Ability to mute Keyframes

Expressions can technically work around a lot of things, but that doesn't mean a native solution isn't worth it. After all, Adobe finally added its own console panel after years — replacing the need for the FX Console plugin. So why not do the same here?

Muting keyframes non-destructively is a basic, expected part of an animation timeline (Cinema 4D has had it for ages). A "goofy workaround" with a Checkbox Control and an expression proves the demand is real, but it's clunky: it mutes all keyframes at once instead of selected ones, has to be set up per property, and locks the property from normal editing while the expression is active.

A proper native toggle — greyed-out keyframes, ignored during evaluation, re-enabled with one click — would solve two everyday needs: keeping an animation a client might ask back for without deleting it, and temporarily isolating parts of a heavy multi-keyframe setup to check the rest of the motion. If the console panel could graduate from plugin to built-in feature, keyframe muting deserves the same.

Also — this could live right in the keyframe right-click menu, either next to "Toggle Hold Keyframe" or inside the "Keyframe Assistant" submenu. Select your keyframes → "Mute Keyframe(s)" → they grey out and get ignored, one click to bring them back. Simple and exactly where you'd expect it.

That's a nice work around Rick. I'm all with Steve here In that I don't want to mute the entire property but a selection of keyframes.  I don't think Cinema has just that, but it does have animation layers. (A sort of opacity layer/audio levels of keyframe strenght where you can mute or lower ceratin regions of your animation.) Just muting keys would be fine though 🙂

My goofy workaround for this. Add a Checkbox Control to the layer. Pick the property you want to mute and add this expression;

//For any property with one or more keyframes
ctrl = effect("Checkbox Control")("Checkbox");
if(ctrl == 0)
	key(1)value;

This will return the value of the first keyframe and mute all others when you click the checkbox. I have actually used this on occasion.

@SteveKirby 

Thanks for the clarification, Steve.

Just jumping back in here to say that a lot of the comments discuss ways to mute ALL the keyframes on a property, but that's not what I'm asking for. My suggestion is the ability to mute, say, the third and fourth keyframes ONLY. The interpolation between the second and fifth keyframes then behaves as if I had deleted the two I muted. But I can re-enable them at any time.