Animation timeline reference

Specifies the duration in seconds for each of the actions that comprise an animation. Plays the actions in an animation in sequence, or plays actions specified in the timeline. When opened, activates the last animation.

Access:

Ribbon: Render tab Animate panel Animation Timeline On the Render tab, Animate panel, click an animation command. Both the animation command and the timeline are displayed.

Controls

Plays the animation in the graphics area without rendering, and records a rendered version of the animation.

	Go to start	Sets the current time to zero, which is the start of the animation.
	Play animation	Plays the animation. Changes to Stop Animation during playback.
	Stop Animation	Plays the animation. Changes back to Play Animation.
	Play animation in reverse	Plays the animation in reverse.
	Current time mark	Moves the slider to the time location you enter. Accepts input to one decimal place, representing a one tenth second interval.
	Go to End	Moves the current time to the end of the animation.
	Toggle Repeat	Repeats the previous action in a continuous loop. The default acceleration is Constant Speed.
	Record animation	Opens the Render Animation dialog box, Output property page, where you record the rendered version of the animation.
	Add camera action	Creates a camera action ending at the current time, with properties of the active view. Not available if Current View is selected in the Active Camera box.
	Camera list	Sets the active camera for playback.
	Animation Options	Opens the Animation Options dialog box.
	Expand Action Editor or Collapse Action Editor	Displays and hides the Action Editor and browser for animations. Action Editor Edits time for actions in a spreadsheet view of multiple actions represented by bars. You can drag the start, end, and finish of each bar to a new position. Animation Browser Displays a tree containing animated: Cameras. Components and constraints. This abridged version of the model hierarchy includes all ancestors of animated components up to the top assembly. User parameters. Constraints can be suppressed as an action.

Slider

Controls the time span for each segment of an animation, and plays segments separately or in sequence. You can drag the slider from one position to another.

Sets the current time to a specified position on the time bar.

Arrows	Use the previous or next arrows to move the animation one unit of time as measured in the current time scale.
Current time mark	Indicates the current time position in the animation with a transparent box traveling over the time bar. You can drag the box to move from one position to another.
Time bar	Displays the timeline and provides a visual indication of the time scale.

Note: When creating animations in the timeline and rendering them, be sure to deactivate any production nodes unless you are working in a production. Because productions access all animations they are considered a higher priority and, when active, take precedence over active animations.