Curve Editor

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Tool Bar #

Icon	Label	Description
	Undo	Undo the last action taken
	Redo	Redo the last undo action

	Auto Key	Enables Autokey. This means that once a key has been set on a property, any changes to that property will automatically add a new keyframe at that time.
	Snapping	See Snapping
	Freehand Lasso	Selection will be made using a freehand shape drawn by the mouse.
	Rectangular Lasso	Selection will be made using a box drawn by the mouse.
	Solo Visibilities	Solo either a curve or a node to view it in a more isolated context

	Move Tool	See Tools
	Transform Tool	See Tools
	Key Interpolation Mode	See Keyframing
	Add Key	Adds a keyframe to all available curves at current time
	Remove Key	Removes all keyframes at the current time.

	Trim Start	Trim the start time of the currently selected node to the playhead
	Trim End	Trim the end time of the currently selected node to the playhead
	Key Pre Behaviour	See Keyframing
	Key Post Behaviour	See Keyframing
	Timeline Markers	See Markers
	Toggle Range	Enables the looping range. Useful for repeating a particular area of the timeline while working on an effect.

	Collapse Time Composition / Node List	Hides the Composition List Panel

Snapping #

These options control what kind of snapping will be used when moving keys or segments in the timeline.

Label	Description
Snap to Keys	Moving keyframes will snap to other visible keyframes in the Timeline.
Snap to Segments	Moving keyframes will snap to visible Time Segment Beginnings and Ends.
Snap to Grid	Moving keyframes will snap to the time and value grid steps.
Snap to Markers	Moving keyframes will snap to Time Markers added to the project.

Tools #

Move Tool #

The move tool simply allows you to use the mouse to drag select and move keys in time and value.

Shortcut: X

Transform Tool #

The Transform Tool allows you to adjust the timing and magnitude of keyframe animations. Drag a region around the selected keys and adjust the box size to re-time or adjust their magnitude.

Shortcut: V

Markers #

Markers allow you to to split your scene into sections visually, to help seperate different phases of an effect on the timeline.

Especially useful when working editing to music, to mark visually in the timeline where the verses and choruses lie in the timeline.

Label	Description	Shortcut
Toggle Marker	Toggles whether a time marker is active at the current time.	`CTRL` + `M`
Remove Marker	Remove a Timeline marker at the current time.
Got To Previous Marker	Jump the playhead to the next marker.	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Left Arrow`
Go To Next Marker	Jump the playhead to the previous marker.	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Right Arrow`

Playback #

These options control the playhead in Builder. They are available in all views, And each have a shortcut for speeding up workflows

Label	Description	Shortcut
Jump To Start Of Composition	Moves the playhead to the start of the current composition.	`Home`
Jump to Previous Key	Moves the playhead to the previous active keyframe, either in the whole scene or for the selected node if keyframes are available.	`CTRL` + `Left Arrow`
Rewind One Second	Moves the playhead backwards in time one second.	`Shift` + `Left Arrow`
Rewind One Frame	Moves the playhead backwards in time one frame.	`Left Arrow`
Pause / Play	Toggles Playback in the scene.	`Space`
Forward One Frame	Moves the playhead forwards in time one frame.	`Right Arrow`
Forward One Second	Moves the playhead forwards in time one second.	`Shift` + `Right Arrow`
Jump To Next Key	Moves the playhead to the next active keyframe, either in the whole scene or for the selected node if keyframes are available.	`Ctrl` + `Right Arrow`
Jump To End Of Composition	Moves the playhead to the end of the current composition.	`End`

Audio Controls #

These options allow you to control how audio is visualised in the timebar. Without an audio file in the composition, no waveform will be shown.

The expanded view can be a useful way to animate to wave forms, with a largr audio bar to work with you can time

Timecode #

The Timebar controls the playback of the settings for the composition, including the frame rate and the current time.

You can edit the frame rate by clicking on the FPS Box. this will open the FPS settings to control the Min/Max Fps, and whether to lock to this FPS or not. Setting the Min/Max is generally useful when rendering to video, where you need to see consistent results every frame. the Min FPS can also be useful to make sure Simulations (such as fields) generate with a consistent time step.

Composition List #

This panel shows the list of nodes in the scene, ordered by their hierarchy. You can also edit the time ranges the compositions and their contained nodes are active for.

Icon	Label	Description
	Solo	Solos the current Composition in the project. With ‘Compositions As Separate Effects’ enabled, only one composition can be solo’d or enabled at a time.
	Enable / Disable	Toggle where the selected node is active. Inactive/Disabled nodes do not run, and do not contribute to the scene.
	Pinning	Toggle whether this node is pinned.
	Keyframe	Shows whether this node has any keys.
	Enable / Disable Time Bars	Hides or shows a selected nodes time bars.
	Expand / Contract Embed	Expands the embedded node to show all its contained nodes.

Keyframing #

Keyframes allow you to animate the value of a property over time, by setting values on certain frames as ‘keys’ to be moved between. Notch will then interpolate between these values, based on the vairous modes available.

Interpolation modes #

Bezier

Uses a bezier curve to control how the keyframes move from one keyframe to another. Great for creating custom transitions, and dynamic animations.

Icon	Label	Description
	Auto Clamp	Automatically generate smooth tangents between points, but clamp the tangents so that cannot go above or below the previous or next keys
	Auto	Automatically generate smooth tangents between points
	Mirror	Tangents angle and magnitude are linked, so changes in magnitude and angle are replicates on both sides of the keyframe.
	Aligned	Tangents always follow the same angle, although magnitude is independent.
	Broken	Tangents have no relation to each other.

Linear

Linearly moves from one keyframe to another. Useful for simple transitions and changes of value.

TCB

Uses 3 parameters (Tension, Continuity, and Bias) to influence the transitions between two curves.

Label	Description	Example
Tension	Controls the Smoothness of the curve through the keyframe. -1 gives a rounder curve, while 1 gives a linear curve.
Continuity	Control the Sharpness of the curve at the keyframe. -1 gives a linear interpolation, while 1 inverts the corners
Bias	Shifts the overshoot to before or after the curve.

Useful for… people who like TCB curves. A bit legacy these days.

Stepped

Instantaneously changes from one key value to another. Useful for instant changes between keyframes.

Easing

Useful for quickly adding a quick transitional animation to a keyframe.

Label	Description	Example
Ease	accelerates from this keyframe at the beginning then decelerates at the end.
Ease In	Starts slow, but accelerates from the from this keyframe into the next.
Ease Out	Starts fast, but deccelerates from this keyframe to the next
Bounce	Bounces out of the current position then bounces in.
Bounce In	animates a simple 3 step bounce out from the current position.
Bounce out	Animates a simple 3 bounce into the next keyframe.
Elastic	Elastically springs from one keyframe to another, with a little overshoot.
Elastic In	Reverse springs into the next positon
Elastic Out	Snaps to the next position, and animates slightly to settle into the new position.

Key Infinities #

Keyframes can be set to repeat or continue certain actions indefinitely outside of the normal keyframe ranges.

Label	Description	Example
Repeat	The full keyframe animation repeats indefinitely.
Reset	The value resets to 0 after the final keyframe.
Oscillate	The values animation alternates playing back forwards then backwards indefinitely
Constant	The last keyframed value is held.
Offset	The full keyframe animation repeats indefinitely, but is offset by the last keyframe.
Linear	The last keyframes motion is maintained, and continues indefinitely

Overlaid View #

The keyframe overlaid view works to overlay keyframes from multiple magnitudes into one coherent view. this is done by breaking each curve up into to different scales, and rescaling them to fit within a rough area.