Introduction#

Channels Region#

This region is found on the left side of time-based editors like the Timeline, the Dope Sheet Editor, and the Graph Editor. It shows a tree of items (objects, bones…) and their animated properties, with the latter also being called “channels.” Each channel has an associated F-curve describing how its value changes over time.

The rows are color-coded as follows:

Dark blue: scenes, objects
Light blue: actions, shape keys etc.
Green: channel groups
Gray: channels

Search Ctrl-F: Lets you filter the channels by typing a part of their name. Click the Invert button to instead show channels that don’t include the search text.

Controls#

The headers contain the following toggle buttons:

Pin (pin icon): Keep the row and its children visible even when selecting a different object.
Hide (eye icon): Hides the keyframes and curve associated with the channel.
Modifiers (wrench icon): Deactivates the modifiers of the curve.
Mute (checkbox): Deactivates the curve, making the animation behave as though it doesn’t exist.
Lock Tab (padlock icon): Prevent the curve from being edited.

Note

This also works in the Nonlinear Animation Editor, but note that it only locks the strips there, not the underlying F-curves.

Selection#

Select single header: click LMB
Add/Remove single header to/from selection: click Ctrl-LMB
Select range: click Shift-LMB
Select All: A
Deselect All: press Alt-A or double-tap A
Box Select: drag LMB
Box Add: drag Shift-LMB
Box Remove: drag Ctrl-LMB
Select all keyframes in the channel: double-click LMB on its header.

Editing#

Rename (anything but a channel): double-click LMB
Delete selected: X or Delete
Lock selected: Tab

Sliders#

If you enable View ‣ Show Sliders, the region will show a value slider next to each channel. Changing such a slider will change the value of the curve at the current frame, creating a keyframe if one doesn’t already exist.