Key travel-facing and visibility switches
Switch a state on a chosen frame without reshaping the motion.
On this page
What this helps you do
Switch a state on a chosen frame without reshaping the motion.
When to use it
You want to hide an object or switch travel-facing from a chosen frame without changing earlier images.
Before you begin
Use the desktop app and check the edition requirement: Pro / active trial. The current published version is shown above. Confirm the selected item and playhead before changing anything. This audit does not verify a physical Windows device.
Step by step
Screenshots: Mac v1.7.0 Follow each step with the real app interface below. Select an image to enlarge the marked area.
- Select an object and inspect Visible in scene and State-key list under Visibility & entrances. The actor’s travel-heading switch is in Position & orientation.
- 1Visibility switch
- 2Hidden at 2 seconds
Figure 1 Visibility & entrances and its state-key list. This example hides the actor at 2 seconds and shows it again at 4. - To switch at a particular frame, enable Auto-key, move the playhead, then change the relevant switch. The illustrated button is off; it should light up when enabled. Advanced editing requires Pro or an active trial.
- 1Enable Auto-key here
Figure 2 The Auto-key entry, shown off here. The button lights up when enabled. - Inspect switch keys on the object’s State row, separately from position and rotation. Check the object and time before moving, copying or deleting a key.
Figure 3 State keys appear on their own row, separately from transform keys. - Compare a frame before the switch with the switch frame. Check hidden and visible images and confirm the earlier interval is unchanged. Then test Undo and saved-project reopening.
Figure 4 Seek to a visible state and check that the actor reappears. Figure 4b Seek to a hidden state and compare it with the visible frame.
Blocking & performance takes over travel heading only during movement. Idle facing holds before departure; arrival follows the stopping/turning settings. Bake automatic heading into keys before editing it frame by frame.
Settings and edit scope
| Control or concept | Meaning and boundary |
|---|---|
| State key | Holds the previous value and switches exactly on frame. There are no intermediate values or easing curves. |
| Auto-key off | Edits the current property interval and preserves future switches. Before the first state key, it edits the base value. |
Check the result
For example, enabling at 2 seconds and disabling at 4 preserves the earlier orientation, faces travel from 2–4, then returns to the keyed orientation.
Troubleshooting and recovery
Name, size, material and path settings remain global. A state key is not a rotation curve; bake evaluated facing if you need to edit the turn itself.
If the result is unexpected, stop playback, check the selected item and time, and use Undo before making another change. Keep a backup rather than repeatedly overwriting the project.
Keep learning
Include your app version, operating system and the error message. Never include your license or API key.