curve editor

Curve Editor Introduction

Main toolbar (Curve Editor (Open)) Track View Editor menu Curve Editor Main menu Graph Editors Track View - Curve Editor Right-click an object selected in a viewport. Curve Editor Curve Editor is a Track View mode that allows you to work with motion expressed as function curves on a graph. It lets you visualize the interpolation of the motion: the object transformations that 3ds Max creates between the keyframes. You can easily see and control the motion and animation of the objects in the scene using the keys on the curves and their tangent handles. The alternative mode is Dope Sheet, which lets you work directly with keys instead of curves.

The Curve Editor interface consists of a menu bar, a toolbar, a Controller window, and a Key window. There is also a time ruler, and navigation and status tools at the bottom of the interface.

Note How you zoom and pan in the Key window depends on which interaction mode, 3ds Max or Maya, is active. You can loop or cycle your animation beyond its range by adding Parameter Curve Out-Of-Range Types from the Curve Editor, as well as by adding Multiplier or Ease Curve onto other animated tracks for added control.

Tip You can also click Show Curves on the track bar to display function curves. NoteTo restore the default layout from versions of 3ds Max prior to 3ds Max 2012, open the Track View Toolbar Right-Click Menu and choose Load Layout Function Curve Layout (Classic).

Editing Keys in Curve Editor

Main toolbar (Curve Editor (Open)) Highlight animated tracks. Curves are displayed in Key Window. Graph Editors Track View - Curve Editor Highlight animated tracks. Curves appear in Key window. Right-click any animated object. Curve Editor Curves appear in the Key window.

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The Curve Editor displays animation as function curves, charting the controllers' changes of value over time. Highlighting a controller label displays keys for that item as vertices on the function curve. You can then highlight keys and change their values. You can add keys to function curves for tracks that are not yet animated. The curves appear as straight lines. When you add a key to a function curve, a controller is created for that track. Not all controller types display function curves. For example, a TCB Rotation controller doesn't display a function curve, while an Euler XYZ rotation controller shows individual curves for X, Y and Z. Some controllers display individual tracks for each axis, while other controllers combine the three axis values into a single curve. Bezier Tangent Handles

Spline tangents You can use Bezier handles in the Curve Editor to change the shape of the trajectory through a key. To display handles on a key, right-click a key in the Track View Key Window and choose the Spline Tangents option. You can assign the Spline Tangent type only to keys on tracks that use a Bezier controller. This places tangent handles on the keys that you can manipulate horizontally and vertically.

Procedures To display function curves:

1. Select an animated object. 2. Right-click the active viewport and choose Curve Editor.

The function curves for the object's animation are displayed in the Key window of the Function Curve Editor.

3. To display additional curves at the same time, from the Track View menu choose Settings Manual Navigation.

4. Navigate the controller window until you see the additional tracks, and then hold down the Ctrl key and click them. The curves for all highlighted tracks are displayed together in the Key window.

Slide Keys

Track View Highlight keys in the Key window. Keys Toolbar (Slide Keys) Use Slide Keys to move a group of keys (the highlighted keys plus all the keys to one end of the animation).The direction that you drag determines which group of keys moves:

Dragging to the right moves the highlighted keys, plus all keys to the last key of the animation, forward in time.

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Dragging to the left moves the highlighted keys, plus all keys to the first key of the animation, backward in time.

Slide Keys is a way to split the animation at the highlighted keys and spread the ends apart. Slide Keys is available in Edit Keys mode. You can clone keys and insert them elsewhere in your animation curve while offsetting existing keys by the length of time occupied by the cloned keys by dragging while holding down Shift. Based on the length of your selection, the existing keys to the right of the selection move forward in time (that is, to the right) to allow the new key insertion, whether you drag to the right or the left. Procedures To slide a selection of keys:

1. On the Track View toolbar, click (Slide Keys). 2. Highlight one or more keys.

3. Drag to slide the keys to the right. The keys following your selection move to account for the offset produced by sliding the keys.

