Selecting/rotating multiple keyframe handles simultaneously

Support Animation and Rigging
#1

Hi all,

I’m new to Blender (but not new to 3D animation), and I’m having trouble figuring something out. In the Graph Editor, I want to change the spline slope on multiple keyframes simultaneously. Easy enough for one key; I just rotate the handle to change the slope as I see fit. However, I want to have the exact same slope on multiple keyframes. Does anyone know how to do this?

Being new and coming from another high-end 3D program, I’m still getting a handle on the UI, and I’m hoping to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can. Any help/tips are much appreciated! :smiley:

Thanks,
Chris

#2

In the Graph Editor menu bar, under View, is a checkbox “Show handles of only selected keys” or some such. Pretty sure this is enabled by default, so un-check it. Then all key handles will be visible and selectable (LMB & Shift+LMB) one at time, and then can be dragged to modify the curve slopes. AFAIK there is no way to rotate multiple keys simultaneously as the rotational center will not be consistent for them all, so dragging the handles (G-KEY) is the only way to manipulate multiple selections at the same time.

You can also use keyboard-entered parameters one axis at a time. For example, the key sequence G, 15, x will move all selected handle endpoints 15 frames down the Timeline (positive X ). Same can be done for the Y axis to change the values of the endpoints, or of actual keys if selected. It’s generally more convenient to enter the numerals from the numpad, but not required.

BTW, duplicating keyframes preserves the slope of the handles, so this is another way to create identical keys.

#3

I didn’t see that checkbox there, unfortunately.

EDIT: Turns out I was looking in the View menu for the viewport, not the graph editor (which is below the viewport). There are three windows on that side of my screen: viewport, graph editor, and timeline. However, I only see the menu bar for the viewport and the timeline. How can I get the menu bar for the graph editor to show?

That’s the tricky part. I would’ve hoped that the rotational center for each keyframe would be local!

Ah, good thinking! But if I want keyB to have the same slope as keyA (but a different vertical position on the Graph Editor), can I find the position value of keyB anywhere so that I can copy it before I duplicate keyA? I’d want keyB to maintain its same position on the graph but with the desired slope. I just can’t find where in the UI I can input position values for keys in the Graph Editor.

#4

Couple of ways to do this.

  1. If you press N-KEY in the Graph Editor window, it opens a properties panel (on the right side of the window) that references the data for the currently Active key. “Active” usually refers to the most-recently selected key. In this panel are a number of sub-sections with fields where data for the Active Curve and Active Keyframe is displayed. You can enter values in the fields to change the data for that key.

  2. As mentioned, select a key and use key commands like “G, 15, x” to specify the relative change in position for the selected key. X is the horizontal axis, time, and Y is the vertical axis, key value.

As far as duplicating keys and their handle orientations, obviously if you change the Y value of the key, or the X value relative to preceding/following keys, the the curve will also change, even if the handles retain the same orientation. The curves are always defined by more than one keypoint.

If the Graph Editor has no menu bar, try grabbing either the top or bottom of the window frame and drag it to the center of the window, which will reveal a collapsed menu bar. Alternately, look for a gray tab with a plus sign on it protruding from either top or bottom window edge, usually near the right edge, and click that to reveal the collapsed menu bar.

#5

Thank you! I’m certain this’ll be what I was looking for.

I bet this’ll come in handy, too. Thanks!

Of course. It’s my goal to change my curves in this case by only changing keypoint orientation and not position. It’s my quick and dirty way of offsetting a whole curve as I haven’t yet attempted my usual (Maya) method of offsetting curves.

Thank you for this info, as well. The UI has been very tricky to get a handle on, and this helps. :smiley:

Thanks,
Chris