This article will explain the difference between reversing a timebar ("Reversed" feature), and inverting the values of a timebar.

 

The "Reversed" feature can be found on an animation timebar, within the Timeline Editor.

It is present on Translate, Rotate and Scale timebars.

The intended value of "Reversed"

Imagine we have a 3D file that consist of a cube and a cylinder.

We want to show an end user how the cylinder is placed on top of the cube.

To do this, it can be done in 2 simple steps:

1. We can create an animation that moves the cylinder up, by recording the movement

2. We toggle "Reversed" to "on" in the timebar properties of that new bar. Which will swap the start and end position of the animation, and invert the animation.

Technically this is what the animation timebar does:

"Reversed" off:

• Start postion in Object Properties: Y = 0.1
• Timebar Property states: 0.05 has to be added to Y, over the course of the timebar
• This results in an end position in Object Properties: Y = 0.15

"Reversed" on:

• Start postion in Object Properties: Y = 0.15
• Timebar Property states: 0.05 has to be reduced to Y, over the course of the timebar
• This results in an end position in Object Properties: Y = 0.10

So:

"Reversed" does 2 things

1. Inverting Translation/Rotation/Scale values

• Translate: invert the timebar's translation values
  
  So when "reversed" is on, the actual values "under the hood" will be
  
• Rotate: invert the timebar's rotation values
  
  So when "reversed" is on, the actual values "under the hood" will be
  

2. It replaces the start position with the end position of the object, and vice versa

• Translate example

  Start position (first frame of a timebar) in Object Properties	End position (last frame of a timebar) in Object Properties
  "Reversed" off
  "Reversed" on

• Rotation will behave similarly

So what if I want to "invert" an animation, without affecting the start and end position?

The user value for this case, is usually to duplicate a timebar, and move the object back to the initial position at the start of the first timebar.

In this case do not use "Reversed" as it would give results you would not intend when using duplicated timebars.

So if I go back to the original Cube and Cylinder example. I want to create an animation that moves the Cylinder up, and then down again.

After you have recorded the "up" movement animation:

• Duplicate the timebar
• Openthe timebar properties
• Invert the following values manually
  • For Translate, change x,y,z to a negative value if it was positive, and vice versa
    For example: x=1 needs to be changed to x=-1
  • For Rotate, change angle to a negative value if it was positive, and vice versa
    For example: angle=30 needs to be changed to angle=-30