General-Purpose Controllers

The controllers described in this topic are general purpose in that you can apply them to parameters of different data types, yet they behave in essentially the same way for those different parameters.

Within certain general-purpose controllers there might be variations according to the data type used by a parameter.

See Animation Controllers for detailed descriptions of controller properties.

Bezier Controllers

Bezier controllers interpolate between keys using an adjustable spline curve; they are the default controller for most parameters.

Use Bezier controllers to provide fully adjustable interpolation between keys. Bezier controllers support the following options:

• Adjustable tangent handles.
• Step tangents for abrupt changes from one key to the next.
• Constant velocity control.

You can adjust the key interpolation by choosing among different tangent types in the Key Info dialog. .

TCB Controllers

The TCB controller produces curve-based animation like Bezier controllers. However, TCB controllers use fields to adjust the Tension, Continuity, and Bias of the animation.

Use TCB controllers when you want adjustable, curved interpolation between keys, and you want to use TCB style controls.

Linear Controllers

The Linear controller interpolates between animation keys by evenly dividing the change from one key value to the next by the amount of time between the keys.

For a rigid, mechanical motion, use Linear controllers.

Noise Controllers

The Noise controller produces random, fractal-based animation over a range of frames. Noise controllers are parametric; they do not use keys.

Noise controllers have many possible uses, as in the following examples:

• Use Noise whenever you need completely random animation around a given value. For example, use a Noise Rotation controller when you want an object to wobble in place. A common use for a noise controller is the creation of camera shake.
• Use Noise in a List controller to apply variations to the result of another controller. For example, use a List controller to combine Noise Position with Bezier Position. The Bezier controller moves the object while the Noise controller makes the object shake and stray a little from the trajectory.

XYZ Controllers

The XYZ controllers such as Euler XYZ and Position XYZ are specifically designed so that you have three separate curves, one for each axis. This allows you to independently view and control the curves individually. This has advantages over rotation controllers like TCB that do not display function curves at all. XYZ controllers are now the default for rotation animation.

You can adjust the interpolation between keys using the Key Info dialog.

Audio Controllers

The Audio controller converts the amplitude of a recorded sound file or real-time sound wave into values that can be used by an animated parameter.

Use the Audio controller to synchronize parameter values with a sound file. For example, use an Audio controller for a Multiplier Curve to scale a parameter in sync with a sound.