Give the graphic its timing.

Make a simple entrance.

1. Select the object and check that its clip covers the animation range.
2. Move to the starting frame and key a property at its first value.
3. Move to the finishing frame and set the final value.
4. Scrub the first, middle and final frames.
5. Refine easing, play, then save and reopen.

For opacity, use the transparent/opaque values shown in the interface. Do not assume its numeric units.

Check the parameter and time context.

Each track head has one Clips / Keys switch. Clips shows the clips; Keys shows the keys of each parameter. A key belongs to a parameter on a particular object. Basement’s clip-local time differs from comp time.

Key Groups organise animation; they are not object Groups. Merged lanes tidy the view without merging the objects themselves.

Read the track head.

• The track row holds the Clips / Keys switch, the eye and the lock, side by side. Nothing in it moves when you switch.
• Each property has its own line with a chevron, its name and three controls: ‹ and › jump to the previous and next key, and the ◆ key diamond works like the one in Properties.
• Open a property to see its graph switch (Value or Speed) and one ease button.
• The ease button draws the ease of the selected keys. It opens the ease presets, as one undo step.

Drag the top edge of a track to change its height. Double-click it to reset.

Edit several keys at once.

• Click a key, drag a box around keys, or use Select All. Delete removes only keys. Esc cancels a drag.
• With several keys selected, scrubbing, arrow nudge and a canvas drag move all of them by the same amount. A typed value sets them all. One Undo reverses it.
• Nudge keys with the arrow keys. Shift moves ten.
• Copy, paste and duplicate keys, across parameters too.
• J and K jump to the previous and next key.
• Alt-drag the selection bracket to scale keys in time.
• Ctrl+G groups the selected keys, and Ctrl+Shift+G ungroups them. Groups are only for editing; the keys export as normal.

The middle frames matter.

Temporal handles change the rate of change. Corner/smooth handles and curve overshoot can change the result even when the endpoints are right. Watch the whole entrance, settled pose and exit rather than judging two frames.

Moving, stretching and scaling key ranges each work differently. Colliding keys can block retiming. Save before changing structure.

Use the Value and Speed graphs.

Switch a property between the Value graph and the new Speed graph. Both show handles on the selected keys. Drag a handle to change speed and influence. With several keys selected, dragging one handle changes the same handle on all of them. Alt-drag breaks or rejoins a key’s handles.

Drag a box inside a graph to select keys. Click empty space to clear the selection.

F9 gives the selected keys Easy ease. The ease button also offers Linear, Hold, Ease in, Ease out, Back, Expo and more. New keys are S-curves by default.

Edit the motion path.

A Position key shows a dotted path on the canvas. Drag a key’s handle to reshape it, double-click the path to insert a key, and press Delete to remove one. It works for parented objects too.

Separate display from animation linking.

Showing separate Position axes does not unlink their animation. Relinking separate axes can keep one axis and replace the other’s keys. Check which operation you chose, save first and check the result straight away.

Offset text animation.

1. Animate a compatible property first.
2. Add Text Stagger and connect an animated input.
3. Choose word, character, line or all grouping, and the order and timing.
4. Try shorter and longer text, then check the entrance and exit.

Removing Stagger leaves the underlying animation. The app shows which inputs can be used. Check other languages and text directions in your actual output.

Check presets and instance overrides.

A preset acts on the selected object’s existing animation. Do not assume it blends with every existing key. Keep path point/contour structure the same across keys.

An exposed instance override can replace source animation with a fixed value. It is not an additive offset. Check your case and read the core concepts before making several variants.