introduction.md

Introduction

Channels Region

The Channels region.

This region is found on the left side of time-based editors like the Dope Sheet Editor and the Graph Editor. It shows a tree of items (objects, bones…) and their animated properties, with the latter also being called “channels.” Each channel has an associated F-curve describing how its value changes over time.

The rows are color-coded as follows:

• Dark blue: scenes, objects

• Light blue: actions, shape keys etc.

• Green: channel groups

• Gray: channels

Search Ctrl-F

Lets you filter the channels by typing a part of their name. Click the Invert button to instead show channels that don’t include the search text.

Channels

The headers contain the following toggle buttons:

/ Pin

Keep the row and its children visible even when selecting a different object.

/ Hide

Hides the keyframes and curve associated with the channel.

/ Modifiers

Deactivates the modifiers of the curve.

/ Mute

Deactivates the curve, making the animation behave as though it doesn’t exist.

/ Lock Tab

Prevent the curve from being edited.

Note

This also works in the Nonlinear Animation Editor, but note that it only locks the strips there, not the underlying F-curves.

Selection

• Select single header: click LMB

• Add/Remove single header to/from selection: click Ctrl-LMB

• Select range: click Shift-LMB

• Select All: A

• Deselect All: press Alt-A or double-tap A

• Box Select: drag LMB

• Box Add: drag Shift-LMB

• Box Remove: drag Ctrl-LMB

• Select all keyframes in the channel: double-click LMB on its header.

Editing

• Rename (anything but a channel): double-click LMB

• Delete selected: X or Delete

• Lock selected: Tab

Sliders

The Action editor showing sliders.

If you enable View ‣ Show Sliders, the region will show a value slider next to each channel. Changing such a slider will change the value of the curve at the current frame, creating a keyframe if one doesn’t already exist.