Snapshots overview

When you click the Edit Mode Start button in the Widget Inspector or Rig Inspector, Motion begins recording parameter changes you make (including parameters you animate). Also, a window appears containing a Stop Rig Edit Mode button.

Stop Rig Edit Mode window

The parameter changes you make while in rig edit mode are stored in the current snapshot (the item selected in the widget checkbox, pop-up menu, or slider). Other snapshots in the rig are unaffected. After you stop rig edit mode, any parameter you modified (in the Canvas, or in the HUD or Inspector) is added to the Widget Inspector, and its state is saved in the snapshot.

Only one snapshot can be modified per edit mode session. To edit more than one snapshot, end the editing session, select another snapshot (by clicking another snapshot tag for a slider, by choosing a new menu item for a pop-up menu, or by changing the state of a checkbox), then start a new edit mode session.

Parameters affected by a rig display a joystick icon on the right side of the parameter row.

Inspector showing a parameter controlled by a rig

Any parameter controlled by a rig is added to the Widget Inspector, below the Edit Mode Start button and above the Options parameters.

Inspector showing parameters added to slider widget

Note: Each parameter can be controlled by only one widget. After a parameter is assigned to a widget, you cannot assign that parameter to additional widgets.

You can add parameters to a widget after a snapshot is created by clicking the Start Rig Edit Mode button again and making changes to new parameters (see Create and manage snapshots) or by manually adding parameters to the widget (see Control rigs from parameter Animation menus).

Important: After a parameter is added to a widget, changes made to that parameter modify the selected snapshot even if Rig Edit Mode is stopped, and even if the Widget Inspector is not visible.