TimeLine and curves

Navigate time, expose layers and edit animation values.

Particle preview playback

Loop controls preview playback independently of the saved emitter lifetime mode. A numeric once lifetime ends at Active time; a looping lifetime uses Active plus Sleep. At the boundary, Loop restarts the effect; with Loop off, playback stops. Play at the end restarts from zero. Expression-controlled lifetimes use the displayed timeline range as the preview boundary.

Drag the ruler or the playhead triangle to scrub continuously. Scrubbing pauses playback and leaves particle JSON unchanged. Rate, Shape, Motion and Appearance bars end at the preview lifetime boundary; playback no longer stretches the timeline.

Transport

Play / Pause, Go to start, Go to end and Loop operate on the current particle or Showtime context.

Zoom to fit shows the timeline extent. Zoom to frames increases the time scale. Snap controls alignment while editing.

Layers and keys

Add layer opens the existing layer choices. Select a curve or supported component property before Add keyframe at playhead.

Expand all layers and Collapse all layers change layer visibility. File > Edit curves provides the detailed curve editor.

Curve editor

Open File > Edit curves, then use the top dropdown to select a curve. Add curve creates and selects a new linear curve. Changes commit immediately; Close keeps them. Use Edit > Undo or Redo to reverse or restore edits.

Variable renames the curve and updates recognized references. Input accepts a number or an exact expression. Horizontal range is available for array curves; Bezier Chain uses independently positioned points.

Changing interpolation opens a review. Apply accepts the converted points; Cancel preserves the original curve. Graph height changes only the display, from 80 to 600 pixels, and is retained when you reopen the editor in this session. Drag the resize separator to adjust it. Escape, pointer cancellation or losing window focus cancels an unfinished resize and restores its starting height.

Points and handles

Array node fields accept finite numbers. Drag array points vertically; Bezier Chain points can move horizontally and vertically. Add point opens position and value fields. Occupied chain positions are rejected, including alternate numeric spellings such as 1 and 1.0.

Chain Position moves a point. Value and slope fields edit its data. Split values or slopes exposes separate sides; Join using left or right chooses the side to retain. Remove rejects deletions that would leave too few points for the selected interpolation.

Bind curve to particle field opens the binding workflow. Exact curve JSON opens a separate editor: Apply commits valid JSON, Reload current replaces the draft with the current source, and Cancel discards the draft.

Deleting curves

Delete curve removes an unreferenced curve immediately. If references exist, a review lets you choose another curve or a constant and select which references to replace. Unchecked references remain unchanged.

Review the retained-reference count before deleting. Cancel preserves the curve. Undo restores the deleted curve and the references changed by that deletion.

Show cues

Add breakpoint and Cut cue at playhead switch to Showtime and act on the show. Select and inspect the intended clips before editing.

Use the Showtime tools for clip timing, track settings, links, snapping and camera clips.