Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Track are no longer represented by solid
yellow lines. Instead, they are made up of
three small bars colored red, green, and
blue. These correspond to the individual X,
Y, Z or H, P, B channels of our object.
Take a look at frame 0. (You should still
have the Rotate tool active.) The three bars
tell us that there are keyframes here for
heading, pitch, and bank. Now take a look at
frame 10. Since the only adjustment to this
frame was in the Bank channel, the red and
green bars for heading and pitch are absent.
Instead, we find a single blue bar represent-
ing our logo's bank depicted here.
Just as a quick comparison, select the
Move tool by pressing the <
t
> keyboard
shortcut. You'll notice that the keyframes
changed. You see, the Channel Edit mode is
context sensitive. When the Move tool is
selected, the Dope Track will show keys for
the X, Y, and Z position. However, when the
Rotate tool is selected, it will show keys for
the H, P, and B rotation.
Take a look at the Quick-Info display. Do
you see the X, Y, and Z buttons? Even if a
channel is present (i.e., keyframes exist for
it), you can limit the Dope Track's ability to
tweak it by deselecting its button in the
Quick-Info display. Try turning on and off
the different channels to see how it affects
the Dope Track. When you're finished, turn
on all of the position channels again. Then
switch back to the Rotate tool. We're going
to adjust the Bank channel independently to
refine the logo's “on” motion.
1. Make sure that the Rotate tool is active
by pressing the <
y
> keyboard short-
cut. Then click on the key at frame 10.
This is the keyframe that we created to
restore our logo's rotation to 0 degrees.
By moving this keyframe, we can
adjust the timing of that rotation.
2. Drag the key for this channel left and
drop it at frame 8. Then, using the play-
back controls, preview your animation.
(See Figure 15-13.)
This is much better! The logo now moves
onscreen and finishes rotating slightly
before its “on” motion is complete. It hov-
ers briefly, then shoots off out of view.
Note
Keep in mind that the settings I give you
here are just a guide. Feel free to experi-
ment with different locations for each
keyframe. Remember, you are the artist. The
look and feel of this animation is entirely up
to you!
Our animation is just about finished. But
before we wrap up this section, let's take a
quick look at the Dope Sheet. Press
<
Ctrl
>+<
F1
> or choose
Scene Editor
| Open
from the main menu. The Dope
Figure 15-13
