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Track View

Track View provides two different graph-based editors for viewing and modifying animation data in your scene. You can also use it to assign animation controllers to interpolate or control all the keys and parameters for the objects in your scene.
  • Main toolbar > Curve Editor
  • Graph Editors menu > New Track View
  • Graph Editors menu > Track View - Curve Editor
  • Graph Editors menu > Track View - Dope Sheet
  • Graph Editors menu > Saved Track View > Choose a saved Track View.
  • Right-click the active viewport. > Quad menu > Transform quadrant > Curve Editor or Dope Sheet
  • Click or right-click the Point-Of-View (POV) viewport label. > Point-Of-View (POV) Viewport Label Menu > Extended Viewports > Track View > Choose New or a saved Track View.

Track View uses two different modes: Curve Editor and Dope Sheet. Curve Editor mode displays animation as function curves, while Dope Sheet animation appears as a spreadsheet of keys and ranges. Keys are color-coded for easy identification. Some Track View functions, such as moving and deleting keys, are also available on the track bar near the time slider, which can be expanded to show curves as well. The Curve Editor and Dope Sheet open by default as floating windows, but you can also dock them under the viewports at the bottom of the interface, or even open them in a viewport. You can name Track View layouts and store them in a buffer for later reuse. Track View layouts are stored with the MAX scene file.

The software remembers your last used Track View layout and automatically loads it the next time you open Track View.

Track View - Curve Editor

Track View - Dope Sheet (Edit Keys)

Typical Uses for Track View

Track View can perform a variety of scene management and animation control tasks. Use Track View to:

  • Display a list of objects in your scene and their parameters.
  • Change key values.
  • Change key timing.
  • Change controller ranges (see procedure).
  • Change interpolation between keys.
  • Edit ranges of multiple keys.
  • Edit blocks of time.
  • Add sound to your scene.
  • Create and manage notes about the scene.
  • Change the behavior of the animation outside the range of keys.
  • Change controllers for animated parameters
  • Select objects, vertices, and hierarchies.
  • Navigate the modifier stack in the Modify panel by clicking the modifier items in the Track View Hierarchy.
    Note: Tracks are created for animated vertices in Track View. A Bezier Point3 controller is the default vertex interpolation controller.

Procedures

To change the frames in which a controller takes effect:

    When you apply a controller or constraint to an object's motion, the frame range over which controller takes effect is determined by the current active time segment. If you then change the active time segment or the animation length, the duration of the controller's influence doesn't change. Sometimes applying a controller (such as Path Constraint) automatically sets keys that you can use to change this range. But others, such as Noise controllers, don't set keys. In such cases, follow this procedure:

  1. Select the object, and then right-click it and choose Curve Editor from the menu.
  2. Expand the object hierarchy to find the track or tracks to adjust.
  3. From the Editor menu, choose Dope Sheet.
  4. On the Dope Sheet, click Edit Ranges.
  5. Adjust the range duration by dragging its endpoints, or its position in the animation by dragging between endpoints.

    For more information, see Dope Sheet Introduction.

To select keys in Track View (either mode), do any of the following:

  • Click the key to select an individual key.
  • Drag a selection rectangle around keys to select multiple keys.
  • Hold down the Ctrl key and click to create discontinuous multiple key selections.
Note: If you are in Dope Sheet - Edit Ranges mode, you can use Select Time to select multiple keys.

To delete keys in Track View (either mode):

  1. Select keys on the curve, or on the dope sheet.
  2. Press Delete to delete the selected keys.

To force Track View to always display on a second monitor:

    If you are running a dual-monitor setup, you can force Track View to display on the right-hand monitor by editing a script.

  1. On the main toolbar, right-click Curve Editor, and then choose Edit Macro Script.

    The MAXScript script that opens the Track View - Function Curve Editor appears.

  2. Locate the line that reads: 
    if (trackviews.open "Track View - Curve Editor" layoutName:"Function Curve Layout") == true then
  3. Replace that line with this one: 
    max_window = getMaxWindowSize() --get Desktop size if (trackviews.open "Track View - Curve Editor" layoutName:"Function Curve Layout" pos:[max_window.x/2,0] height:max_window.y width:(max_window.x/2) ) == true then
  4. Save the script and restart 3ds Max.

