Replacing keyframes on the timeline

[sonictk]

Hi Sonictk, if in your example you grab the key at frame 54 and drag it to frame 100, what do you get? I always get a no-go; the key at fr 100 remains. I think that is what people here are asking about - drag-replace keys. In the dopesheet it works, not in the timeline.

BTW, I too think it would be good if we were able to place keyframe copypasteactions under fast keyboard shortcuts. Haven't found a script or plug to do this yet.

Sorry, I should emphasize again: you have to key the frame again after you MMB+drag. Meaning I press K after MMB+dragging a frame to where I want it. This will work regardless of any existing keyframe on that frame, it will be replaced.

Also you can copy/paste keys using shortcuts from the graph editor, I guess as a workaround. I never manipulate keys on the timeline as a general rule of thumb anyway, I usually stick to the graph editor for that. Maya habit ;X

[druitre]

I'm sorry too, maybe we're not speaking about the same thing. When I select a key in the timeline and then MMB drag it, it won't go over an existing key. On release of the mouse it pops back to where it came from. If I press K I simply get a new key at the frame I'm at.

I'm not talking about the green key. You're not dragging keys with that but keying on another frame than current cursorposition.

What do you get when you do what I asked in my previous post? Grab an existing key, MMB drag it to a frame with an already existing key. If there is a way to do this, I would really like to know it.

[gustavoeb]

same here, can only get replacement when pasting keys... annoying

[sonictk]

The same result. I'm working with a stock XSI 2010 install at the office and it works as expected there too. You don't have to 'select' any key/frame that you're on, just scrub to where you want first.

Made another video. Look at the script editor bar to see when I hit the keyframe button. I think it should work hopefully for you guys too, it's really useful and I use it a lot for inbetweening and making moving holds

EDIT: In the video you can see me taking the pos of the cube at frame 36 and copying over frame 54 with it then I make a hold from frame 54 to 100 by copying over the pos from 54 to 100.

and oh boy its 3am and I have to wake up for work at 6 =\

[gustavoeb]

sonictk, I think I didnt express myself accordingly. as others in this thread I too find that MOVING/scaling keys over other existing keys WONT work. your method, setting keys at an arbitrary keyframe, and pasting key frames (either with copy/paste or with CTRL shortcut) works perfectly fine.

what is specially annoying, imho, about not being able to override previously existing frames when moving/scaling keyframes is that you might be applying such operations to many parameters and keyframes at the same time. some will hit empty frames others wont, so some will stick while others will go back to original position, effectively screwing your animation.

[Jho]

Thanks everybody, nice to see so many responding.

Sonictk is in fact right that it is possible to MMB copy and replace a key. Thanks a lot for the video, it was great.
However it only works when you are in (your time slider is) the frame that is being copied, as you copy it.

I quickly made a few gifs to clarify:

When the time slider is in the frame that is being copied, replacing WORKS:

Hidden content: [ Show ]

When the time slider is in the frame that is being copied TO, replacing DOESN'T WORK:

Hidden content: [ Show ]

And still, replacing while selecting an area with SHIFT+LMB and moving never works. This is a problem to me and I see no benefits to it, so I would like to have it changed.

[druitre]

Hi Jho (and Sonictk), I think to keep things clear it would be better to not call the thing with the green bar 'copying', all you're doing is creating a NEW key (but not at the position you're currently at). It's called 'Keying the Current Values at a Different Frame ' in the manual.

As Gustavo points out, the issue is that select-moving (dragging) keys is a swift way to re-order (chunks of) animation but currently the chance is big you'll screw up your animation in a major way without noticing it. I don't see why it has this default of not replacing or merging keys, while in all other modes it does.

I'll report it as a bug.

[sonictk]

Mm, usually when I move one pose I just copy it from a frame and to another frame, then delete the earlier pose. If I have to move regions of keys I never use the timeline, I always use the graph editor because I'm used to moving my frames via absolute offsets, not moving them manually. I like to key on 2s or 1s like traditional-style. Plus in Maya when moving keys on the timeline it sometimes doesn't snap to frames so it's a habit I picked up from there.

The shortcut system should be revisited a little though yea.