Time Slider

The Time Slider controls the playback range, keys, and breakdowns within the playback range.

Note: The Cached Playback status line and Time Slider Bookmarks are not available in Maya LT.

Tip: Resize the Time Slider to make it taller or more compact by hovering over the top edge of the Time Slider until the splitter cursor appears and dragging it up or down. There is an Option Variable to configure the Time Slider splitter bar sensitivity if it is distracting while working in the Viewport: optionVar -iv "splitterHandleMargin" 3.

Current Time Indicator

The Current Time Indicator is a gray block on the Time Slider. You can drag it to move forward and backward in your animation.

By default, dragging in the Time Slider updates only the active view. All views can be set to update by changing the Playback settings to Update View All in the Time Slider preferences (Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences).

Note: See Customize the Time Slider if you want to change the colors and opacity of elements in the Time Slider.

Right-click the Time Slider to access the Animation controls menu, which provides easy access to common operations.

Key ticks

Key Ticks are red (by default) marks in the Time Slider that represent the keys you set for the selected object. Breakdowns are a special type of key displayed as green marks in the Time Slider. See Breakdowns.

The visibility of Key Ticks can be turned off or on in the Preferences window. You can also set the size and color of the key ticks displayed in the Time Slider. See Customize the Time Slider.

Selecting keys on the Time Slider

To select a key on the Time Slider, Shift-select it. If you need to select a range of keys on the Time Slider, Shift + drag across the Time Slider.

Time units

The ruler markings and associated numbers on the Time Slider display time. To define the playback rate, select the desired Time unit in the Settings preferences (Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences). Maya defaults to measuring time as 30 frames per second.

Note: By default, Maya plays your animation in seconds. You can change the Time unit type without affecting your animation’s key-based behavior, but it's a good idea to specify the Time unit before you begin animating.

Current time field

The entry field to the right of the Time Slider indicates the current time expressed in the current Time unit. You can change the current time by entering a new value. Your scene moves to that location in time, and the Current Time Indicator updates accordingly.

Audio

Right-click the Time Slider to open the Animation controls menu, where you can select the Audio rollout that gives you access to the Audio menu, where you can manage your Maya's audio settings.

When you import an audio file, its waveform shows on the Time Slider. See Display audio on the Time Slider.