Interactive Key Framing

[jasonwestmas]

I was taking a closer look at Dope Track today mainly because I don't want to have the graph editor open all the time. In the manual I found that there are actually hot keys for:

-create key=> double-click LMB

and

-copy keys=> select keys in dope track and then press Alt LMB.

Interestingly enough, the manual doesn't say anything about the hot keys for

-cut keys

or

-paste keys

um why not, if I'm going to copy keys with using hot keys you would think there would be a hot key combo for pasting keys.

Are there hot keys for those functions? I really don't like having to do a RMB pull down menu every time I do this.

[jasonwestmas]

Oh, I got it. . .I have to hold alt-LMB, and then drag the copied key to another point on the time line. Good to know ;) I wish I could scale and proportionally move the keys that way.

[jasonwestmas]

A cool little feature I found for keeping motion channels clean is that if I turn on the edit channel mode in the dope track (RMB Menu); double clicking on the dope track to create a key will only keyframe the channels of the tool that you have active. So if the translate tool is active, only translation data is recorded when you double click on the dope track. Kinda beats having to press the return key; then turn off the scale and rotation; and then press the return key again.

Edit: Channel mode doesn't work too well with favorite selection sets though. After you double click on the dope track the key value you create causes ALL the motion channels for the selection set to change to the same value for that keyframe. I probably won't be using that then. :(

[vncnt]

Interesting these "hidden" features...

[jeric_synergy]

Interesting these "hidden" features...
If by "interesting" you mean "disgusting that they aren't clearly DOCUMENTED".

{Insert WIKI-documentation argument here, again. }

BTW, omissions in the documentation are considered a BUG by newtek, and can be reported through their usual bug-reporting mechanisms.

EVEN if the documentation is technically included, if it's damn near impossible to FIND, that qualifies as a bug.

[jasonwestmas]

Yes, I figured out some of this by pure accident and by guessing.

[jeric_synergy]

Yes, I figured out some of this by pure accident and by guessing.
Please submit to NewTek as a documentation bug.

[jeric_synergy]

A cool little feature I found for keeping motion channels clean is that if I turn on the edit channel mode in the dope track (RMB Menu); double clicking on the dope track to create a key will only keyframe the channels of the tool that you have active. So if the translate tool is active, only translation data is recorded when you double click on the dope track. Kinda beats having to press the return key; then turn off the scale and rotation; and then press the return key again.
Nice.

I'd say this is IMPLIED, but TMK never explicitly mentioned in the dox. :devil: Unless there are bugs, when in Channel Edit Mode all operations should be governed by the enabling status of the various channels. So both MOVING and MAKING keyframes would be governed by the channel enablers.

I like EXPLICIT information in dox, even redundant information, since sometimes it is hard to divine the implications of a dryly worded explanation. IOW, examples are king.

[MaDDoX]

If by "interesting" you mean "disgusting that they aren't clearly DOCUMENTED".[/B]

Yeah, I suspect the dope track was added to Lightwave in tandem with IKBoost, and we all know how well documented some of the latest features were/are :)

[jeric_synergy]

Yeah, I suspect the dope track was added to Lightwave in tandem with IKBoost, and we all know how well documented some of the latest features were/are :)
Oh yeahhhh: Larry S, the only guy who seems to understand IKB, said that the pairing of the two makes them very powerful.

That is, he uses DopeTrack a LOT when he's using IKB.

[MaDDoX]

Oh yeahhhh: Larry S, the only guy who seems to understand IKB, said that the pairing of the two makes them very powerful.
Well, I've watched a ton of his videos back then and I can say I understand IKBoost fine, no biggie. What made Larry and that other guy from the defunct www.ikboost.com special is that they are most probably the only guys in Lightwave history who seemed to get to grips and be comfortable with IKB *baking*, that is for sure :)