Animation clone frames improvement

Develop Feature Requests
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1

Hi

Currently working on an animation, I’m using the clone frames function.
That’s a really interesting feature as it permit to get many frames in a cycling loop without being memory eater! :+1:

Maybe there’s some possibilities of improvement because currently it need manual workaround to be used plainly.
Pinging @emmetpdx and @eoinoneill if interested by these easy[I hope :sweat_smile:] small improvements.

Here my current timeline

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Improve timeline visual rendering (1)

Currently, to be able to made distinction between my original frames and the cloned one, I have to change color of first frame.

It helps but it’s not totally comfortable

Maybe what can be done is also to draw a mark on cloned frames.

Here some possible example of marks (but any other shape should be Ok for me :sweat_smile:):

  • 50% darker bullet
  • 50% lighter bullet
  • 50% darker bottom rect
  • 50% lighter bottom rect
    image

It doesn’t help to see which one is the first frame, but something like this will clearly help to identify immediately if a frame is a clone or not in timeline

Additional possibility: let the user choose marker color per frame (will allow for example to visually define start/end of a loop)

Improve timeline visual rendering (2)

My layers lines and color are in a group layer

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It could be interesting in time line to get a visual of group content (with may be, a distinct rendering than usual frames as it’s not real frames)

Example of how a selected group could be rendered in time line:

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Note: the group rendered in timeline should render all sub-animated layers (including nested groups :smile:) even if animated sub-layers:
– Are not visible in timeline
– Are hidden (PRO and CON for this one can be discussed I think… :thinking:)

Improve clone workflow (1)

Basically, current workflow is:

  • Select frames
  • Right click → Clone keyframes
  • Select target frame
  • Right click → Paste keyframes

Encountered problems:

  • The Paste keyframes action here is not intuitive… (I had to understand that once Clone has been clicked, I had to Paste)
  • Once paste has been made, you have to repeat the process entirely :face_with_spiral_eyes:

Possible improvements:

  1. When frames are cloned, it should be named Paste cloned keyframes UI will be immediately more intuitive :slight_smile:
  2. When pasted, do not cleanup clipboard and let user be able to paste until next Clone keyframes action
  3. Add an action Paste multiples cloned keyframes (like we have insert multiples keyframe) were you can for example paste your clones 10 times (let user define number between 1 - 999 for example) in few clicks

Improve clone workflow (2)

An advanced clone workflow that could be useful

I’m often working with group layers.

Then, if Improve timeline visual rendering (2) idea is implemented, it could be great to:

  • Be able to select frames from group row in time line
  • Right click, then Clone keyframes
  • Select target frame
  • Right click, then Paste cloned keyframes

And in this case, it will automatically process action on all sub-animated layers for which there’s a keyframe :slight_smile:

Grum999

5 Likes
2

I like the idea. :+1:
What would happen if you have multiple clone frames of the same frame and remove the original frame?
Would they all still have the visual cue of a clone frame? Would the next clone frame (in the order of being cloned) get marked as an original frame? Or will the first instance left to right in timeline be the new original?

3

Currently when you delete an original source frame, it seems that first cloned frame became original frame for other clone.
But I’m not really sure :slight_smile:

For that I’ll have to analyse kra file but not time for now :slight_smile:

Grum999

4

If you edit a cloned keyframe, the changes are applied to all other clones of that keyframe and also the original keyframe.
If you remove any keyframe, other keyframes are not affected.
It seems that the usual meaning of ‘original’ and ‘clone’ don’t apply here.

My theory is some kind of symbolic link structure.

5

I have spoken of these issue before too and I agree. Loops are kinda pointless because any change need to be manually updated with weird copying options on all frames and there is no distinction between them visually . This makes addressing the timeline a bigger hurdle than making the animation.