Locked Tangent

[hayasidist]

Here is a file with mostly locked tangents
...

I've just had a play with that file - everything seems to work "as expected" - both on frame 0 and elsewhere in the timeline.

I've hit it with the factory tool and my own curve re-shape tool (https://www.lostmarble.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33928) - no freezes --- yet .........
Is there a specific layer where you're finding the problem?

[SimplSam]

I've just had a play with that file - everything seems to work "as expected" - both on frame 0 and elsewhere in the timeline. ..

I almost posted the same reply - but ... then realised it 'freezes' when transforming points via the FBF layer - Layer 2. i.e. On top layer move to frame 5 (Layer 4 child) and cannot manipulate any tangents.

I can freely manipulate if I goto/select Layer 4 directly.

[hayasidist]

I've just had a play with that file - everything seems to work "as expected" - both on frame 0 and elsewhere in the timeline. ..

I almost posted the same reply - but ... then realised it 'freezes' when transforming points via the FBF layer - Layer 2. i.e. On top layer move to frame 5 (Layer 4 child) and cannot manipulate any tangents.

I can freely manipulate if I goto/select Layer 4 directly.

now that's just plain weird. I can access all the Layer 4 points except the "top" one via the FBF group -- most of the others are "locked" (unless I access them directly). Same on other layers -- some work, some don't...

[hayasidist]

Ah! Got it (I think!)

many of the child layers have animated curvatures (whether intended or not) to set their exact shape at the frame they appear. Removing these (i.e. copying the timeline key to frame 0 and deleting the rest (if any) to leave a clean (un-animated) vector layer) does then seem to allow bezier handles to be manipulated freely from the group layer. Doing so does not generate a keyframe (i.e. the drawingFrame is 0, but the timeline Frame is not).

by contrast, accessing a child layer directly on other than frame 0 and messing with the Bezier handles DOES create a keyframe and that causes the handles to "freeze" when trying to access them from the FBF group.

[SimplSam]

I think you have hit the nail on the head. Definitely a conflict in that area, resulting in wacky behavior.

[mgo]

Ah! Got it (I think!)

many of the child layers have animated curvatures (whether intended or not) to set their exact shape at the frame they appear. Removing these (i.e. copying the timeline key to frame 0 and deleting the rest (if any) to leave a clean (un-animated) vector layer) does then seem to allow bezier handles to be manipulated freely from the group layer. Doing so does not generate a keyframe (i.e. the drawingFrame is 0, but the timeline Frame is not).

by contrast, accessing a child layer directly on other than frame 0 and messing with the Bezier handles DOES create a keyframe and that causes the handles to "freeze" when trying to access them from the FBF group.

This! The animated curvatures were not intended. Also, I did not select the individual layers from the palette, but of course tweaked the tangents at the corresponding frame, i.e. the corresponding shape. Any suggestions how the animated curvatures happen, and how to avoid them?

Thanks for looking into it guys, this at least gives me a direction and some level clarity.