This should open the Track View in a new session over the right half of the desktop. Assuming that a dual-monitor setup reports twice the width, this will force the Track View on the second monitor. On a single monitor, it opens it over the right half of the monitor. Of course, you could enter your own numbers like pos:[1024,0] height:768 width:1024 in case you are running two monitors at 1024x768.

To open Track View in a viewport:

  • Click or right-click the Point-Of-View (POV) viewport label, and then from the POV viewport label menu choose Views Extended Viewports Track View New, or choose the name of a saved Track View.
Topics in this section
  • Working with Track View
    Track View is the tool that you use to see a data-driven view of your scene and animation.
  • Track View Workspace
    The Track View Key window displays function curves and keys when in Curve Editor mode. When in Dope Sheet mode, the tracks can be displayed as keys or ranges.
  • Curve Editor Introduction
    Curve Editor is a Track View mode that allows you to work with motion expressed as function curves on a graph. It lets you visualize the interpolation of the motion: the object transformations that 3ds Max creates between the keyframes. You can easily see and control the motion and animation of the objects in the scene using the keys on the curves and their tangent handles. The alternative mode is Dope Sheet, which lets you work directly with keys instead of curves.
  • Dope Sheet Introduction
    The Dope Sheet editor uses Track View to display animation keys over time on a horizontal graph. This graphical display simplifies the process of adjusting animation timing because you can see all keys at once in a spreadsheet-like format. The alternative Track View mode is Curve Editor, which lets you work with interpolation curves in addition to keys.
  • Time Ruler
    The time ruler at the bottom of the Track View Key window measures time. Markings on the time ruler reflect the settings in the Time Configuration dialog. You can drag the time ruler vertically in the Key window to align it with any track.
  • Track View Quad Menus
    Right-clicking the Key window or Hierarchy list brings up a quad menu that offers instant access to tools. The menu is context sensitive, so its contents vary, depending on what is highlighted. For example, when the Hierarchy list is active, you can assign copy and paste controllers, and open properties which you can animate. You can set the Auto Expand and Manual Navigation controls to change the behavior of the Controller window display.
  • Track View Hierarchy
    The Track View Controller window (by default, the left-hand pane of the Track View dialog) displays elements in your scene in a hierarchical list called the Hierarchy list.
  • Track View Menu Bar
    A menu bar appears at the top of Track View in both Curve Editor and Dope Sheet modes and the expanded track bar layout. The Track View menu bar is contextual; it changes slightly between Curve Editor and Dope Sheet modes.
  • Track View Toolbars
    Track View has a number of toolbars for managing controllers and animation. The toolbars can be floated, docked, and rearranged as you like. (Most toolbar commands are also available from the Track View menu bar.)
  • Filtering Track View Display
    Filters lets you determine which categories of items appear in Track View. When you click the Filters button, Track View opens the Filters dialog.
  • Managing Controllers
    Track View gives you a range of tools for working with directly with controllers, as opposed to the underlying animation data.
  • Editing Keys
    Topics in this section relate to editing animation keys in Track View. Some tools work the same in both Curve Editor and Dope Sheet modes; others apply specifically to one or the other or vary in function depending on the context. The former appear at the start of this section; the latter appear in sub-sections after the general commands.
  • Editing Tracks: Copying, Pasting, and Handling Instances and References
    These topics describe how to copy and paste within Track View.
  • Note Tracks and Visibility Tracks
    Track View provides two special track types: Note and Visibility. Note tracks let you annotate keys with information such as what the key is doing or how you plan to edit it, and Visibility tracks let you change an object's visiblity during an animation.
  • Managing Track View Windows
    Controls for managing Track View windows are on the 3ds Max Graph Editors menu.
  • Customizing the Track View Window
    The Track View user interface is fully customizable. There are many ways you can change the UI to suit your needs.
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