Cineversity

I am preparing a complex animation sequence with many many moving parts and effects. As the assembly grows, the timeline is stacking up into an impenetrable maze. Synchronizing actions is extremely tedious - bordering on impossible. I can share the project with you by secure link if you care to venture into the mares’ nest.

I am sure Cinema has solved this problem beautifully (as it always does). If you could summarize for me the Maxon strategy and identify the path for training, I will happily follow it.

Secondly, in my experience, large complex animations are not generally built in one project. Breaking it into blocks of action so the timeline is not 250 lines deep seems a better approach. But I can see how that could multiply the opportunities to screw up. If you have guidance on that aspect, I will gratefully embrace it.

Thanks.

Hi mford610,

Let’s start with a few simple tips.

You can have up to four Timelines, and each can be set up differently.

Here are three things that I would suggest first, but yes, there are many more things…

In the Timeline Menu> View> Automatic Mode: on/off. This will pull all key-framed elements into the window or not.
More about that:
https://help.maxon.net/c4d/s24/en-us/Default.htm#html/10613.html?TocPath=Animate|Timeline|Menu|_____4
IF off, you can drag the object you need into the timeline.

Sorting your project in Layers will help in a massive way to organize it.

One nice feature is Bookmarks, which holds the filter settings in it.

I love project files, but here it is something we can’t wrap into a file, as it is your way of working that is the key. What do you need to see, how to filter it, etc. That results in something that can’t be generalized! This is something you have to define. No application can do that for you. What is your workflow? Everyone has a different way. Yes, I can tell you do this–do that, but I might do you no favor by saying so.

Here is a 60 sec mini tip, I hope that helps to sort the main stuff, and then you need to see what you like to focus on and how to filter this.
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/ERPUu7azHCT0d3PQCIJbiUCj6O5F3fEjPfVfjQOkA1p

Cheers

Yes! This is very helpful. The movie is most enlightening. I’ve seen those filters but haven’t ventured into figuring out what they do. Now I see a path forward.

“What is your workflow?” You identified the problem most accurately - there isn’t one. I’m flying without instruments. Have a lot to learn but you’ve given me a good start. Thank YOU!

Thanks for the feedback, mford610.

I certainly know the feeling. The key is to stay open and explore, perhaps try to mess things up. There is no failure, only gained experience.

There is also no point where you know everything. No one does! If one ever comes close, the next update will correct that. So, please do not feel rushed or (worse) overwhelmed.

We all know typically best what we lack, and often (I assume) we see the great stuff that others do and extrapolate that “they” know it all. Well, I haven’t seen one in the past three decades.

I’m too long into this game to fall for that. The worse thing you could do is extrapolate from the things you don’t know and evaluate your knowledge.

You ask, and that is proactive. Which is the main action in this field. This is the key, and (secondly) you obviously keep going—two great things. Keep going!

Have a great day.