How to Use Key Frame for Movement

Key Frames in Autodesk Maya are a way of breaking down motion into its component parts. A frame is an image frozen in the process of movement and represents the object's position at a specific point in time. Key frames are a series of these frozen images that represent a key position of the object as it completes a motion from beginning to end.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Start a new animation scene in Autodesk Maya.

2. Draw an object or a character that you want to animate.

3. Click "S" to set the position of the object or character as the first Maya key frame.

4. Select the "Move" tool from the toolbox located at the left side of the Maya screen.

5. Refer to the ruler at the bottom of the Maya screen that represents a time line for the progression of the movement you want to animate.

6. Select a point on the animation time line.

7. Reposition the object or character into it's next logical point in the motion you want it to make.

8. Click "S" again to set this new position as the next key frame.

9. Select another point on the animation time line that is slightly later in time than the position you chose in Step 6.

10. Reposition the object or character into its next logical point in the animation motion sequence.

11. Click "S" once more to set this new position as the next key frame.

12. Repeat the time line point selection and the repositioning until you progress across the animation time line. Your intended motion is represented from beginning to end in a series of key frames.

13. Press "Forward Play" to play the key frames in one continuous animation.