Delay
Universally control and stagger values.
Description
Delay is a system-based tool to build up complex relationships through Parent-to-Child layer relationships. Any property that is key-framable can be put into a Delay system, and values can be staggered and universally controlled in a huge variety of powerful ways.
Setup
Select a Property, or select Properties that you would like to affect.
On a single Layer choose all the Parent Properties that you would like to use in a Delay system.
With the Properties still selected, next select any amount of Children layers (no need to select more properties)
The selected Properties will now be pushed through the Parent and Delayed into the Child properties. Change the Effect Control settings for even more customization or unique setups.
Effect Controls
The Delay tool has two types of three types of Effect Controls. A Global option, a Parent option, and a Child option. With the correct setup, literally any type of animation can be built through a single set of keyframes.
Global
Delay With this option enabled you can affect all the Child delays universally with one % value that is pushed out.
Drag Is an option to Randomize the Delay value (under the Global option that means each property would be delayed, but not each layer). By setting a Range value, the Delay+Drag amount can be further narrowed/expanded and a Seed is available to randomize the randomization again.
Color By enabling this option all the Child layers can Cycle through different color schemes (also with a Seed and randomization available) this is a great way to distinguish, or even use the Pin layers.
Cloth Since the whole tool Cloth is driven through Puppet Pins being assigned Delay layers (luckily all automated with code and M⁴) there are a couple options on the Cloth system to get more unique setups.
On this Option you can change Control visibility, color and size, Enable a Parent object (so the system can be attached to a layer ex:character hair), and the Child guide layers can also be hidden.
Parent
Also, on the "main" layer is a second Control to affect each Property being pushed into the Delay system (which is the backbone for Cloth)
Delay With this option enabled you can affect all the Layers with linked properties delays universally with one % value that is pushed out.
Drag Is an option to Randomize the Delay value each Layer being affected by the Parent property. By setting a Range value, the Delay+Drag amount can be further narrowed/expanded and a Seed is available to randomize the randomization again.
Scatter For systems that may require more unique looking relationships, you can Enable the Scatter option which can randomize the 'starting` value of children layers (ex: different stars start and end at different degrees of rotation when Scatter is enabled)
Advanced Even more customization is available in this option. To preview how the Cloth system will look with Delays, Drags, and Children mirrors etc. you can Enable Dynamics to automate layer movement.
You can Ignore the Global Controller under the Advanced too. This feature is helpful when you have a large collection of Properties (like Position, Opacity, Scale, Distortion, Skew Angle all connect to single Parent layer). If a specific Property should have it's own custom Value instead of using the Global Delay value.
Storage is also seen under this Advanced; however this data just stores some important values to help the Cloth system work. It is not recommended to adjust the Storage values.
Child
The Child layer gets their own individual set of Effect controls to uniquely control, or separate this property differently. Disable/Enable the Delay effect entirely; or add/minus extra Delay to the Layer
Magnetism This option can give the entire Delay system a completely different feeling and interaction to the Parent value changes. By enabling Magnetism you can multiply the "scale" of change.
Advanced Outside of the Storage property (which holds important values for the Delay system to work) there is the ultra-experimental Soft Force option that can help create an "ideal" animation based of the Parent change. This feature is being explored for some new tools in the works.
Options
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