Pose Step Track

Overview

A recording node for placing one pose at a time: "use this pose at this point in time." It records only the final pose, not the intermediate drag path, making it the still-image counterpart of record_take. It works well for cut-in-like animations that switch between poses.

Usage tips

• The chain matches Record Take: pose_step_track → keyframe_clip → clip_apply_*. Only the way the source material is created differs.
• This is often better for crisp, stepped pixel-art animation, where the lack of in-betweens becomes part of the style.
• Switch to record_take when you need smooth intermediate motion.

Related nodes

• record_take — the continuous-recording counterpart
• keyframe_clip — turns the recording into a clip; the go-to next step
• layer_mixer — combines multiple recordings
• clip_apply_path / clip_apply_image — apply the result

Quick introduction

Pose Step Track resembles Record Take, but the underlying idea is different.

• Record Take retains what happens while an element moves.
• Pose Step Track retains the final state.

In other words, Pose Step Track does not focus on:

• intermediate states during a drag, or
• fine-grained changes while your hand is moving.

Its role is to record the final pose you place as the pose at that time.

For beginners:

• Record Take = record a video
• Pose Step Track = place one still frame

When to use it

Suitable uses

• Placing only the pose at a specific time without intermediate motion
• Arranging poses in steps
• Building a sequence of still poses such as "this shape at 0.0, this shape at 0.5, and this shape at 1.0"

Typical examples

• Decide "the path point is here at this timing."
• Place a PixelCanvas selection at another position only at a specific timing.
• Later layer several poses to create stepped motion.

Unsuitable uses

• Retaining natural changes during a drag
• Using continuous motion such as swaying or sliding as-is

Use Record Take in those cases.

Remember these points first

When using Pose Step Track, remember these three points first:

1. The currently selected Pose Step Track node receives the recording.
2. step_time is a normalized progress value from 0.0 to 1.0, not seconds.
3. The last confirmed pose is stored.

Pose Step Track does not store motion during manipulation. It chooses when the final placed shape should be used as a pose.

Overview

How to use

1. Place the recording node

Place Pose Step Track in the graph.

2. Open the source editor

These targets currently support direct recording:

• PixelCanvas
  • selection move
• BezierPath
  • point drag
  • selected points move
• MultiPath
  • point drag
  • selected points move

3. Select the Pose Step Track node

With the source editor still open, select Pose Step Track in the graph.

4. Manipulate the source directly

For example:

• Move a Bezier point to the desired position.
• Move a selection to the target position.

5. Release the mouse to confirm

When confirmed, the final pose is stored as the pose at step_time.

Concrete examples for beginners

Example 1: Create the first pose

Goal:

• Define the shape at the start of the animation.

Setting:

• step_time = 0.0

Steps:

1. Open the Bezier Path editor.
2. Select Pose Step Track in the graph.
3. Move an anchor point to its initial position.
4. Release it to confirm.

Result:

• That shape is stored as the starting pose.

Example 2: Use a different pose only in the middle

Goal:

• Place a slightly deformed pose only in the middle.

Setting:

• step_time = 0.5

Result:

• It is stored as the middle pose.
• The final placed position matters more than the drag path used to reach it.

Example 3: Switch a PixelCanvas part position in steps

Goal:

• Show a selected part at another position at specific timings.

Settings:

• initial position at step_time = 0.0
• middle position at step_time = 0.5
• final position at step_time = 1.0

Result:

• The sequence is built by choosing where in the overall progression each pose belongs, rather than by assigning a specific number of seconds.

Differences from Record Take

Pose Step Track

• Places final poses
• Intermediate motion is not the focus
• Best for stacking poses in steps

Record Take

• Retains the entire motion
• Records intermediate states
• Best for continuous motion

When in doubt:

• Need "it moved like this" → Record Take
• Need "use this pose at this time" → Pose Step Track

Choosing as a beginner

Use Record Take when

• You want to retain the feel of a hand-driven movement.
• Intermediate swaying or sliding matters.
• You want to create motion material.

Use Pose Step Track when

• You need only the final position.
• You want to place several stages of poses.
• You want to work in a stop-motion style.

A quick rule when unsure

• The drag path matters → Record Take
• Only the final placed shape matters → Pose Step Track

How it works

Pose Step Track shares the same internal layer structure as Record Take.
The difference is how the recorded sample sequence is handled.

• Record Take arranges and stores changes during a drag over a time range.
• Pose Step Track gathers samples at step_time and stores them there.

From the user's perspective, the easiest model is that the last confirmed pose represents that step.

Common misconceptions

Is step_time measured in seconds?

No.
It is normalized time from 0.0 to 1.0.

Does it retain fine motion during a drag?

Conceptually, Pose Step Track places the final pose.
Use Record Take when you need to retain continuous motion.

Does simply opening the source editor start recording?

No.
You must select the Pose Step Track node as the recording destination.

Can it store an entire pen stroke as a pose?

Not in the current implementation. Direct recording primarily supports selection move and movement of path points / handles.

Notes

• It shares the internal layer structure with Record Take.
• These are internal-only types. They are not exposed to variables, Switch, equality checks, or custom pins.
• The current entry point is direct recording from a source editor. There is no dedicated pose-track editor yet.

Multiple poses and data safety

• Capturing the same target at another step_time appends by time inside the same layer ID. Capturing the same time again replaces only that sample.
• Pose Step interpolation is always step: the previous pose is held until the next time, where it switches immediately.
• step_time is a capture-only authoring value and cannot be promoted to a wire.
• Invalid non-empty record_data is not silently reset; new capture saving remains blocked until an explicit reset.