8

1026 Glossary

an animated parameter over time. An ease curve

charts changes to the timing of the function curve.

Changing ease curve values shifts the time of the

original t r ack left or right.

The horizontal scale of an ease curve represents

normaltime,justasitdoesforallfunctioncurves.

The vertical scale of an ease curve represents t he

time scale of t he function curve the ease curve is

applied to. Chang ing the shape of an ease curve

changes the way t ime is interpreted by the affected

function curve.

Thevalueoftheeasecurveataparticularframeis

a frame value from t he original tr ack. For example,

iftheeasecurveis0atframe0and10atframe10,

the original track plays at its original speed. If the

ease curve value at f r ame 10 increases to 20, the

original track plays to fr ame 20 by frame 10: it has

been sped up by a factor of two.

An Ease Cur ve E xample

Imagine you have animated a bird flying around

the sky. After viewing the animation you decide

that you want to change the position of the bird s o

it moves quickly at the beginning of the animation

andthenslowstoaleisurelypacetowardtheend.

You could accomplish this change by editing

position keys, ranges, and function curves but

it would require more work than using an Ease

curve. Applying an Ease curve to t he Position

trackprovidesaquickandeasysolution.

Dragging the Ease curve causes time to compress

near the beg inning of the animation and stretch

out near the end. You can tell that the bird’s

motion starts out fast and then slows down by

looking at the effect t he Ease curve has on the

Position function cur ves.