Show Keyable Icons

The Show Keyable Icons tool provides a method for viewing and interactively tagging animation tracks so they can receive keyframes or be prevented from receiving keyframes.

• Track View > Curves/Display toolbar (Curve Editor / Dope Sheet) > (Show Keyable Icons)
• Track View > View menu > Keyable Icons

When on, Show Keyable Icons displays a key icon in the Controller window of Track View next to each track’s name. The icon's color indicates whether or not the track is keyable. To toggle the Keyable property, click the icon.

Red key icon means a track is keyable.

When the keyable icons are visible, click the red icon to turn off the track.

Black/gray key in a circle indicates a track is not keyable.

Note: When a track’s Keyable property is off and Auto Key or Set Key is on, the track is effectively locked; the associated value cannot be changed.

Warning: When you are working with Set Key animation and you have used key filters to select object parameters or materials, all of the parameters will be keyed unless you turn off the track's keyable property.

Tip: You can assign a keyboard shortcut for making tracks keyable: On the Keyboard panel of the Customize User Interface dialog, choose Keyable Property Toggle in the Track View group. By combining the use of keyable icons with key filters, you can use Set Key animation mode to add keyframes to just the tracks you want to work with, and avoid keyframing other tracks.

Procedures

Example: To make an individual track keyable:

1. Select the object in the viewport.
2. Right-click the object and choose Curve Editor.

   Track View opens in Curve Editor mode, with the selected object tracks expanded. If necessary, scroll to see them.

3. On the Curves toolbar, click (Show Keyable Icons). Alternatively, open the View menu and choose Keyable Icons.
4. Click the red keyable icons for the tracks for which you want to prevent animation.

   The tracks are changed, now marked with a black or gray key in a circle. These tracks will not receive keyframes. Only the tracks marked with red keyable icons will.

   Note: Keyable tracks work with both Auto Key and Set Key animation modes.

To make multiple tracks keyable:

1. In Track View, from the View menu, choose Keyable Icons.

   The keyable icon appears next to the tracks. The icon is red for the tracks that are keyable, and black or gray for the ones that are not.

2. Hold down the key and click each track to create a selection set of tracks for which you want to prevent animation. This can be for one or multiple objects.
   Tip: You can hold down the key to select a group of sequential tracks at once. Alternately you can hold down the key to select all tracks at the same level as a given track at once.
   Note: If you select just a parent track such as Position, the Keyable function will toggle all of its sub-tracks, even if they are not selected.
3. Choose Edit menu Controller Keyable.

   This toggles the keyable status for all highlighted tracks.

   Tip: Use the same procedure to make multiple tracks not keyable. The Keyable command toggles the keyability of the tracks.
   Note: If you have a mixed keyable situation, Keyable toggle the state of the first track and then set all remaining tracks to match the value of the first track.