The screen shot below shows the old layer timeline available in previous versions of Studio Artist. Note that there are keyframe options for bezier, content, and source keyframes.

Verison 4 no longer contains a separate layer timeline. The functionality associated with the old layer timeline has been integrated into the PASeq timeline. The hope is that having a single timeline will make using Studio Artist 4 easier to use.

The way to access the functionality of the old layer timeline keyframes is to use the new PASeq Context features. PASeq Contexts can be used to record bezier, content, and source keyframes as well as to specify bezier warps, bezier morphs, and bezier filtering effects.

PASeq Contexts are accessed via the Action : PAseq Timeline : Record Context menu options.

Running any of those menu options will record the appropriate context action steps into the current Paint Action Sequence. The PASeq record checkbox does not have to be turned on when you run these menu options to record the new context step.

Recording a Source context will record a reference to an image or movie file. When you run the record context : source menu a reference to the current source image is recorded in the source context keyframe at frame 1. If you wish to overwrite that with a new image, or if you wish to record a different source context keyframe at a different frame time, simply open a new source image or movie file and then option click the appropriate source context keyframe. Whatever is the current source file reference will be recorded as the new source keyframe.

When a source context action step is executed in a PASeq the file reference stored in the source context will be used to set the current Studio Artist source to the file referenced in the source context step. If the source context references a movie file, then the source will be appropriately updated when the source context step is executed for each new frame in an animation or movie processing sequence.

The Content context steps work like the source context steps, except that the file reference is used to set the current layer to the referenced content.

The Bezier context steps record the contents of the current layer’s bezier path frame. Bezier + Content contexts store a layer content and a file reference and a set of bezier paths in a single action step.

For more information on PAseq Contexts check out this tip.

For more information on building a morph effects using a PASeq Morph Context check out this tip.

Studio Artist 4 has a new Paint Action Sequence (PASeq) feature called Contexts. PASeq Contexts can be recorded as individual action steps in a PASeq. Contexts can be used to record source, content, bezier, warp, morph, and filtering keyframes within a PASeq.  

Contexts provide an easy to use way to replace a large amount of functionality that in previous versions of Studio Artist was implemented with multiple Layer Timeline keyframes and/or Timeline Animation operation mode functionality. Because of this both the old Layer Timeline, it’s associated keyframe types, and the old Timeline Animation operation mode are no longer available in version 4.  

The screen snap above shows how to access the menus to record all of the various Context types in a PAseq. Running the specific record Context menu will insert that Context as a new action step in the current PASeq. You don’t need to have PASeq record turned on to record Context action steps via these menus.

When the Record Context menu is run to insert a new Context action step the pertinent associated state of the interface is recorded as well. For example, if you insert a Source Context then a reference to the current source image or movie is recorded within the source context action step.

Context Types

The specific types of contexts are briefly explained below

Source Context – records source keyframes. When recorded stores a reference to the current source. When played back will load the source with the source reference stored in the context.

Content Context – records content keyframes. When recorded stores a reference to the current source. When played back will load the current layer with the image or movie frame reference stored in the context. The specified content is resized to fit the current layer if it’s not the same size.

Bezier Context – records bezier keyframes.  When recorded stores the current layer’s bezier path frame. When played back the current layer’s bezier path frame is replaced with the bezier paths stored in the context.

Morph Context - records a source reference and a bezier keyframe. When recorded stores the current layer’s bezier path frame and the current source reference. When played back a morph is generated based on the source reference and bezier paths stored in this and the next morph context keyframe.

Warp Context - records a source reference and a bezier keyframe. When recorded stores the current layer’s bezier path frame and the current source reference. When played back a warp is generated based on the source reference and the variation from the recorded bezier paths to the original bezier paths stored in keyframe 1.

Inverse Warp Context - records a source reference and a bezier keyframe. When recorded stores the current layer’s bezier path frame and the current source reference. When played back a warp is generated based on the source reference and  the recorded bezier paths. The source reference is warped back to match the position of the original bezier paths stored in keyframe 1.

Filter Context - records a source reference and a bezier keyframe. When recorded stores the current layer’s bezier path frame and the current source reference. When played back a spatially variant filter operation is generated based on the source reference and the variation from the recorded bezier paths to the original bezier paths stored in keyframe 1.

Keyframe Editing for Contexts that Record Bezier Paths

If you record a new keyframe while in Bezier operation mode, then both the bezier paths and any additional information needed for the keyframe is recorded.  So a new morph keyframe would also record the current source reference.  However, if you are option clicking an existing keyframe to overwrite while in Bezier operation mode then only the bezier paths will be updated, not any of the additional information stored in the keyframe.

A similar situation existing when you are not in Bezier operation mode.  If you are recording a new keyframe then all of the information is recorded.  However, if you are option clicking an existing keyframe then the non-bezier path information only will be updated.