Create and manage snapshots

You can record and modify snapshots using the controls in the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector.

Record a snapshot

  1. Select a rig or widget in the Layers list.

    For information about creating rigs and widgets, see Build a simple rig.

  2. In the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector, choose a snapshot state from the widget control you want to record to:

    • Checkbox widget: To record to the selected state, select the checkbox. To record to the deselected state, deselect the checkbox.

    • Pop-up menu widget: Click the pop-up menu, then choose an item (Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, or Snapshot 3) to record to.

    • Slider widget: Select a snapshot tag (one of the gray shaded circles under the slider) to record to. To create a new snapshot tag, double-click an empty area below the slider. When selected, the snapshot tag is highlighted blue.

  3. Click the Edit Mode Start button under the widget control you prepared in step 2.

    A window appears containing a Stop Rig Edit Mode button. The appearance of this window indicates that changes you make to parameters will be recorded.

    Stop Rig Edit Mode window
  4. Make changes to one or more parameters of one or more objects in your project using the onscreen controls in the Canvas or the numeric controls in the HUD or Inspector.

    Each adjustment you make is recorded to the snapshot setting selected in the widget (the checkbox, pop-up menu item, or slider position).

  5. After you set the parameters to the desired snapshot state, click the Stop Rig Edit Mode button.

    Recording is stopped, and the snapshot is stored to the widget. Modified parameters are added to the Widget Inspector (under the Edit Mode Start button) alongside a joystick icon indicating that the parameter is rigged.

    Parameters added to the Widget Inspector
  6. To set additional snapshots, repeat steps 2 through 5.

Rename a snapshot in a pop-up menu widget

By default the snapshot settings in a pop-up menu widget are named Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, and Snapshot 3. You can give them more descriptive names using the Rename button.

  1. Select a rig or widget in the Layers list.

    For information about creating rigs and widgets, see Build a simple rig.

  2. In the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector, choose an item from the pop-up menu (Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, or Snapshot 3), then click the Rename button.

  3. Enter a new name in the highlighted field, then press Return.

    Inspector showing pop-up widget menu item Rename button

    The menu item updates to the new name.

  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to rename additional pop-up menu items.

Add snapshot items to a pop-up menu widget

By default, the pop-up menu widget contains three menu items (Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, and Snapshot 3). You can add or remove menu items using the Add or Delete button.

  1. Select a rig or widget in the Layers list.

    For information about creating rigs and widgets, see Build a simple rig.

  2. In the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector, choose an item from the pop-up menu, then do one of the following:

    Inspector showing buttons to add and remove snapshots
    • Add a menu item: Click the Add button (+) to the right of the pop-up menu, enter a name for the new item in the highlighted field, then press Return.

    • Remove a menu item: Click the Delete button (–) to the right of the pop-up menu.

Add a snapshot tag to a slider widget

By default there are two recordable snapshot settings in a slider widget, represented by snapshot tags: shaded gray circles under the slider, and at either end. When you record snapshots to these two tags, values along the slider between the two tags are interpolated; in other words, when you drag the slider, the affected parameters change gradually, ramping between the values of adjacent snapshots.

Widget Inspector showing Slider parameters

You can add additional snapshot tags to the slider widget to create more complex ranges of parameter change.

  1. Select a rig or widget in the Layers list.

    For information about creating rigs and widgets, see Build a simple rig.

  2. In the Rig Inspector or Widget Inspector, double-click an empty area below a slider widget.

    A new snapshot tag appears under the slider. Parameters at this position inherit their values based on the interpolation point between the two snapshot tags adjacent to the new snapshot tags. You can reorder snapshot tags by dragging them left or right under the slider.

    To record new or additional parameter values for a snapshot tag, see “Record a snapshot” above.

Delete a snapshot tag from a slider widget

  • Drag the tag away from the area under the slider.