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Global settings for Timeflow
Unified Time Display
When enabled, the grid unit (frames, seconds, timecode, measures) is unified with the primary time display, so that the grid and all time fields display the same time format.
If this option is off, then the grid measurement can be set independently of the display format. To change the primary dislay, click on the small T: on the left of the time display, or it can also be set in the Timeflow inspector.
Time Mode
This determines how Timeflow handles discreet units of time, playing an important role for managing keyframes and timing events.
Frame
This is the default and preferred time mode which automatically sets the Time Tolerance to the duration of 1 frame. This is calculated as 1 / FPS using the active Timeflow framerate settings. This ensures that only 1 keyframe or timing event may occupy the same frame. In short, this makes each frame an integral unit of time.
Using Frame mode does not impose any limits on framerate and smoothly interpolates subframes. This setting has more to do with keyframes and events having precise times.
Float
This mode allows full floating point precision to be used for keyframes and timing events, independent of the framerate. When this mode is active, the Time Tolerance may be set to any value, as low as 0.0001 seconds.
Float mode should be used with caution as it allows keyframes to be closely packed in time. This can end up with confusing scenarios where multiple keyframes appear to be overlapping one another.
Time Tolerance
This value determines the minimum unit of time allowed and is used with the options above. If Frame mode is enabled, the Time Tolerance is automatically calculated as a single frame duration. If on the other hand Float mode is enabled, then time tolerance may be set to any value with a minimum of 0.0001 seconds.
Setting Time Tolerance to a value that does not evenly divide into the target frame rate may produce anomalies in time when making fine adjustments. This can be caused by floating point rounding errors and can result in skipped frames and uneven grid spacing.
Global Forced Frame Rate
Time Tolerance cannot be used by itself to force a global frame rate. Instead, use the Forceframerate mode in the Update Settings on the Timeflow instance, or on select TimeflowObjects. Set Time Tolerance to match the desired frame rate to force integral frames for time based events.
Strict Tolerance
If enabled, actual times rendered in Timeflow are rounded to the nearest integral frame based on the frame rate. This setting is best used whenever frame accuracy is required, such as when rendering to disk. However, for smoother real time playback this setting should be disabled.
Custom Time Step
This specifies a time interval (in seconds) to use with the keyboard shortcuts Control + Shift + Page Up/Down to step forward or backward in time by the specified amount of time. This time is applied relative to the current time.
Enforce Start/End Time
Enabling these options prevent keyframes and tracks from being dragged before the start time, and likewise from going beyond the end time. This makes it easier to work in the timeline without worry of moving keyframes offscreen. Disable these settings if you wish to have unrestricted keyframe dragging.
Minimum Time Scale
This determines the smallest value Time Scale can be set to. The value must be greater than zero.
Undo Time Changes
When enabled, changes to the current time (i.e. moving the playhead) are undoable. If disabled, time changes are not recorded in undo. This may be set to personal preference.
Draw Minor Grid Lines
This determines whether the grid is displayed with the time subdivided in regular increments. For more information, please refer to Grid and Snap.
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