Reference Material - Graph Editor

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reference materialGraph Editor

What is the Graph Editor? This control panel gives more detailed control over keyframe settings. Each animation channel (rotation, position, etc.) is displayed within a 2-dimensional graph, time measured across the bottom, channel settings measured vertically. The Time Slider, or the gray bar running vertically across the curve edit window, adjusts the current frame of the Layout. The Graph Editor can be found within Lightwave Layout, Actions Tab Tools. Contents Covered Selecting Curves \| Saving Curves \| Loading Curves \| Editing Curves Selecting Keyframes \| Copying and Pasting Keyframes Editing Modes \| Footprints \| Options Incoming Curve Settings Scale and Move Keys Undo and Curve Restore Options	The Graph Editor has distinct areas that will be referred to in the following material.


Selecting Curves to Edit Single elements (objects, lights, camera) Double click any item in the scene list to activate editing mode - it will then become active in the curve bin window, REPLACING from view any curves in the edit window previously. Multiple elements Individual channels from multiple elements can be added to the editing group by: 1. selecting within the scene list window with the LMB and dragging into the Curve Bin, 2. holding the shift or control key to select multiple contiguous or multiple non-continguous, then dragging selected items to the Curve Bin. Saving Curves / Loading Curves From the Curve Bin pop-up menu, select the curve to save. RMB to reveal the pop-up menu. Select Save and direct the file broswer to save to your hard drive node. Files will be saved as .mot files. It is helpful to create a Motions folder to store these types of files. To replace the curve information with a saved .mot file, select the curve from the Curve Bin window and RMB click to reveal the pop-up menu, choose Replace. Direct file browser to the location where the file is saved and click "Open". Editing Curves Curves from ANY item can be added to the Bin to compare motion relationships - simple as a model - or to edit them ALL simultaneously. Curves and keyframes within curves can be cut, copied or pasted.	Drag channels from Scene List to Curve Bin	Curve Bin pop-up menu (RMB)


Selecting Keyframes along the Curves Keys appear along curves as white "x's" - when not selected; as yelow dots - when selected; grey dots - when locked. 1. LMB click selects. 2. LMB click while holding the shift key, selects multiple keys. 3. RMB drag lasso around multiple frames (also multiple channels). 4. Select ALL keys, by holding the key and double clicking within the edit window. Deselecting Keys This is a toggle function, after a key is already selected, selecting it again, will deselect it: 1. LMB click on previously selected frames, deselects. 2. RMB drag lasso around frames previously selected, deselects. 3. LMB immediately outside the Curve Edit Window interface.	Keyframe status


Copying and Pasting Single Keyframes To edit single keyframes, RMB click over the keyframe to reveal pop-up window of options of Copy/Paste. Copying and Pasting Multiple Keys Another pop-up menu is available when working in the Curve Edit Window. It only appears when Ctrl + Shift + LMB click over the graph. This pop-up menu performs standard types of operations to MULTIPLE keyframes. Select multiple keys first. To paste multiple frames, the pointer must be placed over the curve - actually along the spline. Ctrl + Shift + LMB will reveal the pop-up to paste. Keyframes positioned after the insert point along the spline will be moved over. Keys Sets / Key Bin Frames (single and multiple) can be stored in key sets. Select key(s) and Ctrl + Shift + LMB to reveal pop-up menu. Choose "Add to Key Bin" - Name the key set. To use these saved sets, select a point along a spline, or a keyframe singly, and Ctrl + Shift + LMB, choose "Insert from Bin" and then the sub-menu selection of the named key sets.	Curve Edit Window pop-up menu (Ctrl + Shift + LMB)


Editing Mode Selection Each of the four main modes utilize special hot keys and mouse controls. 1. Move < t > 2. Add < = > 3. Stretch < h > 4. Roll < y > These modes can be selected by the hot keys listed next to the mode above, or by selecting the symbol in the mode selection panel, at the bottom of the Curve Edit Window.	Each mode is represented by a symbol, the hot keys are listed in the window for each.


