Tools - Animating Video Effects

Follow the instructions for opening the Video Effects dialog.
Click the button in the toolbar to show the animation keyframe editor.
If the effect you want to animate is collapsed, click on the + button on the effect title to expand it.
Click the button next to the parameter you want to animate to show the animation line in the keyframe editor.
Alternatively, you can choose a pre-defined animation curve from the parameter menu. To open the parameter menu, click on the button next to the parameter.
Modify the animation curve by adding and changing the keyframes. (See below.)

An animation curve represents how the effect parameter value (Y axis) changes in time (X axis).

The curve can be controlled by keyframes. A keyframe restricts the parameter to a specified value at the time position. You can choose either linear or a bezier curve to interpolate the value between two keyframes.

If a parameter has no keyframes then it is not animated. Its graph will be a flat, horizontal line for the duration of the clip.

To add a keyframe, do one of the following:

Left click on the graph line in a place where there are no existing keyframes.
Right click on the graph line in a place where there are no existing keyframes. Choose Add Curve Keyframe or Add Linear Keyframe .
Move the current timeline position and click the button.

To select a single keyframe, click on it. Click Tab to move to the next keyframe, click Shift + Tab to move to the previous keyframe.

To select multiple keyframes, do one of the following:

Click on empty space and drag a rectangle. Keyframes inside the rectangle will be selected when you release the mouse button.
Hold Control key, click on the keyframes one by one to select them.

To move a keyframe, do one of the following:

Click on a keyframe and drag it. If multiple keyframes are selected, they will move together.
Move the current timeline position over the keyframe and adjust the value of the parameter using its check-box, slider, or numerical input control.

To delete keyframe(s), do one of the following:

Press the Delete key or click the button to delete selected keyframes.
To delete a single keyframe, right-click on it and select Delete Keyframe .
To delete all keyframes for a parameter, select the Reset from the parameter menu.

Curve handles are tangents of the curve and effect how the curve looks between keyframes.

If there is not a curve handle on both sides of a segment, the segment will be a straight line.

Curve handles are attached to keyframes. A keyframe can have left, right or both curve handles attached. Curve handles are added when you add a curved keyframe.

There are four button on the tool bar for adding or removing curve handles on keyframes. While keyframe(s) are selected:

Click on the button to remove curve handles on both sides.
Click on the button to add a curve handle only on the right.
Click on the button to add a curve handle only on the left.
Click on the button to add curve handles on both sides.

Alternatively, you can use right click context menus to add or remove curve handles:

Right click on the curve handle and select Delete Curve Handle.
Right click on the keyframe and select from add or remove curve handle commands.
Right click on the line segment to select from Make Curve or Make Linear. These commands will effect curve handles on both side of the segment.

Curve handles can be move by dragging them.

While smooth toggle button is on, the curve handle on the other side of the keyframe will mirror the moving handle.

When a curve handle is a mirror of the handle on the other side of the keyframe, the curve will pass through the keyframe smoothly (no sharp angles).

To make mirrored curve handles, do one of the following:

Turn Force smooth change on keyframe on to automatically mirror the other curve handle while dragging it.
Turning on Allow sharp change on keyframe will let you drag the curve handle individually.
Select the keyframe(s). From the mirror options drop down button on the toolbar, choose one of the mirror curve handle options:
- Mirror from right curve handle
- Mirror from left curve handle
- Average curve handles