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View Full Version : How to reverse a group of sequences in timeline?

Iggy
08-14-2003, 09:44 PM
Hey ya'll,

Here's one for you. Is there a way to select a group of sequences in the timeline, copy them and at the same time reverse their order? Imagine an sequence opening a hatch (where'd I pluck that from? ;)). In this case a bolt unscrews and comes out, then the door is unlocked, then it pulls straight out, then it swings open. To close the door it sure would be nice to simply copy that group of sequences in reverse order, keeping the timing and everything the same. I tried scaling by -1 but it doesn't accept negative values. Have to admit I'm a little stumped. I really thought that this would be fairly easy. (The first animation package I worked with was the very crappy IPA, Solidworks exclusive. It had this feature, so I assumed it was common.) Is there a plug or anything for this? Thank you!
AdamT
08-14-2003, 11:31 PM
This would be a good time to learn about the Time Track--p. 860 of the manual. This isn't an RTFM answer; it would just be better to read the section than to have me try to explain it.
Iggy
08-14-2003, 11:53 PM
Yah, actually I played around with the time track for a while before posting this thread, but it's not the answer that I'm looking for. (Though it's probably what I'll wind up using.) The best that I can figure I'd still have to manually place all the sequences in the reverse order, and then give them all time tracks, or key one time track to all the sequences. Quite a bit of work! A lot more than simply copy-reverse...

Unless I'm not using it right. *Can* you reverse several sequences with one time track and just a few keyframes? Can you show me a simple example with primitives, because I couldn't make it work like I wanted.
AdamT
08-15-2003, 12:12 AM
Yeah, you can use one Time Track for multiple objects/tracks/sequences. Just create the time track and then multiselect all the tracks you want to apply it to. Then drag the time track into the time track box in the AM and away you go.
Iggy
08-15-2003, 01:01 AM
But it reverses them individually, right? You still have to key a start and end frame for each sequence? Because then if the sequences overlap you would probably need another time track?

[...Trying to understand...]
AdamT
08-15-2003, 07:08 AM
Originally posted by Iggy
But it reverses them individually, right? You still have to key a start and end frame for each sequence? Because then if the sequences overlap you would probably need another time track?

[...Trying to understand...]
Oh duh. You're right. I had a vapor lock there.

Okay, this courtesy of Michael Auerbach:
select all the keyframes you want to mirror in the F-Curve Manager and use the Curves->Mirror X command. Hope this is more helpful than the last suffestion.
Iggy
08-15-2003, 07:56 AM
Ah, thanks Adam. That seems a little better. At least it takes some of the grunt work out. I think that I still have to move the sequences into reverse position manually but at least I don't have to reverse them by hand. Plus eliminating the time track doesn't hurt. It doesn't seem to work well when you're working with more than one sequence at a time though... It just flattened out the curves. Still experimenting...
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