Applying Modifiers to Keyframes: How They Work!

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Applying Modifiers to Keyframes: How They Work!

Postby im42n8 » Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:03 pm

HOW MODIFIERS WORK ON KEYFRAMES (revised, 2009/03/09)

Photodex documentation on modifiers is basically non-existent. One thing that’s critical to using modifiers is understanding how modifiers work once applied to a keyframe. Understanding this behavior is key to knowing whether or not you really have a problem with the modifier. It’s also key to effectively getting modifiers to work for you, not to mention reducing your frustration level! Until Photodex comes out with useful guidance on modifiers, the Forum users must provide that guidance themselves. Toward that end, this document will attempt to give a basic description of how these modifiers work when applied to a keyframe.

Introduction.
. Basically, the action of a modifier begins not at the keyframe to which the modifier has been attached but at a point just past the first keyframe! It reaches it’s peak activity at the keyframe to which it is attached and then diminishes in intensity thereafter.
. There’s a little checkbox on the modifier page that lets the modifier apply to all keyframes (i.e., Use on all keyframes). Once checked, that modifier is now used for all keyframes on the layer, unless superseded by modifier on another keyframe. In this case, peak activity is reached almost immediate at the first keyframe and continues undiminished throughout the slide and transition time!
. A) If a Stop Modifier modifier (i.e., any modifier that quells the activity of another modifier; see Modifier Notes, #2, below) is applied to a kf located ahead of the kf with the modifier and the “Use on all keyframes” is not checked on either modifier, the modifier will ramp up its activity as described above from the Stop Modifier keyframe and beyond and, once past the modifier keyframe, will slow down to a stop at the last kf. So kf1: 1st kf; Kf2: 1st stop kf; kf3: modifier kf; kf4: last kf.
. B) If as in A) above except that the “Use on all keyframes” is checked for the Stop Modifier kf only, the modifier will ramp up its activity as described in A) above and, once past the modifier keyframe, will slow down to a stop at the following kf.
. C) If as in A) above except that the “Use on all keyframes” is checked for the modifier only, the modifier will ramp up its activity as described above from the first keyframe, slowdown to a stop at the Stop Modifier kf, and then ramp up immediately once past it to continue undiminished to the last kf. If you need to actually have a stop action until the kf right before the modifier kf, you may need to add a keyframe near kf1 that has the Stop Modifier modifier it. This ensure no modifier activity until the 2nd Stop Modifier kf (located immediately before the modifier kf). So kf1: 1st kf; Kf2: 1st stop kf; kf3: 2nd stop kf; kf4: modifier kf; kf5: last kf.
. D) If as in A) above except that both the Stop Modifier modifier and the modifier are set to “Use on all Keyframes. In this case, it acts like C) above.
. E) As in A) with the addition of a kf between the modifier kf and the last kf. This new modifier kf will have a Stop Modifier modifer on it and will not apply to all keyframes. So kf1: 1st kf; Kf2: 1st stop kf; kf3: 2nd stop kf; kf4: modifier kf; kf5: end stop kf; kf6: last kf. In this case, the modifier activity starts just past kf3, reaches its peak at kf3, and starts to diminish in activity until stopped at kf5.
. *So, the key here is that if you don’t want the diminished activity, you’ll want to add a kf just before kf5 and duplicate the modifier on it (you may have to unlink kfs 5 and 6 first and then duplicate the modifier that’s on kf4 onto kf5 and put the Stop Modifier on kf6). Note that if KF6 (since we added a keyframe, the last kf is now kf7!) is set to “Use on all keyframes,” the description in E) is unchanged!


. This described activity will occur no matter the of stop mechanism you choose to employ. So, make adjustments as necessary, if at all. This slowdown (or speedup) may not be noticed on many modifiers, depending on their settings. See Modifier Notes below for a simple Stop Modifier modifier.

Modifiers are applied to a keyframe WITH and WITHOUT the Use on all keyframes box checked (hereinafter referred to as "checkbox"). A red triangle appears in the upper corner of the box to which the modifier is attached (i.e., pan-x, pan-y, zoom-x, zoom-y, rotation, etc) for the given keyframe. If the checkbox is NOT checked, only the actual keyframe with the modifier will have the little red box. If the checkbox IS checked, a triangle will appear in the associated box on all keyframes on that layer.

