Automatic breakdown of animation variables

An animation authoring system to provide predictable workflows in animation authoring, the animation authoring system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory in communication with the processor and configured to store a set of instructions which when executed by the processor configure the processor to:
• receive a change in a first knot of an animation variable of an object from a first value to a second value, the first knot located at a first frame in an animation sequence of the object;
• determine a second frame in the animation sequence of the object that is different from the first frame and that designates knots at the second frame as invariant, wherein no knot of the animation variable exists at the second frame prior to the change in the first knot;
• insert a second knot of the animation variable of the object at the second frame with an implicit value of the animation variable at the second frame prior to the first knot at the first frame being changed from the first value to the second value, wherein the second knot preserves pose positioning of the animation variable at the second frame using the implicit value;
• and
• generate an animation curve for the object that includes the second knot at the second frame.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for providing predictable workflows in animation authoring, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

• code for receiving a change in a first knot of an animation variable of an object from a first value to a second value, the first knot located at a first frame in an animation sequence of the object;
• code for determining a second frame in the animation sequence of the object that is different from the first frame and that designates knots at the second frame as invariant, wherein no knot of the animation variable exists at the second frame prior to the change in the first knot;
• code for inserting a second knot of the animation variable of the object at the second frame with an implicit value of the animation variable at the second frame prior to the first knot at the first frame being changed from the first value to the second value, wherein the second knot preserves pose positioning of the animation variable at the second frame using the implicit value;
• and
• code for generating an animation curve for the object that includes the second knot at the second frame.