Using Footprints Using footprints to retrace your steps, is an alternative to using undo functions. A footprint is a "snapshot" recording of a curve that can be used as a model, original information restored - if changes are not desireable, or replaced with new information. All footprint commands are set a single channel at a time - even if multiple channels are selected in the curve bin. To set the footprint, select the channel to be edited from the curve bin. RMB click the curve's channel and choose "Leave Footprint" from the sub-menu. or select f. After making undesireable changes to the curve, restore the footprint-ed curve by RMB click the curve's channel and choose "Backtrack" from the sub-menu. or select b. To replace the footprint with the new information, RMB click the curve's channel and choose "Pick Up Footprint" from the sub-menu. or select r.	Curve Bin pop-up menu (RMB) Light green curve is the footprint reference for the green channel above


Graph Editor Options These options are availble once the Graph Editor is active, and "o" is selected. Or within the Curve Edit Window pop-up menu, Ctrl + Shift + LMB. Default Incoming Curve allows the default change of this curve setting. This is very helpful to set to linear, before setting camera keys, when wishing static camera changes. The rest of the items available in this menu are also available to edit through the Layout Display menu. To find out more about any single item, consult the Lightwave Manual located in the Class Files of the Start Menu Folders.	Graph Editor Options Panel	example of Key Info (LMB)


Reduce Keys The Reduce functions let you remove consecutive keys that are within a certain threshold value of one another. The threshold is set by selecting Set Threshold. Reduce Keys Submenu There are two modes: Reduce and Reduce (Recurse).


Pre Behavior and Post Behavior Settings Reset = The motion value is reset to zero. Constant Values = equal to the first or last keyframe value. Repeat = The motion repeats from the first to last keyframe. Oscillate = The motion is mirrored over and over. Offset Repeat = The motion repeats, but it is offset by the difference between the first and last keyframe values. Linear = The curve receives a linear angle consistent with the angle at the start or end points.	Pre and Post Behavior Settings


Incoming Curve Settings TCB Spline (tension F1, continuity F2, and bias F3) These three controls that determine the shape of a curve as it passes through a key. See the more specific Spline reference material on the individual setting controls. Note: The TCB spline settings generally limit effects to the more realistic. Hermite and Bezier When a Hermite or Bezier (incoming curve) key is followed by another key with the same incoming curve type, the (outgoing) tangent on the right side will affect the outgoing curve as well. Normally, the outgoing tangent will be unified with the incoming tangent. That is, they will operate as though there is only one tangent. typically this means the movement is smoother. You can break the tangents, that is, make them operate separately (and usually more detailed control and possibly more abrupt changes) by holding the ALT key and then dragging either side. To reunite the tangents, just double-click on either control handle. The opposite side will line back up. Linear This setting removes the gradual, smooth nature of a spline curve change and replaces it with more direct, sudden change. Linear affects the changes between the current keyframe to the previous keyframe only. By turning Linear on or off at different keyframes, graphs may contain both gradual and sudden changes. Stepped transition Holds the preceding keyframe value and then abruptly jumps to the next keyframe value at that frame.	Incoming curve settings


Numeric Scale Keys This setting scales the key times and values for selected keys. A Time Scale Factor of 1 means no change. A value of 2 would double the time and .5 would halve it. The Time Scale Origin is the center of the scaling. Therefore if this is placed at one selected key, the scaling will happen around it and not affect that particular key. This setting uses the units displayed on the graph. Value Scale Factor and Value Scale Origin work similarly except they affect the selected key values.


Numeric Move Keys This shifts the selected keys. Frame Offset is the number of frames to use for the shift. Value Offset is a number to add to or subtract from the value for each keyframe.


Undo and Restore Options Press Crtl+Z to undo the last thing done - one step only. Press Shift + u to restore all the curves to the state the graph editor was in when it was opened.

For any items or menus not covered here - see the Lightwave manual.


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