In the following section, I describe the actions of the modifier on keyframes when applied to various areas (i.e., pan, zoom, rotate, and opacity ... all but the latter item are discussed below). I created a slide with multiple keyframes within the slide time.

*KF1 and KF10: the keyframes located at the extreme ends of the transition regions.
*Pan values were given such that the layer moves directly across the screen, edge to edge.
*The additional 8 keyframes were added to the initial 2. Then, a modifier was created on one of the keyframes in one of the various boxes and its behavior noted across the other keyframes for the cases where the checkbox was and was not checked.
The values of kf1 were copied to kf2 to ensure no changes occurred while the slide was still in the “transition in” region.


ZOOM-X.
I added a modifier to the zoom-x of kf3.

Result with checkbox NOT checked. The red triangle showed up in ONLY the box I'd added the modifier to. The layer began stretching out beginning with kf1 and went back to its default value at the last kf. Sorta like making all other kf's act as if on auto except for kf3. The effect began building from kf1 until it reached maximum at kf3 and then unstretched to 0% as the end of the transition out was reached.

Result with checkbox checked. Red triangles showed up in all keyframes. The layer was stretched at kf1 all the way to the end of the slide. So, the impact was on all keyframes as if the modifier had been applied to all keyframes.

I removed the constant modifier from kf3.

PAN-Y
I added a sine wave modifier to the pan-y of kf3.

Result with checkbox unchecked. The red triangle showed up in ONLY the box I'd added the modifier to. An oscillating (i.e., sinewave) action occurred all the way from start to end. However, the amplitude increased from kf1 to kf3, was maximum at kf3, and steadily reduced in amplitude through to the last kf.

Result with checkbox checked. Red triangles showed up in all keyframes. Same amplitude sinewave from kf1 to last kf.

I removed the modifier from kf3.

ROTATION
A constant value was applied to the rotation on kf4.

Result with checkbox unchecked. The red triangle showed up in ONLY the box I'd added the modifier to. The rotation begins at kf1 and reaches the value specified in the constant modifer on kf4. From kf4 until the end of the slide, the rotation eventually returns to a value of 0. This is as if all kfs were set to auto except for kf1, kf4, and the end kf. From kf1 to kf4 the value increases to maximum. From kf4 to kf10 it decreases to minimum.

Result with checkbox checked. Red triangles showed up in all keyframes. The constant forces the box to assume the rotated value from kf1 to the last kf.

If you put a STOP MODIFIER (see below) action on an earlier keyframe, say kf2, and had it apply to ALL KEYFRAMES, then, the modifier on kf3 (which is not applied to all keyframes) will act from kf3 to kf4. It won't occur after that. If the use on all keyframes is not checked, then when the modifier begins, it'll basically stop working by the time it gets to the last keyframe.

If both the STOP modifier action on kf2 and the rotation modifier on kf3 are applied to all keyframes, then the action of kf3 won't occur until kf3 and will continue to the last kf. To stop the kf3 modifier in this case you'll need to put a STOP MODIFIER on EACH subsequent kf from the one you want to stop the action at UNLESS you have it apply to all keyframes. In that case, the kf3 modifier will again stop at the next keyframe, in this case it'll be stopped by kf4! This same action should apply to all other types as well: pan, zoom, adjustment, etc.

Adjustment Effects.
The results were the same when I tried this same technique on some adjustment effects.

COMMENTS/CONCLUSIONS.
If you want to control the rate at which the effect occurs when you have UNCHECKED the Use for all keyframes, you need to add a modifier to a prior or later kf (either add it before you include modifiers or do some extra work to unlink the resulting linked modifiers*) that will cancel the action to previous kfs or later kfs. This is equivalent to taking the other keyframes off automatic (as far as modifiers are concerned). For instance, if I don't want the effect to do anything from kf1 to kf3 I would put two constant modifiers in kf3 (+0.001 for the first one and *1.00 for the second). This forces the effect to ONLY build up from kf3 to kf4. To force the effect to stop at kf5 I add those two modifiers to kf5 as well. Now from kf5 onward, no effect of the modifier on kf4 is observed.

