Master Control Keys

BA · Post by BA » Sat Dec 03, 2005 3:46 am

Got no response in the scripting forum, so maybe this could be a future feature - what do you think LM, is it even possible?

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One of the problems that I have with the structure of the timeline is that in a complex project it becomes difficult to keep track of where all the keys are. Not being able to see one layer's keys in relation to those of another really makes things more difficult than they need to be.

Moho improves on Flash's timeline by giving you individual tracks for each property. But it loses in the lack of multiple tracks, and would be MUCH easier to use if it implemented an After Effects - style multi-track timeline... But I digress. On to the script idea:

This would be very useful in either version - but perhaps essential for quick manipulation of the timeline as it is now. What if you had a new layer which contained 'Master Control Frames' which were somehow linked to the keyframes within specified layers. If you moved a MCF, it would move all the connected frames on all layers accordingly. Perhaps it could even scale the animation for those layers between itself and the next MCF.

This would enable you to have a better view of the timing for your project as a whole, and allow a more fast and flexible method of tweaking the entire animation.

Post by **Lost Marble** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:45 am

Interesting. There's definitely roo for improvement in the timline. Being able to view/edit keyframes from multiple layers comes up a lot, but it's way beyond the ability of the scripting interface. It's something that will have to come built into the Moho program itself. Whether that takes the form of this MCF idea, or something else, I don't know yet.

BA · Post by BA » Sat Dec 03, 2005 6:33 pm

thanks for the feedback LM -

MCFs or no - I think the best way to start would be to remodel the timeline based on the one in After Effects. It has collapsible layers which each contain tracks for every property - which enables you to see all the animation for all layers at once in relation to each other (but you can also collapse and/or hide layers to keep it simple).

You could even, possibly, merge the layer window with the timeline window to get this effect.

Post by **Lost Marble** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:27 pm

BA wrote:You could even, possibly, merge the layer window with the timeline window to get this effect.

Yes, that's another possibility.

rylleman · Post by **rylleman** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 9:05 pm

BA wrote: You could even, possibly, merge the layer window with the timeline window to get this effect.

No, thank you! I have used After Effects for animation and when you have a lot of layers it gets messy to keep track of your work and it takes ages to find the right channels.
I agree that Moho would need some work on the timeline but AEs timeline is not a great thing to try to copy.

Rai López · Post by **Rai López** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 9:35 pm

rylleman wrote:it takes ages to find the right channels.
I agree that Moho would need some work on the timeline but AEs timeline is not a great thing to try to copy.

I can't be more agree with you rylleman

...I think that must be another way to resolve this issue more in the Moho way, you know, in a more special/cool way... there must be another way (I think very much about this issue along all of my days), another way... there must be... another...

PS: way...

BA · Post by BA » Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:50 am

I don't know, I found the layout of their timeline pretty logical...

you have your layers, open those up and you have your properties...

you can even open each property track to work on it in graph mode, using bezier handles...

and if you have trouble keeping track of it, there are hotkeys which specifically open only the tracks containing keys, closing all the rest.

i've worked on projects with hundreds of complex layers and compared to any other program i've used it's the clearest way to see every aspect of your animation in one place.

You do need a separate monitor, of course....

BA · Post by BA » Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:59 pm

I suppose the more MOHO way of solving the timeline issue would be implementing the Master Control Keys. One track/timeline in which you can manually scale and move keys which link to specific sections of animation, distributed across many layers.

Come on Lost Marble, we need something like this! Too many timelines.

rylleman · Post by **rylleman** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:10 am

BA wrote:I suppose the more MOHO way of solving the timeline issue would be implementing the Master Control Keys. One track/timeline in which you can manually scale and move keys which link to specific sections of animation, distributed across many layers.

A thing like Mayas Dope Sheet would be splendid.