🛤️Tracks

Arranging objects and behaviors in time

A track is a special type of channel for objects in Timeflow, displayed on the same horizontal row as the object. Tracks can control animation timing and the active state of objects.

Both tracks and channels may be assigned a display color to help distinguish them.

Each object has just 1 track channel, however it may be split into as many sections as needed. By default, tracks are created Auto Full Length and locked to prevent accidentally changing them.

Locking Tracks

Locked track sections may still be selected, however when dragged they remain unchanged and display a small icon to indicate they are locked. The fields in the info panel are also disabled while the selected tracks are locked.

The lock icon on each track section is only displayed while dragging to indicate locked tracks, which cannot be moved.

To unlock tracks, select a track section in the Track View and click the small lock icon on the left side of the info panel.

Editing Tracks

Once unlocked, the track section can now be edited by setting the start and stop points, and/or dragging the track.

Click and drag on the track start and end handles to edit the track duration.

Track start and end times can be edited numerically in the info panel, or by dragging the start and end handles of the track section in the Track View. The cursor changes to a horizontal slider arrow (as shown above) whenever the mouse hovers over a track start or end point.

Shows track sections that have been unlocked and modified.

Clicking and dragging anywhere in the middle of a track section moves the start and end together maintaining its duration.

When tracks are moved, they automatically stop when a neighboring track section is reached, however if dragged further, the track section can overwrite another as depicted below.

While dragging selected tracks, any track sections behind it that appear ghosted will be replaced when the drag is released (as shown above).

Cancel Drag

To cancel a drag currently underway without making changes, press the Escape key to stop the drag operation and return items to their starting position, maintaining the current selection. If the escape key is pressed while not dragging, it deselects all.

Snap to Grid Hold the Alt key while dragging tracks to snap to the time grid.

Drag Time Offset

Tracks may optionally be configured to control Time Offset. When Drag Time Offset is enabled, tracks are no longer moved directly when dragged, but instead shift the time of the entire object.

Dragging is still allowed even when the track is locked (as shown above) since only the Time Offset is being affected. The track sections retain their start and end times, unless directly changed.

To disable selection and track editing for an object, while still keeping it in view, use the lock on the far left in the Switches column.

Please see the documentation for Drag Time Offset for further details.

Auto Full Length

When Auto is enabled, the track automatically adjusts its length to match the timeline. Enabling Auto also locks the track to prevent changes and is the default mode for new tracks.

The selected track (in blue) has Auto Full Length enabled and is locked to prevent changes.

Enabling Auto for any track results in a single full length track section, removing all others and locking the track.

Auto is disabled any time either the start or end times of a track are directly modified (which would require first unlocking the track).

Multiple Sections

Each track channel may be made up of 1 or unlimited track sections, each defining a time range. Tracks are displayed in blocks and work similar to keyframes in the way they are created, selected, and edited. By default, tracks and keyframes may be selected and edited together.

Track sections may be used for a number of purposes including starting and stopping behaviors and showing and hiding objects. How tracks affect the object is explained further below in Track Visibility.

Adding Track Sections

Editing Multiple Tracks

When multiple track sections are selected, dragging the start or end points of any selected track affects all others selected. This is a useful to edit and maintain the same length for each.

Keyframe Indicators The small notches on the blue and red track channels shown above indicate keyframes on channels currently collapsed in the display. These cannot be edited directly while collapsed but provide a useful overview of the keyframes within.

For more advanced track and keyframe editing features, see Alignment Tools.

Keyframes, events, and track sections directly below each selected track are considered related keyframes. This provides a useful way to work with a section of time including multiple objects and channels.

Related keyframes to the selected track are highlighed in green. Other keyframes outside of the track are ignored.

By default, all tracks and keyframes may be moved freely, independently of each other to avoid causing inadvertent changes across channels. However, at times you may want to move tracks and keyframes as a group, which can be accomplished by including related keyframes.

Select related keyframes for further editing (selection highlighted in yellow)

Track Colors

Track colors are set by clicking the color swatch icon on the left. Clicking a swatch for any item selected opens the color palette and applies to the entire selection.

Click the swatch icon in the column header to apply color to all objects and channels currently displayed in the Timeflow view, regardless of whether they are selected or not.

For more information on managing colors, see Track Colors

Track Labels

Each track section can optionally display a label in the Track View. This can be helpful for organization by adding comments to describe the action or event or to add revision notes.

Local Time Scope

Double-clicking a track opens the current selection of tracks and keyframes in a localized time view. This allows editing relative to the selected track(s), as though working in a nested timeline.

To exit Local Time Scope, click the icon or use the keyboard shortcut S.

For more information, please see Local Time Scope

Track Modes

Each track may optionally be used to control the active or visible state of an object and its children. This option is displayed in the Values Column, in the Object Context Menu, and also in the TimeflowObject inspector.

On

This is the default mode for new tracks. This is a passive mode, meaning no changes are made to the object state or visibility. Only Timeflow behaviors are affected, with the track area controlling when channels are updated. This can be used to limit animation to specific time ranges.

Activate

This mode can be used to active and deactivate the current game object (including its hierarchy).

Renderer

This mode controls the visibility of the game object and all of its descendants by activating/deactivating all renderer components and colliders. In this mode all of the game objects remain active with their components continuing to update, but are not visible in the camera nor interact with physics or ray casting.

During setup each TimeflowObject prebuilds a list of renderers, colliders, lights, and visual effect components so that it can quickly activate or deactivate them during playback. This affects the object and all of its descendants, with the exception of any children which are set to the Renderer Independent mode, described next.

Renderer Independent

Using this mode, the track controls the objects visibility separately from its parents. This is typically only used in situations where the parent group is using Renderer mode and you need a specific object in the hierarchy to remain visible or hidden, independent of what the parent is doing.

Activate Children

This mode is similar to Activate, however it only activates/deactivates children of the current object, not the object itself. This is helpful in cases where the parent needs to stay active.

Track Shadows

Each track casts a shadow over its channels and children to better visuals active regions. Any areas of animation falling under a shadow, whether from its own track or parent, is inactive.

The shadowing color has been intensified in this screenshot to demonstrate.

Using Renderer Independent mode may be used to allow a child object to remain visible regardless of the parent track state.

Last updated