Adding Time at Beginning of Timeline
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:59 pm
I would like to be able to add some empty frames at the beginning or middle of an existing animation.
I have searched the ASPro 6 manual, The Official Guide (the 2008 book), and this forum for tips on how to insert time (new empty frames) at the beginning or in the middle of an existing timeline and have found no answers or even any hope for being able to do this.
I thought if I could find a way to select all keyframes in all existing layers that I could move them simultaneously to create new empty frames in the timeline. But even with "Consolidate timeline channels" turned on in Preferences I only have access to the keyframes of the currently selected layer. To do what I want to do I need to be able to simultaneously select ALL keyframes in ALL layers.
I recall reading that it is possible to select all the layers in the Layers palette, but it seems that is only useful for moving selected layers into group layers, not for selecting or displaying the keyframes of the selected layers.
Is there any method, trick, script, or workaround for adding time at any point other than the end of an existing timeline?
So far the only way I have been able to accomplish this is in After Effects when compositing. This allows me to get close to the finished look that I want, but it is awkward, time-consuming, and slows down the editing and fine tuning of a scene.
I assume that the lack of an apparent solution to this problem means that all AS animators prepare very accurate storyboards and never need to add new time to the beginning or middle of their animations once they start work. Or that they do as I have been doing and just start over when faced with this need or add the additional content when compositing.
I am very new to ASPro 6 and to animation in general so any suggestions are very welcome.
P.S. this is my first post after 2 months of very helpful lurking...
I have searched the ASPro 6 manual, The Official Guide (the 2008 book), and this forum for tips on how to insert time (new empty frames) at the beginning or in the middle of an existing timeline and have found no answers or even any hope for being able to do this.
I thought if I could find a way to select all keyframes in all existing layers that I could move them simultaneously to create new empty frames in the timeline. But even with "Consolidate timeline channels" turned on in Preferences I only have access to the keyframes of the currently selected layer. To do what I want to do I need to be able to simultaneously select ALL keyframes in ALL layers.
I recall reading that it is possible to select all the layers in the Layers palette, but it seems that is only useful for moving selected layers into group layers, not for selecting or displaying the keyframes of the selected layers.
Is there any method, trick, script, or workaround for adding time at any point other than the end of an existing timeline?
So far the only way I have been able to accomplish this is in After Effects when compositing. This allows me to get close to the finished look that I want, but it is awkward, time-consuming, and slows down the editing and fine tuning of a scene.
I assume that the lack of an apparent solution to this problem means that all AS animators prepare very accurate storyboards and never need to add new time to the beginning or middle of their animations once they start work. Or that they do as I have been doing and just start over when faced with this need or add the additional content when compositing.
I am very new to ASPro 6 and to animation in general so any suggestions are very welcome.
P.S. this is my first post after 2 months of very helpful lurking...
