I have a question about the timeline... I have made some screenshots to explain me better.
This is timeline that show different layers for each objects in the scene, this is great for me because I can see everything in the timeline, with his frames and name, also I could select all the frames and expand it, move it...
In the time of AS I miss this layers in the timeline, I dont know how to show all the layers and I need select each bone or object to see the frames in the timeline.
It's possible to see all the animated layers in the same timeline like the first photo?
The top timeline you show looks like it's from Cinema 4D. I also use Cinema 4D and I like the timeline layer feature it has, where it shows the animation attributes for all objects at the same time. AS will not do this. The AS timeline only shows the keys and attributes only for the one layer that is selected in the Layer palette at the right (the layers that contain objects). It won't show more than one object layer at a time. The Sequencer, however, shows all the object layers, but does not show their keyframes or the attributes that are animated. Using the Sequencer you can take an objects animation track and move the whole thing forward or backward in time, which can be very useful. But sometimes I want to see the keyframes for several object layers at the same time so I can precisely line things up. AS will not do this.
And yes, is Cinema 4D, in fact... I dont know other software with out timeline-layers... Flash, TB, TVP, AE, Maya, Max, XSI... all of this have layers in the timeline, for me is a important thing, and one necessary tool to animate.
Yup, sad that AS pro, isn't. Once upon a time there was a little check box that showed all channels, active and inactive. Now one has to play games to add a null on a unseen channel. The people who deiced what is useful are stupid.
dueyftw wrote:Yup, sad that AS pro, isn't. Once upon a time there was a little check box that showed all channels, active and inactive. Now one has to play games to add a null on a unseen channel. The people who deiced what is useful are stupid.
This thread is not about that, Dueyftw. And I think hidding the channels is very useful. Maybe I'm stupid, but in that stupidness I create tons of animations. It's weird.
About the original topic, I also would like to see channels from different layers at once. We have discussed about that with SM and, personally, I'm hopeful that could be covered in a next version. Meanwhile, you can use the Rudiger's nudge keys tool script. It's not a perfect solution, but it's full of features and let you move keyframes from different layers at once.
Last edited by Víctor Paredes on Thu Mar 15, 2012 4:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Someone is asking why the program doesn't have pro features. One of the biggest downfalls with AS is that it assumes that everyone needs the same features as everyone else. The example of not showing all active channels is part of the problem and I feel the fault is with Smith Micro, they just don't get it.
In the two pictures at the top of this thread, one showing how most animation programs handles time lines and AS. Worlds apart. Could AS have the same information on the time line showing different layers at once? Why do the users have to 'play games' to get things that have been apart of other programs for years?
I say this to get more people to want more form the program.
I agree that AS should be as standardised as possible when those standards are universally accepted as the most flexible and understandable.
It would not be a huge thing to mash the layer palette onto the timeline and view the timeline against respective layers, with expandable channels.
Doing this would certainly make sense to new users which would generate more sales after a shorter learning curve during the trial period.
