Sequence Replicator controls

Use the following controls in the Behaviors Inspector to modify the sequence animation:

• Parameter: Two pop-up menus (Add and Remove) that designate pattern elements to animate in sequence. When you choose an item from the Add pop-up menu, additional controls appear at the top of the Behaviors Inspector. You can adjust these controls (or keyframe them) to modify the sequence animation, which is based on the change in value between these parameters and the original values of the cells. The Add pop-up menu items include the following options:

  • Rotation: Adds a rotation dial and value slider that enables you to Specify (in degrees) the rotation of replicator elements.

  • Color: Adds a row of color controls that let you specify a tint for replicator elements. You can click the color well to choose a color or open the disclosure triangle and use the Red, Green, and Blue sliders. For more information about using color controls, see Basic color controls.

  • Opacity: Adds an opacity slider, allowing you to define the transparency of the pattern elements.

  • Scale: Adds a scale slider that lets you define the size of replicator elements. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale slider to reveal separate X and Y subparameters to adjust the width and height of the cells separately. By default, Scale is set to 100%—the size of the replicator cells is equal to the original size defined in the cell parameters. Click the disclosure triangle next to the Scale parameter to reveal separate X, Y, and Z scaling subparameters. Use X and Y to resize the width and height of elements separately; use Z to change the depth of 3D text elements.

  • Position: Adds two value fields that define the offset of elements from their original position in X and Y space. Click the disclosure triangle next to the parameter name to reveal separate X, Y, and Z position subparameters. For example, to create an animation in which elements move upward along the Y axis over the replicator pattern, enter a positive value in the Y Position field. In the following images, Y Position is set to 300.

    

• Sequencing: A pop-up menu to set how the sequence animation moves through the elements of the pattern, based on the change from the original parameter value to the value set in the Sequence Replicator parameters. The starting point for the sequence animation is based on the selected Origin or Build Style parameters (in the Replicator Inspector). For example, if a line replicator’s Origin parameter is set to End Point, the sequence animation begins at the end of the line and moves toward the start of the line by default. To change the starting point for the sequence animation, change the Origin or Build Style of the pattern in the Replicator Inspector or HUD. The Sequencing pop-up menu contains the following options:

  • To: Animation begins at the original value of the cells and moves to the value set in the Sequence Replicator behavior for that parameter. For example, if the original opacity value of a cell is 100%, and opacity is set to 0% in the Sequence Replicator parameters, onscreen elements begin completely opaque and become completely transparent.

  • From: Animation moves from the value set in the Sequence Replicator behavior to the original value of the cells. For example, if the original opacity value of a cell is 100% and opacity is set to 0% in the Sequence Replicator parameters, onscreen elements begin completely transparent and become completely opaque. This is the opposite of the To option in the Sequencing pop-up menu.

  • Through: The sequence goes through a full animation cycle starting at the original value of the cells, moves to the value set in the Sequence Replicator, and then returns to the original value of the cells. For example, if the original opacity value of a cell is 100% and opacity is set to 0% in the Sequence Replicator parameters, onscreen elements begin completely opaque, become transparent, and then become completely opaque again.

  • Through Inverted: The sequence goes through an inverted animation cycle starting from the value set in the Sequence Replicator, moves to the original value of the cells, and then returns to the value set in the Sequence Replicator. For example, if the original opacity value of a cell is 100% and opacity is set to 0% in the Sequence Replicator parameters, the onscreen elements begin completely transparent, become opaque, and then become completely transparent. This is the opposite of the Through Sequencing option.

  • From Keyframes: Lets you use animation originally created in the source layer’s parameters (except alpha parameters). Additionally, you can keyframe how the animation moves through the values set in the Sequence Replicator parameters.

    

• Source: A pop-up menu (available when the Sequencing pop-up menu is set to From Keyframes) to enable animation created by keyframes in a replicated source layer (the layer that is disabled when the replicator is created). There are two options: Use Source Animation and Ignore Source Animation.

• Unit Size: A pop-up menu to specify whether the sequence animation is applied to the replicator pattern as a whole, to its elements, or to a keyframed range. There are three options:

  • Object: The default setting, applies the animation to each element in sequence over the duration of the behavior

    

  • All: Applies the sequence animation to all replicator elements simultaneously.

    

  • Custom: Lets you specify the percentage of elements in the pattern affected by the sequence animation simultaneously. Although you can create keyframes for the Custom option, it’s not required to affect the sequence. As shown in the following images, the Object and All options allow you to sequence the animation through the origin or build style of the pattern, or through all pattern elements simultaneously.

    

    However, custom lets you define an area of elements—based on percentage—that are affected by the sequence.

    

    When you choose Custom from the Unit Size pop-up menu, the Start and End parameters (described below) become available.

• Start: A slider (available when the Unit Size pop-up menu is set to Custom) to specify the offset of the start of the range of elements affected by the sequence animation as it moves over the replicator pattern. In the above image, Start is set to 10%.

• End: A slider (available when the Unit Size pop-up menu is set to Custom) to specify the end of the range of elements affected by the sequence animation as it moves over the replicator pattern. By default, End is set to 10%. In the above image, End is set to 30%.

  Note: If the Sequencing pop-up menu is set to From Keyframes, the Custom option in the Unit Size parameter has no affect.

• Spread: A slider to control the amount of falloff of the animation. To create a softer transition between each element, increase the Spread value.

• Traversal: A pop-up menu to set the action of the sequence behavior to one of the following:

  • Constant Speed: The sequence animation moves from the origin of the replicator pattern through the end of the pattern at a constant speed. The sequence moves in the direction specified in the Replicator Inspector (such as Origin or Build Style).

  • Ease In: The sequence animation begins slowly and increases to normal speed as it moves through the replicator pattern.

  • Ease Out: The sequence animation begins at normal speed and slows toward the end of the replicator pattern.

  • Ease In/Out: The sequence animation begins slowly, increases to normal speed as it moves toward the middle of the duration of the replicator pattern, then slows as it reaches the end of the replicator pattern.

  • Accelerate: The sequence animation increases in speed.

  • Decelerate: The sequence animation decreases in speed.

  • Custom: This option lets you keyframe how the animation moves through the replicator pattern. When the Traversal pop-up menu is set to Custom, the Location parameter replaces the Loops parameter.

  • Location: A slider (available when Traversal is set to Custom) to define where on the pattern the animation is in effect.

    For more information on using the Custom Traversal option, see Control sequence timing with keyframes.

• Loops: A slider to set the number of times the animation sequences through the replicator pattern over its duration.

  Note: Loops is not available when the Traversal parameter is set to Custom.

• End Condition: A pop-up menu that sets how the sequence animation is repeated over the duration of the replicator object. This parameter has no effect for Loop values less than or equal to 1. There are three End Condition options:

  • Hold: Completes the sequence animation cycle one time, then starts it again from the beginning (after the last element in the sequence completes its animation).

  • Wrap: Treats the sequence animation as a continuous loop so the spread wraps from the last element in the sequence to the first element.

  • Ping Pong: Completes the sequence animation cycle forward, then completes the animation backward, then forward, and so on.