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Cross-Reference

For more about the Trajectories button, see Chapter 21, “Understanding Animation and Keyframes.” •

For example, Figure 22.8 shows the Assign Position Controller dialog box for selecting a controller for the Position track. The arrow mark (>) shows the current selected controller. At the bottom of the dialog box, the default controller type is listed. Select a new controller from the list, and click OK. This new controller now is listed in the track, and the controller's rollouts appear beneath the Assign Controller rollout.

FIGURE 22.8

The Assign Position Controller dialog box lets you select a controller to assign.

Note

Transformation controllers can be applied in the Motion panel, but the Track View can be used to apply controllers to all parameters including transforms. •

Assigning controllers in the Track View

You also can use the Track View to assign controllers. To do this, locate and select the track to apply a controller to, and then click the Assign Controller button on the Controllers toolbar, choose the Controller⇒Assign (keyboard shortcut, C if the Keyboard Shortcut Override Toggle on the main toolbar is enabled) menu command, or right-click the track and select Assign Controller from the pop-up menu. An Assign Controller dialog box opens in which you can select the controller to use.

Cross-Reference

Chapter 37, “Working with the F-Curve Editor in the Track View,” covers the details of the Track View. •

You also can use the Controller toolbar to copy and paste controllers between tracks, but you can paste controllers only to similar types of tracks. When you paste controllers, the Paste dialog box lets you choose to paste the controller as a copy or as an instance. Changing an instanced controller's parameters changes the parameters for all instances. The Paste dialog box also includes an option to replace all instances. This option replaces all instances of the controller, whether or not they are selected.

Setting default controllers

When you assign controllers using the Track View, the Assign Controller dialog box includes the option Make Default. With this option, the selected controller becomes the default for the selected track.

You also can set the global default controller for each type of track by choosing Customize⇒Preferences, selecting the Animation panel, and then clicking the Set Defaults button. The Set Controller Defaults dialog box opens, in which you can set the default parameter settings, such as the In and Out curves for the controller. To set the default controller, select a controller from the list and click the Set Defaults button to open a controller–specific dialog box where you can adjust the controller parameters. The Animation panel also includes a button to revert to the original settings.

Note

Changing a default controller does not change any currently assigned controllers. •

Examining Some Simple Controllers

Now that you've learned how to assign controllers, let's look at some simple controllers.

Cross-Reference

Many more controllers are available. You can learn about these controllers in Chapter 35, “Using Animation Layers, Modifiers, and Complex Controllers.” •

Earlier in the chapter, I mentioned six specific controller types. These types define the type of data that the controller works with. This section covers the various controllers according to the types of tracks with which they work.

Note

Looking at the function curves for a controller provides a good idea of how you can control it, so many of the figures that follow show the various function curves for the different controllers. •

Each of these controllers has a unique icon to represent it in the Track View. This makes them easy to identify.

Bézier controller

The Bézier controller is the default controller for many parameters. It enables you to interpolate between values using an adjustable Bézier spline. By dragging its tangent vertex handles, you can control the spline's curvature. Tangent handles produce a