4. Highlight another group of keys.

5. Hold Shift while dragging to slide the keys to the right. The keys following your selection move to the right by the length of time occupied by the cloned keys.

Editing Key Tangents

Track View Curve Editor Curves toolbar (Show Tangents) By default, all key tangents are set to Auto and Show Tangents is on, so the tangents are drawn as blue dashed handles emanating from highlighted keys in the Key window of Track View. If the Move tool is active, you can adjust the shape of a function curve near the key by dragging the handle endpoints. For more information about tangents, see Tangent Types.

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When you move the handle of an Auto tangent, the tangent type is automatically changed to Spline, as indicated by the color changing to black. You can change the tangent type for all highlighted keys at any time with the controls on the Key Tangents toolbar and the Tangents menu. Spline Tangent You can assign the Spline tangent type to any visible key in the Curve Editor. Highlight the key

and then click the (Set Tangents to Spline) button on the Key Tangents: Track View toolbar to display the handle controls. Also, moving an Auto tangent handle automatically changes the type to Spline. Tangent handles can be either continuous (unified) or discontinuous (broken).

Continuous handles move as a single lever with its pivot point at the key location. Moving either handle also moves the opposite end, maintaining the continuity of the tangent.

To make a key's handles continuous, highlight the key and click (Unify Tangents) on the Tangent Actions toolbar (or choose Unify Tangents from the Tangents menu).

Discontinuous handles behave like leaves on a hinge, with the hinge pin at the key location. Each end moves independently of the other.

To make a key's handles discontinuous, highlight the key and click (Break Tangents) on the Tangent Actions toolbar (or the Tangents menu), or hold down the Shift key when you move a handle.

Horizontal Bezier Handle Control You can change the shape of the function curve around a key set to Spline tangent type by moving the tangent handle along its length. This affects the amount of influence the keyframe has over the interpolation between keyframes. You can use this feature to aid in the slow-in and slow-out workflow of traditional animation. For example, suppose you're animating a ball bouncing up and down on the world’s Z axis. At frame 1, the ball is on the ground; at frame 8, the ball is in the air; and at frame 16 the ball is back on the ground. You could adjust the tangents for frame 8 so that their length pulls more of the curve towards its keyframe and away from the keyframes on frame 1 and 16. When rendered, the ball will be more visible on screen near the top of its bounce and blurrier near the points where it touches the ground. Procedures To assign a Spline tangent type:

1. Open the Curve Editor. 2. In the Hierarchy list, highlight one or more tracks that contain keys. 3. Highlight one or more keys on the curves.

4. On the Key Tangents: Track View toolbar, click (Set Tangents to Spline). The handles are now all Spline and available for editing. Tip If a highlighted key is set to Auto tangent, you can just move its handle to instantly convert the key to Spline tangent.

To edit the length of a Bezier handle: 1. Assign a Spline tangent type to the key you want to edit on the function curve, or

highlight a key that already has one.

2. Make sure (Show Tangents) is on. This toggle is located on the Track View toolbar. 3. Highlight the key on the function curve.

Tangent handles appear on the highlighted keyframe.

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4. Move one of the handles horizontally away from its key. Interface Show Tangents

Displays the tangents of highlighted vertices, whereupon you can adjust the tangents by dragging the handle endpoints. By holding down the Shift key, you can edit the tangents handles separately.

Curve Editor ToolbarsTrack View Curve Editor toolbars These toolbars are visible or available the Curve Editor is open, and in general contain controls for editing animation data in the form of function curves. Two different Curve Editor layouts are available: standard and classic. The standard layout provides a streamlined interface designed for efficient function-curve editing, while the classic layout offers more tools by default in a familiar arrangement. Curve Editor Toolbars: Standard Layout The standard layout appears by default when you open Track View in Curve Editor mode, and displays the following toolbars:

