Why aren’t these simplified to work like in any 3D Animation Software?
for example I enable autokeying, right. I move just one axis it keys the other channels.
Okay i enable “Only insert Availabe” in the preferences, Nice now it keys only the axis i changed. but wait, it adds the keys, select them and deselects the channels so now i have to select one key to re-select the channel, and if i go more frames forward and i move an axis it re-keys the other channels WTF… and lets not mention the keying sets with the list of confusing options and the way you set them up.
Doesn’t Blender Studio have Animators who also have used Maya and saw how those options are straight forward & easy to work with or because they got used to the " Blender way" then they forgot about it?
This is just one part that makes Blender hard to use as an animation software, you have to fiddle with options and settings, get fraustrated about things that are supposed to be the most simple but they are overcomplicated.
It does what you asked for. Adding keys on all channels available.
And I suppose, you choose “Only Insert Avaible” because you are not satisfied by “Only Insert Needed”.
Only Insert Needed is adding keys to a whole array when you just want keys on one axis channel.
I agree that would be great to have an “Only Insert Needed” option that takes into account only single value.
Currently, by default, when you press K to add a setting to keying set ; it adds all values of an array.
But you can modify this shortcut to make it adding only single value.
You have that choice between All values of array/ Single Value only into Right click menu.
But it is true that would be legitimate to have the same for shortcuts and AutoKeyframing preferences.
It looks like there is no todo about auto-keyframing on d.b.o .
Actually, I used both but since Blender doesn’t have the concept of “non keyable attributes” i got tons of keys that i didn’t not key myself even on locked channels or ones with the drivers, Blender keys everything and destroys your work.
I tried learning it’s keying set but got more confused in the process spent days trying to understand it and making it work… while in Maya all I needed is something like in this video and it’s done, Autokeying keys only what users need, you don’t need to change any settings or fight with the software to make it work.
the whole Animation workflow needs a deeper look with better default settings.
Here is where i got really fraustrated, I enabled both options, reduced the unselected F-Curves Visbility and set Keying set to available.
Now keyed only one channel ,everything is fine, keyed second channel also fine,
moved few frames forward and move Z axis now it keys both channels but when i go back before these new keys it’ll key only that channel.
Also if I try to key from the value in the properties the curve gets deselcted and since i made their visiblity to 0 so they’re not in my way then they disapper but it’ll only key that channel, this is so confusing for someone who doesn’t understand all the technical stuff that goes behind and wants things to work.
In fact, by using shortcuts, for that generic example : that is not complicated.
If you press A, all channels are selected. You can lock them all at once by pressing tab and only click on the one you want to animate.
You can box select channels. You use Ctrl I to invert selection.
You can also click and drag vertically to lock/unlock many channels at a time.
You are absolutely right, Blender needs to be improved in that regard. What I do to work around it is I simply start off my animation scene keying the properties that I do want animated, and then switch to ‘available’ keying set. Then comes blockin, and when I’m done I go on deleting superfluous keys that were inserted when I really just wanted to key X or Y or Z, not all three. Then I basically finish animating in the graph editor, but that’s just my way or working.
@zeauro thanks for the suggestion, but I don’t think locking channels is a solution for this particular problem because we would have to lock/unlock all channels minus one every time we need to key a single axis.
I feel the problem really lies in the move operator not being able to pass “unmodified” transform channels to the keying system or whatever it’s called (“hey, the object moved but only on X you know so don’t bother keying Y and Z”).
Hi Pascal,
Here’s a video that might help you out. I hope it does.
One thing I forgot to mention is that if you are doing character animation - DO NOT enable ‘only insert needed’.
This will delete ‘unneeded’ keyframes and will cause you more headaches than it is worth if you need to add a breakdown key at a later stage.
I am also right click select, so when I insert keys in the graph editor I am right clicking - but if you are default, then Ctrl Left Click.
Thank you for the detailed explanation.
It looks like you have already bumped into these issues before and figured out a proper way to work & solve them, Yeah if inserting keys in the graph editor could snap automatically to the frames that would be fantastic, definitely trying out your workflow.
