Definition
A keyframe defines a property's value at a particular time. In a typical keyframed change, two keys set different values and the software interpolates between them; hold or stepped interpolation keeps a value unchanged until the next key. Keyframable properties may include position, scale, rotation, opacity, volume, masks, and effect parameters, depending on the software. In hand-drawn animation, key drawings establish important poses and in-between drawings connect them. Not all animation is keyframed: expressions, procedural systems, and simulations can drive change too. Easing shapes the timing of an interpolated change. An animation keyframe is distinct from a codec keyframe used to encode video.
How Loopdesk Uses This
When working with motion in Loopdesk, use keyframe concepts to describe the start value, end value, and timing you want. Check which properties, presets, or direct keyframe controls the current version exposes; animated captions or prompt-based effects alone do not establish manual keyframe editing or a particular interpolation model.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many keyframes do I need to animate something?
For a simple interpolated change, typically two keyframes with different values: one at the start and one at the end. Hold interpolation makes a step rather than a smooth transition. Not all animation needs keyframes; expressions, procedural motion, simulations, or frame-by-frame drawing can create movement by other means.
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Related Terms
Easing
The way an animated property's rate of change is shaped over time, from constant-rate linear motion to acceleration and deceleration.
Timeline Editor
The primary interface in video editing software where clips, audio, transitions, and effects are arranged along a temporal axis.
Lower Thirds
A text-and-graphic overlay in the lower portion of the frame that identifies a speaker, topic, or location without interrupting the footage.
Color Grading
The creative process of adjusting the colors, contrast, saturation, and tonal qualities of video footage to establish a visual mood, style, or cinematic look.