The Time component outputs the current animation time in seconds, based on the number of the current frame in the animated sequence and the FPS value. Before rendering, the output value depends on the current Timeline position, while during rendering it is based on the frame being rendered. Time is most useful when you need your image to be processed in a different way depending on the time passed since the start of the animation.
Time is a numeric component, it can be located in the Animation category on the Components Bar. When Time is present on the canvas, even if not connected to any component, the filter is considered to be an animated filter.
All copies of Time in a filter have the same output value. The target inputs interpret the output value differently, depending on their type. The way it is passed to each target input can be fine-tuned with Remappers –see Use Remapping below for details. When Use Remapping is turned off (or when the remapper is set to its default settings), the value is passed as follows:
- To Slider inputs: the resulting value of the target slider is determined by a linear interpolation between its minimum and maximum values, where the interpolation coefficient is defined by the output value of Time.
- To HDR Color inputs: the RGB channel values of the color assume the same values as the output value of Time.
- To LDR Color inputs: the resulting color is determined by a linear interpolation between black and white, where the interpolation coefficient is defined by the output value of Time.
- To Angle inputs: the range of 0 to 1 is proportionally mapped onto the degree range of 0 to 360. Values beyond the range of 0 to 1 are wrapped back into this range before being mapped onto the range of 0 to 360 and sent to the target input.
- To IntSlider inputs: the resulting value of the target integer slider is determined by a linear interpolation between its minimum and maximum values, where the interpolation coefficient is defined by the output value of Time.
- To List inputs: the item number in the target list is determined by a linear interpolation between 1 and the item count of the list, where the interpolation coefficient is defined by the output value of Time.
- To Checkbox inputs: if the output value of Time is greater than 0.5, the target checkbox becomes 'checked', otherwise it stays 'unchecked'.
- To Value inputs: the output value of Time is passed to the target input unchanged.
Use Remapping
When turned on, enables Remappers for all connections of Time to its target inputs. Remappers allow you to specify how Time affects the resulting value of each target input.