Key Controls Navigation Key Tangents Tangent Actions Key Entry

Also, the standard layout has Filters Show Hierarchy off by default, while it's on in the classic layout. To return to this layout from a different one, right-click an empty toolbar area and choose Load Layout Function Curve Layout. Curve Editor Toolbars: Classic Layout To access the classic layout, right-click an empty toolbar area and choose Load Layout Function Curve Layout (Classic). This layout includes these toolbars: (upper toolbar)

Keys Key Tangents Curves Biped

(lower toolbar) Key Stats Track Selection Navigation Key Controls Toolbar Track View Curve Editor Key Controls toolbar The Key Controls toolbar for the Curve Editor contains tools for moving and scaling keys, drawing curves, and inserting keys. Interface

Move KeysMove keys horizontally and vertically in the Key window. Choose a Move Keys tool variant from the flyout. See Move Keys.

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Draw CurvesDraw new motion curves, or revise existing ones by sketching directly on the function curve graph. See Draw Curves.

Add KeysCreate keys on existing curves. See Add Keys.

Region Keys ToolMove and scale keys within a rectangular region. See Region Keys Tool.

Retimer ToolWarp time on a per-track basis. See Retime Tool.

Retime All ToolModify animation timing on a global basis. See Retime All Tool.

Key Tangents ToolbarTrack View Curve Editor Key Tangents toolbar The Key Tangents toolbar lets you assign tangency to keys. Tangency controls the smoothness and the speed of motion near the key. For more information about tangents, see Tangent Types. Each of these buttons is also a flyout: you can apply tangents uniformly to both in and out motion (the default), or to in or out motion separately. To change key tangents, first highlight the keys to adjust and then choose an option from the toolbar. Interface

Set Tangents to AutoSets highlighted keys to automatic tangents, as calculated by the shape of the function curve around the key.

Use the In button to affect only the incoming tangent.

Use the Out button to affect only the outgoing tangent. NoteMoving the handles of an Auto-tangent key changes the type to spline, and makes them available for editing.

Set Tangents to SplineSets highlighted keys to spline tangents, which have key handles that you can edit by dragging in the Curve window. Hold down the Shift key to break continuity when you edit handles.


Use the Out button to affect only the outgoing tangent.

Set Tangents to FastSets key tangency to fast.

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Set Tangents to SlowSets key tangency to slow.



Set Tangents to StepSets key tangency to step. Use step to freeze motion from one key to the next.



Set Tangents to LinearSets key tangency to linear.



Set Tangents to SmoothSets key tangency to smooth. Use this to even up discontinuous motion.


Use the Out button to affect only the outgoing tangent. Tangent Actions Toolbar Track View Curve Editor Tangent Actions toolbar The Tangent Actions toolbar provides tools for unifying and breaking animation-key tangents. By default, when you create an animation key using the Auto-Tangents default, its two key tangents (or handles) are colinear, so that the curve flows smoothly through the key. Using these tools, you can allow the handles to move independently by breaking them, or return broken tangents to unified status. If the handles are not colinear when you unify them, the minimum angle between them is maintained when you manipulate either one (it can be exceeded depending on how you move the handles). Select the keys you want to adjust before you use these buttons. Interface

Break TangentsAllows the two tangents (handles) connected to a key to be moved separately, to enable different motion going into and coming out of the key. Select one or more keys with unified tangents and then click Break Tangents.

Unify Tangents

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When tangents are unified, moving one handle in any direction except along its length causes the other to move in the opposite direction, thus maintaining the minimum angle between the handles. Select one or more keys with broken tangents and then click Unify Tangents.

Keys Toolbar (Curve Editor)Track View Curve Editor Keys toolbar The Keys toolbar for the Curve Editor contains tools for filtering tracks and transforming and editing keys. Interface

FilterUse Filters to determine which scene components appear in Track View. Left-click to open the Filters dialog, or right-click to set filters in a context menu.

Move KeysMove keys horizontally and vertically, horizontally only, or vertically only in the key window. Choose a Move Keys tool variant from the flyout. See Move Keys.

Slide KeysUse Slide Keys in the Curve Editor to move a group of keys and slide adjacent keys away as you move. See Slide Keys.