You can do the same for the CHECKED case. Only in that case, since kf4 is affecting ALL keyframes, the effect of adding the modifiers as above would be that between kf1 and 2 the kf4 modifier would be in effect; from kf2 to kf3 the effect would become minimal; and be non-existent at kf3. But as it progresses from kf3 and kf4 the modifier would become more prevalent. The modifier would be at maximum at kf4 and then decrease from kf4 to kf5. At kf5 the effect is a 0 again. After kf5, the kf4 modifier would then return to full force quickly.

. Good luck in your endeavors to use modifiers. Obviously they're confusing when you don't understand how they work. Hopefully Photodex will, in the not too distant future, document modifiers significantly better than they have to date.
. Hopefully this document will help you understand how modifiers work when applied to a keyframe. In that respect, I hope it helps in reducing the frustration of using them. Also, by understanding how they work, that it may assist you in understanding whether what you see is a bug (unintended consequence) or by design (as expected) or something you’ve done (or not done!).

MODIFIER NOTES

1) Breaking modifier links between two keyframes. If you have a kf to which a modifier has been attached and you add a keyframe prior to the keyframe with the modifier, the added kf will inherit the modifier. Further, any change made to the modifier on either kf will affect the modifier on the other keyframe. To break the link, you'll have to remove the modifier (so that both kf's will now have no modifier). Generally, you many then create a modifier on either kf without a problem. Sometimes you may have to remove the modifier a 2nd or 3rd time before the link is broken. Typically tho, the link is broken on the first attempt.

2) STOP MODIFIER Modifier. To STOP a modifier from working, such as the sine wave, put a keyframe AFTER the keyframe that has the modifier and place it where (i.e., time) you want the motion to stop. Then, on that keyframe add a constant modifier. You'll need two of them. The first one you put 0.001(it'll round to 0.00). On the 2nd, you'll make it a *1 (multiply by 1). Stops it dead in its tracks!


Good LUCK! :D

Dale Fenimore
Last edited by im42n8 on Mon Mar 09, 2009 12:13 pm, edited 7 times in total.

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Re: Applying Modifiers to Keyframes: How They Work!

Postby Cliff.Thomas » Sun Jan 18, 2009 4:45 pm

Dale,

Thanks for the info.

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Re: Applying Modifiers to Keyframes: How They Work!

Postby im42n8 » Mon Jan 19, 2009 6:14 am

Thanx Cliff! Appreciate it!

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Re: Applying Modifiers to Keyframes: How They Work!

Postby briancbb » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:47 pm

Thanks for your efforts in putting that together Dale.

At the moment my head is caught between two kf's with a modifier applied, and in a spin :D

Where is that glass of wine.
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Re: Applying Modifiers to Keyframes: How They Work!

Postby nannybear » Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:12 pm

It's in a bag at my house, so hop on the corporate jet! You should be here by Wednesday when my sister in law gets here for computing/recording visit....hugs Jan :lol:
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Re: Applying Modifiers to Keyframes: How They Work!

Postby twodoor55 » Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:07 pm

Thanks for the description on how things work. I just upgraded to the newest version of PSP. Hoping it doesn't take me too long to figure things out.

Great info.
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Re: Applying Modifiers to Keyframes: How They Work!

Postby skiyak » Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:49 pm

Thanks, Dale!
Yes, see how it works now. Back to playing with these things.

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Re: Applying Modifiers to Keyframes: How They Work!

Postby im42n8 » Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:21 pm

Thanx Brian, Twodoor, and Wendy!

Now, I wonder if they'll change things now? The captions section had the ability to put these modifiers on the left and the right side of a keyframe (two completely different, unrelated, modifier sets). As provided, the modifier capability for captions was effectively not very usable in the previous release nor the current one. I hope they don't institute that model unless they've got it fixed! (the modifiers on the right side of each kf are linked. The same goes for each modifier located on the left side of each kf ... linked. Kind leaves a lot to be desired!)

Dale

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