When you activate footsteps, keys are created for the legs and feet according to the footstep pattern and timing. Leg and foot keys are set at each Touch and Lift frame, and between footsteps.
Although the parts of the leg (thigh, calf, foot, toes) can move and rotate separately, one key dot appears on the Track Bar and in Track View for each leg structure unless you have turned on separate tracks in the Keyframing Tools rollout.
When the foot is not in a footstep, you can move or delete keyframes, and animate or reposition any part of the leg or foot. Simply turn on Auto Key and move or rotate the leg or foot to its new position.
Animating Legs and Feet in Footsteps
The leg keys created at either end of each footstep are locked, meaning they cannot be moved or deleted. You can, however, change the animation at these frames, or add new keyframes within the timespan of the footstep key.
When the foot is in a footstep, you can animate or reposition the leg and foot to some degree:
- You can rotate the foot around its pivot point within the footstep.
- You can animate the pivot point with the Select Pivot option in Key Info rollout
IK bar. See Animating Pivots. - You cannot move a foot out of a footstep. If you do not want the foot to be in the footstep at a particular frame, change the timespan of the footstep key so it does not include that frame. See Editing Footstep Timing.