adjust the influence of a direction handle on the previous or next keyframe:

1. In the Timeline window, expand the outline for the keyframe you want to adjust. Then click the triangle to the left of the property to display the Speed graph or the Velocity graph.
2. Using the selection tool, click a keyframe and drag the direction handle left or right.