Smoothing Rollout

Smoothing works on existing animation keys (that is, a solved simulation) to create more natural-looking animation. Use these controls if solving a crowd simulation results in abrupt position or rotation changes of animated objects.

• Create panel > (Helpers) > Object Type rollout > Crowd > Smoothing rollout
• Select a Crowd object. > Modify panel > Smoothing rollout

By default, smoothing works by reducing keys. As an option, it can also filter (average) existing animation keys to make changes more gradual, resulting in more natural motion.

Interface

Select Objects to Smooth

Opens the Select dialog, which lets you specify which objects' positions and/or rotations to smooth.

Filter delegate selection

When on, the Select dialog opened by the Select Objects To Smooth button shows only delegates. When off, it shows all scene objects. Default=on.

• Whole Animation (The default.) Smoothes all animation frames.
• Animation Segment Smoothes only the frame ranges specified in the From and To fields.

  From When Animation Segment is chosen, specifies the first animation frame for smoothing.

  To When Animation Segment is chosen, specifies the last animation frame for smoothing.

Positions

When on, selected objects' animation paths generated via the simulation are smoothed after the simulation has finished. Default=on.

Rotations

When on, selected objects' rotations generated via the simulation are smoothed after the simulation has finished. Default=on.

Reduction group

Reduce

Reduces the number of keys by keeping only every Nth key.

Keep every Nth key

N: Limits the amount of smoothing by keeping every other key (N=2), or every third key (N=3), and so on. Default=2.

Filtering group

Smoothing works by averaging the delegate's current position and/or orientation with those several keyframes ahead and behind. All keyframes used in the calculation can be affected. These settings let you control the number of keyframes used and the extent of smoothing performed.

Filter

When on, smoothing is performed using the remaining settings in this group.

Past Keys

The number of keys prior to the current frame used for averaging position and/or rotation. Default=2.

Future Keys

The number of keys after the current frame used for averaging position and/or rotation. Default=2.

Smoothness

Determines the degree to which smoothing is performed. The higher the setting, the closer all keys involved in the calculation are moved toward the average value. Default=4.

The highest available Smoothness value is always 6. The lowest available value depends on the Past Keys and Future Keys settings.

Perform Smoothing

Click this button to carry out the smoothing operation.

Note: If neither the Reduce nor the Filter checkbox is turned on, no smoothing is performed.