Select Keyframe Tool
You can manage time in the Dope Sheet using the Select Keyframe Tool. With the Select Keyframe Tool, you can place and create the Dope Sheet Manipulator. The Dope Sheet Manipulator lets you select, move and scale, as well as copy, cut and paste blank regions of time and regions of time that contain keys in the Dope Sheet. This is useful when you want to move, scale, mute, add or delete regions of time and keyframes and have the rest of your animation shift to accommodate the addition or removal of time and keyframes. For example, when a region of time and keys are cut, the rest of the time and keys in the animation will shift to fill in the gap created by the cut. When the time and keys are then pasted, the animation will shift to make room for the pasted time and keys.
Move Nearest Picked Key Tool
This tool lets you quickly manipulate individual keys and tangents with a single mouse action.
This tool differs from the Move Tool in that it will only operate on one key at a time. It will also operate on the closest selected key of an active curve without you having to precisely select a key point or tangent handle in the graph view.
Move Nearest Picked Key Tool Settings window
Double-click the Move Nearest Picked Key Tool icon to open the Tool Settings window for this tool.
DirectKey Options (Move Option)
Set one of the following options:
- MoveOnly
-
Disables the Move Nearest Picked Key tool’s ability to sweep throughout a curve’s keys (see MoveOver, below).
- MoveOver
-
The default setting enables the tool to sweep through an active curve along the curve’s keys, which expedites the fine-tuning of animation curves.
Insert Keys Tool
Choose the Insert Keys Tool to place new keys on an existing animation curve. To select the curve you want to add a new key to, click the curve.
The location of the new key is determined by middle-dragging along the animation curve. The key is placed when you release the mouse button.
The new key will possess tangents that preserve the original animation curve segment’s shape.
Stats fields
The Stats fields numerically represents a selected key’s time and value. You can edit them explicitly by entering values from the keyboard, or relatively by incorporating operators into the input. These operators are the same as those employed in the Channel Box. For more information, see Channel Box.
| Operator | Function |
|---|---|
|
+=value |
the entered value is added to the existing value |
|
*=value |
the entered value multiplies the existing value |
|
-=value |
the entered value is subtracted from the existing value |
|
/=value |
the entered value divides the existing value |
Frame all
This icon frames all the current animation curve’s keys in the Dope Sheet’s view area.
Frame playback range
This icon frames all the keys within the current Playback Range in the Dope Sheet’s view area.
Center the view about the current time
This icon centers the current time in the Dope Sheet’s view area.
Hierarchy below/none
This button toggles the Hierarchy Below option available in the List menu. See Hierarchy Below for more information.
Auto Load Dope Sheet buttons
This button toggles the Auto Load Selected Objects option from the List menu. See Auto Load Selected Objects for more information.
This button loads selected objects into the Dope Sheet View Area when Auto Load Selected Objects is not enabled. See Load Selected Objects for more information.
Open the Graph Editor
This icon opens the Graph Editor and loads the current objects’ animation curves.
Open the Trax Editor
This icon opens the Trax Editor and loads the current objects’ animation clips.