Time Slider

Status line > Time Slider

The time slider shows the current frame and lets you move to any frame in the active time segment. Right-clicking the slider bar opens the Create Key dialog, which lets you create position, rotation or scale keys without using the Auto Key button.

When you are in Auto Key mode, you can right-click and drag the time slider to create a key that has the source at the initial time slider position, and the destination at the subsequent time slider position.

In Set Key mode, holding down the right mouse button and dragging the time slider allows you to move a pose in time without losing it in the viewport.

You can use the arrows on the time slider to advance a frame ahead or behind. Or simply place your cursor anywhere on the time line, click and the time slider will jump to your cursor position. In Key Mode the arrows will jump to the next key.

The Track View key window displays a time slider as well. The movement of the two time slider is synchronized. Moving the time slider in the Track View window will move the time slider beneath the viewports, and visa versa.

Procedures

To move to any exact frame in the animation, do one of the following:

Move the time slider right or left until the frame number is displayed on the time slider.
Enter the frame number into the current frame field in the time controls, then press ENTER.

To move ahead or back a frame at a time, do one of the following:

Click the increment arrows at either end of the time slider
Press the < or > keys on the keyboard to advance one frame forward or backward.
Use the Next frame / Previous frame buttons in the time controls.

To move ahead or back many frames at a time:

Click in the empty track to either side of the time slider. The time slider will jump to your cursor position. This is a faster way of moving in time than dragging the time slider.

To move to the first or last frame of the active time segment:

Use the time control buttons Go To Start or Go To End.

To display SMPTE time code on the time slider:

Click Time Configuration in the time controls, and then under Time Display, choose SMPTE.

To display subframes on the time slider:

Click Time Configuration in the time controls, and then under Time Display choose Frames:TICKS or MM:SS:TICKS.
Each frame is divided into subframes.

To create keys using the time slider do one of the following:

In Auto Key mode, right click the time slider and drag to a new location.
The Create Key dialog appears with the Source set to the frame you were on when you right-clicked, and the Destination set to the frame you have moved the time slider to. Click OK to create the key.
In Set Key mode, if you have posed your character on the wrong frame, right-click and drag the time slider. The pose will be moved in time to your new time slider position. Click the Set Keys button to set the keys.
In Layout mode (when neither Auto Key nor Set Key are turned on), right-click the time slider. The Create Key dialog appears with the Source and Destination based on the current frame. Select the source and destination you want, as well as the type of transform you want to key, then click OK to create keys.

Interface

By default, the active time segment is from frame 0 to frame 100. The slider displays time in frames, SMPTE numbers, or other measurements, depending on the current setting in the Time Configuration dialog.

The slider bar displays the current frame, followed by a slash (/), followed by the total frames in the active time segment. For example 25/100 means frame 25 of 100 frames. The current frame also appears in the current frame field. If animation exists in the scene, it's played back as you drag the time slider.

The buttons on either side of the time slider bar move one frame to the left and one frame to the right, like the Previous Frame and Next Frame buttons in the time controls. If Key Mode Toggle is on, these buttons duplicate the Previous Key and Next Key buttons.

Key Mode can jump to all the keys or only the transform keys, depending on the Key steps setting in the Time Configuration dialog.

Tip: A right-click the slider bar launches the Create Key dialog. This lets you create Position, Rotation, or Scale keys without using the Auto Key button. It also lets you copy keys easily from one frame to another.

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