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Hi
I want to have an object sliding into the screen while slowing down to a specific speed, and then continuing that speed constantly.
So I have 3 keyframes - initial position -> mid position (starts with high speed and slowing down easily) -> further last position. I want the speed from keyframe 2 to 3 to stay constant.
I wasn't able to achieve accurately constant speed - not using the easing options and neither by using the graphs.
How is this supposed to be done?
Thank you
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Using the graph editor takes a bit of practice and the speed graph is a little difficult to understand. It takes some practice. I usually edit the curves in the graph editor using the pen tool (g) and tool modifiers (Alt/Option and Cmnd/Ctrl keys) instead of the selection tool (v) because you have a lot more control. Most people misinterpret the speed graph. Constant speed is displayed as a straight horizontal line, constant acceleration is a straight angled line. The steeper the angle the faster the acceleration. If you want to have a constant speed between two keyframes then all you have to do is select both keyframes in the graph editor and click the Convert to Linear switch. This will almost always give you an odd-looking line with some odd-looking bumps in it. You will see incoming keyframes with handles. If you have Snapping turned on in the toolbar you start by grabbing the incoming handle and dragging it up or down until it matches the outgoing handle. Don't grab the keyframe, grab the handle. Then you drag the handle left or right to adjust the acceleration curve. If you have a fourth keyframe you can then do the same thing with the outgoing handle. The hardest part of the whole process is making your mind understand that anything that is that vertical displacement is acceleration and horizontal displacement is speed.
You also have numerical access to both spatial and temporal interpolation with the Keyframe Interpolation panels that are accessible by selecting the property in the timeline and right-clicking or using the Keyframe Velocity assistant. That will let you manipulate the incoming and outgoing speed mathematically, but I think it is even harder for a newbie to understand than the graph editor.
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Thank you for the detailed reply Rick.
I fully understand what the graph represents, and I do know that I have to achieve a straight line. However, it's nearly impossible, and will take a lot of effort to make it completely straight.
Considering the fact that I want to do that nurmous times, I was expecting that there should be a much simpler way to do that
Thank you
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Takes me about one second to get a perfectly straight line. Just select the two points and click on the linear icon.
Takes about another two seconds to adjust the incoming or outgoing acceleration curve.
If the moves are always identical you can always create an animation preset.
Maybe I should make a quick tutorial.