Scene Animation Layer

The SceneAnimation layer allows an animated Alembic or FBX scene to be controlled from the timeline. Animations are played back from the start of the layer, with similar controls to the video layer.

Controlling a scene animation

1. Add an animated Alembic or FBX file to the project’s objects/Mesh folder.
2. Assign the mesh to a screen or other object you wish to animate.
3. Add a SceneAnimation layer at the point on the timeline where you wish the animation to play back.
4. Adjust the playback using the properties described below.

SceneAnimation layer properties

Speed

Selects playback speed. When this is set to 1, the animation is played at its normal speed; when set to 2, the animation is played at double speed, when set to -1, the animation is played at normal speed in reverse and so on.

Mode

This specifies the playback mode. There are two modes - Normal and Locked. Each one has a specific behaviour that is useful for a different situation:

• Normal: When the play cursor stops, the animation will also stop and the animation time will lock to the timeline position. When the cursor continues to play or holds at the end of a section, the animation will play continuously. Jumping around the timeline while playing does not affect which animation time is being played.

• Locked: If the play cursor continues to play or stops at the end of a section, the animation time is locked to the playhead position on the timeline.

At end point

This specifies what happens when playback reaches the end of the animation. There are three options to choose from:

• Loop: When playback reaches the end of the animation, the animation will loop immediately back to the beginning and will start playing again from there.

• Ping-pong: When playback reaches the end of the animation, the animation will play in reverse back to the beginning.

• Pause: When playback reaches the end of the animation, the animation will pause on the last frame.

Mesh properties

There are several properties in the Mesh editor for FBX and Alembic meshes which can be used to control animation playback in a similar way to designer/content-management/video-clip-object video clips.

Animation start

The start time in seconds of the animation playback. Adjust this value to crop time off the start of the animation.

Animation end

The end time in seconds of the animation playback. Adjust this value to crop time off the end of the animation.

Loop in

Where in the animation playback a loop should continue from if the end point behaviour is set to Loop or Ping-Pong.

Loop out

Where in the animation playback a loop should start from, if the end point behaviour is set to Loop or Ping-Pong.