Working with Animation Channels

Any time a parameter or layer is altered when a frame other than 0 is selected, a key is created. These keys are added to the Timeline palette for the channel that matches the change. By separating the changes to different channels, you can quickly identify the keys that control the animated changes. Keys in the Timeline are only displayed for the currently selected layer. If keys for an object on another layer are created, then those keys aren’t visible until the layer is selected. Even if multiple layers are selected in the Layers palette, only the keys for the currently active layer are displayed in the Timeline palette.

The Timeline palette only shows those channels that have keys. Each channel is indicated by a graphical icon located at the far left side of the Timeline palette. If you move the mouse over the top of the channel icon, then the name of the channel is displayed in a tooltip.

The Preference dialog box, opened with the Edit, Preferences menu, includes an option to Consolidate Timeline Channels. This option shows all active animation channels as a single channel.

The available channels found in the Timeline palette depend on the type of layer that is selected. The first category of channels affects entire layers. The layer motion channel’s parameters are changed using the various Layer tools.

The channels in this category include the following:

	Layer Translation: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer is moved.
	Layer Scale: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer changes size.
	Layer Z Rotation: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer spins around its center.
	Layer Y Rotation: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer is tilted to the left or right.
	Layer X Rotation: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer is tilted up or down.
	Layer Horizontal Flip: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer is flipped horizontally.
	Layer Vertical Flip: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer is flipped vertically.
	Layer Shear: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer is sheared either horizontally or vertically.

The layer effect channel’s parameters are altered using the settings in the Layer Settings dialog box. The channels in this category include the following:

	Layer Visibility: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer is hidden and made visible again.
	Layer Blur: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer’s blur parameter is changed.
	Layer Opacity: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer’s opacity parameter is changed.
	Layer Auto Shading: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer’s auto shading parameter is changed.
	Layer Shadow: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer’s shadows are changed.
	Layer Shading: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer’s shading parameters are changed.
	Layer Motion Blur: This channel enables keys to be set when a layer’s motion blur parameters are changed.

The camera motion channel’s parameters are changed using the various Camera tools. The channels in this category include the following:

	Camera Tracking: This channel enables keys to be set when a camera is moved.
	Camera Zoom: This channel enables keys to be set when a camera is zoomed in and out of the scene.
	Camera Roll: This channel enables keys to be set when a camera spins around its center.
	Camera Pan/Tilt: This channel enables keys to be set when a camera view is changed by panning or tilting the camera.

When a vector layer is selected in the Layers palette, you can choose to alter these parameters found in the Draw tools and in the Style palette. The channels in this category include the following vector channels:

	Point Motion: This channel enables keys to be set when any points in the vector layer are moved.
	Selected Point Motion: This channel enables keys to be set when any of the selected points in the vector layer are moved.
	Point Curvature: This channel enables keys to be set when the curvature of any points in the vector layer is changed.
	Selected Point Curvature: This channel enables keys to be set when the curvature of the selected points in the vector layer is changed.
	Fill Color: This channel enables keys to be set when the fill color of any of the vector layer shapes is changed.
	Selected Fill Color: This channel enables keys to be set when the fill color of the selected shapes is changed.
	Line Color: This channel enables keys to be set when the stroke color of any of the vector layer lines is changed.
	Selected Line Color: This channel enables keys to be set when the stroke color of the selected vector layer lines is changed.
	Line Width: This channel enables keys to be set when the stroke line width of any of the vector layer lines is changed.
	Selected Line Width: This channel enables keys to be set when the selected stroke line width of the vector layer lines is changed.
	Shape Effect: This channel enables keys to be set when a shape effect is applied or when a shape effect parameter is changed.
	Selected Shape Effect: This channel enables keys to be set when a shape effect for the selected shape is applied or when its shape effect parameter is changed.
	Shape Effect Transform: This channel enables keys to be set when a gradient’s or image texture’s transform is changed using the interactive control.
	Selected Shape Effect Transform: This channel enables keys to be set when a gradient’s or image texture’s transform for the selected shape is changed using the interactive control.

When a bone layer is selected in the Layers palette, you can alter its parameters using the various Bone tools, which will set a key for one of these available bone channels:

	Bone Angle: This channel enables keys to be set when any of the bones are rotated.
	Selected Bone Angle: This channel enables keys to be set when the selected bones are rotated.
	Bone Translation: This channel enables keys to be set when any of the bones are moved to a new location.
	Selected Bone Translation: This channel enables keys to be set when the selected bones are moved to a new location.
	Bone Scale: This channel enables keys to be set when any of the bones are scaled to a new size.
	Selected Bone Scale: This channel enables keys to be set when the selected bones are scaled to a new size.
	Bone Lock: This channel enables keys to be set when any of the bones are locked.
	Selected Bone Lock: This channel enables keys to be set when the selected bones are locked.
	Bone Dynamics: This channel enables keys to be set when bone dynamics are enabled.
	Selected Bone Dynamics: This channel enables keys to be set when bone dynamics are enabled for the selected bones.

When a switch layer is selected in the Layers palette, you can choose a switch channel:

Switch Layer: This channel enables keys to be set when the visible sublayer in the switch layer is changed.

When a particle layer is selected in the Layers palette, you can choose a particles on/off channel, found in the Particles panel of the Layer Settings dialog box:

Particles On/Off: This channel enables keys to be set when particles are turned on or off.

When a tracking point is added to a video layer, then its motion is saved as keys in the Motion Tracking channel:

Motion Tracking: This channel enables keys to be set when a tracking point moves.

If the Consolidate Timeline Channels option in the Preferences dialog box is enabled, then all channels are represented by a single channel icon:

All Channels: This channel holds keys for all channels.