Sequences are cinematic scenes you create with imported animated files and export as videos. They are similar to the videos you create in Twinmotion, but are created in a non-linear environment with a keyframed camera and combined with imported animated files you can synchronize and manipulate over time.
This page provides a brief overview of sequences. For information on how to create sequences, see Creating Sequences.
Camera Tracks, Parts, Keyframes, and Animation Tracks
Sequences are composed of a camera track, parts, keyframes, and animation tracks.
Camera Track
A camera track is a sequence of camera movements or shots organized into segments called parts. The length of time of a camera track corresponds to the total length of the parts inside the camera track. When you create a sequence, a camera track is automatically added to the sequence.
A camera track in a sequence (Click image to expand).
Parts
A part corresponds to the beginning and end of one segment in the camera track. A part is similar to a video clip in other non-linear editing software, or a Shot in Unreal Engine's Sequencer tool. When you create a sequence, one 10 second part is automatically added to the camera track.
Two parts in a camera track (Click image to expand).
Camera Part Menu
Each part has a Camera part menu where you can Rename, Copy, Paste, Delete, and Select all keys in a part.
Camera part menu (Click image to expand).
Changing Part Length
You can change the length of a part by entering a value in the part or in the Properties panel.
Changing the camera part length (Click image to expand).
You can also change the length of a part by grabbing the edge of the part and clicking and dragging it along the timeline. Camera parts can also be snapped to the start or ends of animation tracks.
Changing the camera part length with a handle.
Keyframes
A keyframe is a point in time on the timeline that saves the position and angle of the camera and is added to a part. The keyframes in sequences are similar to the keyframes in Twinmotion videos and in other video editing and animation software. Keyframes also contain the Ambience settings, and the visibility status of the assets defined in the Scene graph. Typically, a part contains more than one keyframe.
Three keyframes inside a camera part (Click image to expand).
When a keyframe is selected, any changes you make to the Ambience settings are automatically applied to the keyframe. However, if you make any other changes, such as moving the camera, or adding, hiding, or removing assets, you must update the keyframe by clicking the Refresh icon on the thumbnail of the keyframe.
Refresh icon on a keyframe (Click image to expand).
You can manage the visibility of assets in keyframes by creating View sets and applying them to keyframes. To apply a View set to a keyframe, select the keyframe and in the View set drop-down in the Properties panel select a View set. For more information about View sets, see Working with View Sets.
View set selection.
Keyframe Menu
In the keyframe menu, you can Delete a keyframe, Copy ambience and Paste ambience settings from one keyframe to another, and open the Media preview window.
Keyframe menu (Click image to expand).
Animation Tracks
Animated .fbx, .gltf, and .glb files that contain skeletal mesh and static mesh animations can be imported into Twinmotion and used in sequences. Each animated file you import is automatically added as an animation track in sequences.
Two animation tracks in a sequence (Click image to expand).
You can define the properties of animated files (such as the Play mode, Speed, and Start delay) while you create and edit sequences. For information on the properties you can modify for animated files, see "Changing the Properties of Animated Files" in Importing Animated Files.
For more information about animated files and their properties and how to import them into Twinmotion, see the Animation documentation.
Timeline
The timeline displays the play rate of the sequence during playback in seconds or frames per second (fps). By default, the display rate on the timeline is shown in seconds, but you can change it in the Sequence display rate control.
Timeline and display rate (Click to enlarge).
You can move the playhead along the timeline. The position of the playhead on the timeline determines:
Where a keyframe or part is created.
In which keyframes Ambience settings are applied or copy and pasted.
The parts where visual transitions are applied.
The point in time in the sequence that will be used to create a snapshot.
You can pan the timeline and zoom in and out of the timeline using the zoom bar.
You can also pan and zoom the timeline using the following shortcuts:
To zoom the timeline, press the Ctrl key and rotate the wheel button forward or backward.
To scroll along the timeline, press the Shift key and rotate the wheel button forward or backward.
Sequence Controls
Click image to expand.
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
1 - Playhead | The position of the playhead represents a specific point in time, along the timeline, in the sequence. You can move the playhead to preview the sequence in the Viewport, and to select where on the timeline you want to create a new keyframe.
|
2 - Add camera part | Adds a new camera part after the selected camera part. |
3 - Playback controls | Controls to preview a sequence.
|
4 - Timeline | Shows you where a part, keyframe, or animation track starts and stops along the non-linear timeline of a sequence. You can change the display rate on the timeline using the options in the Sequence display rate control. |
5 - Sequence display rate | Determines the play rate of the sequence during playback, and displays the selected play rate on the timeline. Options: 23.97 (NTSC / 24), 24 FPS, 25 FPS, 29.97 (NTSC), 30 FPS, 59.94 (double NTSC), 60 FPS, Seconds |
6 - Snapshot | Creates an image of the sequence at the position of the playhead on the timeline. Snapshot images are added in the Media dock under Images. |
7 - Media Preview | Opens the Media preview window, where you can preview the view of the camera as you move it in the Viewport. For more information about the Media preview window, see Media Preview. |
8 - Enable / Disable animation | Enables or disables the animation in the animation track. Disabling the animation keeps the animated object in the scene but disables the animation of the object during playback. |
9 - Show / Hide | Toggles the width of the timeline by showing or hiding the left part of the dock. |
10 - Zoom bar | Zooms or pans the view of the timeline.
|
Properties
When you select a sequence in the Media dock, the following properties of the sequence appear in the Properties panel.
Camera key
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
Key time | Defines the position of the keyframe on the timeline, which determines when the keyframe starts playing during the sequence. The value must be higher than the previous keyframe and lower than the next keyframe, and cannot exceed the part duration. |
Roll angle | Rotates the camera in the selected keyframe. By default, Roll angle is disabled on keyframes and the Override camera roll option is enabled. |
View set | With the View sets tool, you can create View sets to show and hide scene assets. Once your View sets are created, you can select one from this drop-down list and apply it to keyframes. View sets are applied to all selected keyframes in a part. |
Action cam
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
Duration | Defines the duration of a part on the timeline of the sequence. |
Override camera roll | If selected, any Roll angle values added to keyframes are disabled and reset to zero. Selecting this option does not delete the camera rolls on keyframes but simply disables them. You can enable them again by deselecting this option. |
Smooth speed | Recalculates the time values between the first and last keyframe inside a part to produce a constant or smooth animation speed. The speed is calculated using the total length of the part. |
Transition type | Defines the visual transitions between the beginning and end of parts. Options: Cut, Fade to black, Fade to white |
Hide helper | Hides the visual helpers of the camera in the Viewport when in Media preview mode. |
Credits
Chevrolet Caprice Police Car -94 (Free Asset) by tiedtke is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs.