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TIMELINE, ..going nuts @$#@ HELP

  • Supposer

    Probably the easiest way would be to use a timer to control the playhead (what part the timeline is at).

    So add a timer. Tweak it and set it to "speed" mode. This will use whatever signal you send into the "play" input as the speed of time. So while you're sending it 0, it won't change. While you're sending it 1, it'll move time forward as normal. While you're sending it -1, it will reverse time and count down.

    We will be using the "timer output." This sends a number between 0 and 1 depending on how far through towards the set target time it is. So if the current time is 0 and the target time is not, it will send 0. If the current time is the same as the target time, it will send 1. If the current time is somewhere in between 0 and the target time, it will send a value somewhere in between 0 and 1.

    In the timeline, the playhead itself can be sent a signal from 0 - 1 to set the current position of the playhead. So for example, sending it 0 will put it at the start. Sending it 1 will put it at the end. And sending it 0.5 will put it in the middle. The duration of the timeline doesn't matter when you're controlling the playhead directly. More on that later.

    So now, we can use the "timer output" to send values to the playhead and make it move over time just as before--only now we can make it play backwards, in slow-mo, or even pause halfway through. And we don't even need the "keep changes" keyframe at the end, because the timeline will always stay active even when it reaches the end, and so that last keyframe will stay powered and keep the object in whatever position/state it has set. Open the timeline, and take a wire from the "timer output" and move towards the *bottom* of the playhead. A little input node should appear. Plug it into that.

    Now, as the timer changes, so does the playhead. And you can send the timer's "play" input negative values or 0 to make the timeline play backwards or pause.

  • TheLOSToneNL

    thanks

  • Skeuomorpheus

    Thanks supposer. Great advice as always.

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