Keyframes
Set a property at two moments; Mixavis fills in everything between.
A keyframe records the value of one property at one time. Two keyframes on the same property make an animation — the value moves from the first to the second, and the shape of that movement is the easing.
Almost every number in the editor can be keyframed, including effect and modifier parameters. If a control has a stopwatch beside it, it animates.
When to reach for it#
- Any motion where you know the start and end states.
- Precise timing that has to hit a specific frame.
- Anything a driver rule cannot express.
How it works#
Turning on the stopwatch for a property creates the first keyframe at the playhead. From then on, changing that property at a different time creates another one automatically. Turning the stopwatch off discards them all.
Values between keyframes are interpolated. Linear interpolation moves at a constant rate and reads as mechanical; eased interpolation accelerates and decelerates, which is what almost all real movement does.
Parameters#
What the property equals at this moment.
Where the keyframe sits. Drag it in the timeline, or snap it to a frame boundary so it lands exactly on a rendered frame.
How the value travels out of this keyframe and into the next. Linear, eased, held, or a custom curve you shape in the graph editor.
The value stays put until the next keyframe, then jumps. Essential for frame-by-frame work and anything that should switch rather than slide.
Recipes#
A move that feels physical
- Set the start and end keyframes.
- Select both and apply Easy Ease.
- Open the graph editor and drag the outgoing handle of the first key further to the right.
Symmetric easing is fine but generic. Real objects usually accelerate slowly and stop fast, or the reverse — the asymmetry is what carries the weight.
Things that catch people out#
A property that holds the same value across two keys is not static — it is animating to the same number, and any easing applies. Use a hold keyframe if you mean "do not move".
See also#
Something here wrong or missing? Tell us in the community.