Working with key frames

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Working with key frames

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Hint

This feature is only available in AquaSoft Stages.

1. How can you use key frames in Stages?

Keyframe track in the Timeline

For each animation the object contains multiple keyframe tracks

In Stages you can control, among other things, transparency, fading in and out, screen panning, the motion path and the text display in the Timeline, over Key frames.
This allows you to match the effects by time.
If you are using music or sound, the effects can be matched precisely to the audio with the help of the Key frame track, but the effects are also matched better to each other with the help of the Key frames.
A Key frame always stands for a particular setting, which is displayed at a specified time. The values which lie between the two Key frames are are automatically generated by Stages.
In this way you can completely control a process of transparency, a movement or a cross-fade using Key frames.

2. How do you open the Key frame tracks?

Every Object in the Timeline has Key frame tracks, with which various Effects can be controlled.

On the left side of the Timeline there are five small buttons which help you work with the Tracks and the Key frames. Using this you can open and close all the Tracks all at once, as well as getting all the Key frame Tracks to fade in or out.

TLBr_RemoveMarkers

Remove all Timeline Markers

TLBr_OpenKeyframeTracks

Open all Key frame Tracks

TLBr_CloseKeyframeTracks

Close all Key frame Tracks

TLBr_OpenContainter

Open all Containers

TLBr_CloseContainter

Close all Containers

Text Object

Open Keyframe Tracks for Text Object

The symbols to open and close the Key frame Track can also be found on the individual Objects.
If you wish to save space in the Timeline and prefer not display every individual Key frame Track to be displayed, simply close the others. Then use the button to open the Key frame Track, which is located on the respective object.

3. How do you use Key frames?

Timeline with Keyframes

Opened Keyframe Tracks

First of all open the Key frame Tracks of the Object. Depending on the type of Object, there are differing Key frame Tracks available. You can see which Effect or which Property can be set for each Track thanks to the symbols at the beginning of each Key frame Track.

If you wish to edit the Key frames in a particular track, first click on the relevant Track. This is then highlighted by a slight enlargement.

Then click anywhere within this Track to create a Key frame. This Key frame can create a new Motion Marker in the Track for the pan shot whose Properties you can, for example, set precisely in the Layout designer.

A Key frame in the Track for Transparency creates a new point in the Transparency Curve. You see this curve with your ups and downs directly in the Key frame Track.

4. Meaning of the symbols in the Key frame Tracks

When you have opened the Key frame Tracks you will see an individual symbol at the beginning of each Track. The symbol indicates the Effect you influence with each Key frame Track.

Timeline_Keyframes_Blendmode

Duration and type of fading in or out

Timeline_Keyframes_Transparency2

Duration and modulation of opacity (transparency curve)

Timeline_Keyframes_MovementPath

Time interval between the markers on a motion path.

Timeline_Keyframes_Zoom

Time interval between the markers of a pan shot

Timeline_Keyframes_Sound

Chronological sequence of volume change

Timeline_Keyframes_Texteffect

Duration and type of text effect