- [Instructor] So the animation wizard
as we saw, is very useful for generating
quick and easy animations really with just
the click of a button.
However, in most cases we may
require some more complex animations
that can't just be generated from
our animation wizard.
So, we do of course have many methods
to generate more manual animations.
So one of the maybe easiest methods
to create some manual animations
is just using what I would call
the click and drag method.
Essentially what we can do here
is just move around components
within our specific timeline and set
some key points.
So lets take a look at that process.
Here I have my brand new animation.
Nothing going on so far.
So what I can do is just move this
time bar to whatever points I'd like.
So let's say I'm gonna move this to
about two seconds here.
And then at two seconds I can place
any key points that may represent a change
in position, location, color, appearance,
whatever it may be for really any
component within this project.
So in this case, I'm going to try
to create a very simple animation
of just the gear component rotating
in one direction and then maybe rotating back.
So from zero to two seconds I'm actually
going to do nothing.
So I just want to hold all information.
So I'm going to move my time bar again
to about two seconds here.
I'm really only worried about the gear
component here.
I could do it for all other components
as well, but in this case I'm only
really worried about the gear component here.
So what I can do is move to two seconds
and then set this same key.
So there's a bunch of different ways
I can do this.
I can actually just click and drag the original
key since it's gonna be the same.
Or I can use this Add/Update Key.
And you can even read the prompt here.
It will let you know what it's doing.
It's creating a key with whatever
selected information, so attributes,
updates, for example, colors, appearance
change, location change.
Anything like that will be placed
within that key.
So, I can just click on add or update key here.
And notice that's added a new key
or a new blue diamond at two seconds.
But everything is just the same there.
So now if I move back and forth
between zero and two seconds,
really nothing should be happening.
Then what I'm going to do is move
ahead to four seconds.
And now, I want a bit of a change to occur.
So from two to four seconds I'm gonna
say rotate or turn my gear maybe
about 90 degrees or so.
All I need to do there is really
click and drag in my assembly.
As long as it's not fixed in place
or locked down with mates or anything like that.
You can see I can click and drag
my gear here, and yeah, it looks
like it's moving just like I like.
I'm just gonna click and drag to
rotate it about 90 degrees or so here.
And then again, jump back and place
that key at four seconds.
So it's gonna be everything is gonna
be the same except it's just gonna
rotate 90 degrees at that four seconds.
So again, what I can do is just place
that Add/Update Key button here.
And notice, just beside that we have autokeys.
We'll get more into autokeys later on.
But essentially, if Autokey is turned on,
any change I make is gonna automatically
create these keys for me.
If it's turned off any change I make
won't automatically be placed.
I'll have to manually place using
the Add/Update Key.
So that's just a personal preference.
You can turn Autokey on or off as you may need.
I've just turned it off for now.
When first getting started I like to
have it turned off if we're new to animations.
Just maybe makes a little more sense
and you might make less mistakes
if we have to go through it manually every time.
So now, if I run through them maybe I'll
calculate this, see what's going on here.
But it should just be rotating
from two to four seconds.
So if I play all the way through now,
from zero to two nothing should happen.
From two to four I'm rotating about
90 degrees there.
Then continue on, just do the same thing.
Maybe I want to move from four to six seconds.
I'm gonna place this same key again
here for my gear.
Another option I have is I can just right-click
in my timeline and I also have the same
Place Key command here as well.
And looks like I've moved off a little bit.
I can actually edit these at any point.
I can just click and drag to kind of
move these where I may like.
So I'm gonna make sure I get dead
on that six seconds there.
So now, from four to six seconds
I should be holding again and then
I'm gonna move up ahead to eight seconds.
And maybe rotate this back 90 degrees or so.
And finally, place that last key.
So now I can calculate once more.
And run though from the start.
So just press play from the start here.
Zero to two, nothing should happen.
Two to four I start to rotate 90 degrees.
Four to six, nothing again.
And six to eight start to rotate
back that 90 degrees.