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.avm
QAvimator's native file format. It contains not only
the animation data but also preserves the key frames, their transition types and the
avatar size displayed on screen.
.bvh
Animation format used by Second Life. If you want to
upload your own animation to the world, you need to export it as a .bvh file. This format
does not save keyframes or transitions but only contains the actual frame data and playback
speed. Due to these limitations you should only save .bvh files for the final upload,
otherwise you will lose all keyframe information, which makes subsequent modifications on
the file nearly impossible.
.prp
QAvimator's native file format for props.
Animation
A sequence of motions of limbs that are played back to
simulate a moving object or person.
In-Betweening
Another word for Interpolation.
Interpolation
The process of calculating the values from the starting
point to the end point, divided by a certain number of steps.
Keyframe
A position or rotation of a body part at a certain time
in the animation. Usually, an Animation is made up of a number of Keyframes which mark the
main positions for the limbs. The actual motion from one position to the other is done by calculating the in-between frames. This saves a lot of work and makes it easier to modify
an existing animation later.
Loop
Animations can be Looping Animations or One shot
Animations. A Looping Animation starts from the beginning and runs to the Loop-End point,
and then it jumps back to the Loop-Start point, repeating everything between those two
points, until the Animation is stopped. Then it starts from the Loop-End point and runs to
the regular end of the animation.
One-Shot
Animations can be Looping Animations or One shot
Animations. A One Shot Animation starts from the beginning and runs straight through the
timeline until it reaches the regular end of the animation. No repeats are made.
Props
In QAvimator, Props are small geometric objects that can
be placed into the editing scene. They are not meant to replace a modeler but only to
provide you a rough idea of the in-world objects your animated avatar will be interacting
with. A sitting pose can be created easier with a block to actually sit on, or a climbing
motion can make use of a wall to climb up on.
Timeline
A sheet of tracks where you can view and edit the
positions of the Keyframes.
Track
A list of Keyframes for a specific body part. There is one
track for each part, and together they form the Timelnie of the Animation.
'tweening
Short for In-Betweening, another word for Interpolation.