Scale KeysUse Scale Keys to compress or expand the amount of time between keyframes. Works both in Curve Editor and Dope Sheet modes. See Scale Keys .

Scale ValuesProportionally increases or decreases the values of the keys, rather than moving the keys in time. See Scale Values .

Insert KeysCreates keys on existing curves. See Insert Keys.

Draw CurvesUse this to draw new curves, or revise existing ones by sketching directly on the function curve graph. See Draw Curves .

Reduce KeysUse this to reduce the amount of keys in a track. See Simplify Curve .

Curves ToolbarTrack View Curve Editor Curves toolbar The Curves toolbar provides controls for managing key selection and editing. NoteThe Curves toolbar does not appear by default in Track View. To open it, right-click an empty area of the Track View toolbar and choose Show Toolbars Curves: Track View. Interface

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Lock SelectionLocks the key selection. Once you have created a selection, turn this on and you can't inadvertently select something else. See Lock Selection.

Snap FramesRestricts key movement to frames. Keys that are moved will always snap to frames when this is on. When this is off, you can move a key so it falls between frames and becomes a sub-frame key. Default=on. See Snap Frames.

Parameter Out-of-Range CurvesUse this to repeat keyframed motion beyond the range of the keys. Includes options for Loop, Ping Pong, Cycle, or Repeat relatively, as well as constant and linear. If you use Parameter Out-of-Range types, you can later create keys using Track View Utilities Create Out-of-Range Keys. See Parameter Curves Out-of-Range Types and Create Out of Range Keys Utility.

Show Keyable IconsDisplays an icon that defines a track as keyable or not. Use this to set keys only on the tracks you want to keyframe. Turning off a track in Track View also restricts the movement in the viewport. Red keys indicate keyable tracks, black keys are not keyable. See Show Keyable Icons.

Show All TangentsHides or displays all tangent handles on the curves. Use this to hide the handles quickly when many keys are selected. See Show All Tangents.

Show TangentsHides or displays tangent handles on the curves. Use this to hide the handles on individual curves. See Editing Key Tangents.

Lock TangentsLocks the selection of multiple tangent handles, so you can then manipulate several handles at once. When Lock Tangents is off, you can only manipulate one key tangency at a time. See Lock Tangents.

Biped ToolbarTrack View Curve Editor Biped toolbar Tools on the Biped toolbar let you choose which animation curves to display in the Curve Editor. You can toggle between the position and rotation curves, as well as toggle the separate curves representing the X, Y, and Z axes of the current biped selection. These controls are inactive if you haven’t selected a biped. NoteThe Biped toolbar does not appear by default in Track View. To open it, right-click an empty area of the Track View toolbar and choose Show Toolbars Biped: Track View. Interface

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Show Biped Position CurvesDisplays the position curves for the animated biped selection. Also chooses Pos Curve from the Curve Type drop-down list of the Animation Workbench Toolbar.

Show Biped Rotation CurvesDisplays the rotation curves for the animated biped selection. Also chooses Rot Curve from the Curve Type drop-down list of the Animation Workbench Toolbar. Default=on.

Show Biped X CurvesToggles the X axis of the current animation or position curves. Also toggles the X button of the Animation Workbench Toolbar. Default=on.

Show Biped Y CurvesToggles the Y axis of the current animation or position curves. Also toggles the Y button of the Animation Workbench Toolbar. Default=on.

Show Biped Z CurvesToggles the Z axis of the current animation or position curves. Also toggles the Z button of the Animation Workbench Toolbar. Default=on.

Key Entry Toolbar Track View Curve Editor Key Entry toolbar The Key Entry toolbar for the Curve Editor contains fields for editing individual keys from the keyboard. It appears by default in the standard Curve Editor, and is similar to the Key Stats toolbar. Interface

FrameDisplays the frame number (position in time) of the selected key. You can enter a new frame number or enter an expression to move the key to a different frame. For more information, see Key Time Display.

ValueDisplays the value, or position in space, of a highlighted key. This is an editable field. You can enter a new number or expression to change the key's value.

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