Copying Dissolve Envelopes - Help

[sgregerson]

:help:

I have to create the same dissolve envelope for many objects, but from the graph editor I cannot figure out how to save the envelope I have set up or at least copy all the keys and past them to the other objects dissolve envelope. The same goes for simply duplicating keys. I don't want to turn on repeat, I only want to easily copy the original keyframes and paste them one or two more times.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards,
Steve

[Dodgy]

Select your keys, ctrl-rmb drag them further down the timeline...

[Wonderpup]

You can also copy and paste the curve from one objects dissolve channel to anothers.

[sgregerson]

I appreciate the tip on the Ctrl+RMB, just noticed it at the bottom of the graph editor. duh how'd I miss it after using it a million times.

However, I still can't figure out how to copy from one envelope to another. I guess I don't know how to do the curve copy and the drop down shows copy, but no paste. see attached.

Thanks again for all the input.

Regards,
Steve

[WShawn]

Steve:

You want to be copying your channels from the Channel panel, not the Keys pulldown. Right click on your Taffy Boxclosed (1).Dissolve in the Channels panel and select Copy. Then bring up the dissolve channels for your other objects in the Channels panel, right click on each one and select paste. That will copy the entire dissolve channel to that object.

An even more efficient way to do this would be to use a very simple expression for the dissolve channel on the objects. Say you have 30 objects that you want to all dissolve in and out, but then you decide to tweak the envelope. Instead of dragging around the keyframes of all 30 objects you could create an expression that ties the dissolve channels of 29 objects to one object.

Just go to the Expressions tab and select New. Give it a name like Dissolves. Under Value delete the word "value", right click your Taffy Boxclosed (1).Dissolve channel and select Append to Expression. Your expression value should now say [Taffy Boxclosed (1).Dissolve]. Now select the dissolve channel of one of the other objects and click "Apply" under the Expressions tab. A dot will appear next to the object channel meaning that its dissolve envelope is being controlled by the expression. Apply the expression to all of the other objects you want to dissolve at the same time as the Taffy Boxclosed (1).Dissolve object. Then, if you want to change the timing you would just change it on the Taffy Boxclosed (1).Dissolve object and all the other objects would follow suit.

Good luck with your project.

Shawn Marshall
Marshall Arts Motion Graphics

[sgregerson]

Thanks a ton!

I think I'm getting to old for this. I'm embarrased to say I've been animating in LW since Amiga 1.0. However, every time Newtek does an upgrade they switch all the buttons and functions around. Took me forever just to switch from LW5.6 to 7. I ordered 8 last year and still havn't switched because the moved things around again. Love the product. Hate to relearn things.

Thanks Again!

Steve:thumbsup:

[toby]

Another option you have is to select your keys, press 'c' then move the mouse to where you want the first key pasted and press 'v'.

One more option is to r-click the channel on the left, choose 'save', save it as .mot in a 'motions' folder, and to load it to another channel choose 'replace' ( why it's replace instead of load I'll never know )

[Dodgy]

c doesn't work on multiple curves, though ctrl-rmb does :)