Time Source

Overview

The animation clock. When animation_render evaluates every frame, only this node outputs different values for each one: progress from 0 to 1 and frame number. Anything that moves in the graph ultimately draws its value from here.

Usage tips

• The basic connection sends progress from 0 to 1 into a waveform node: motion (follows time automatically when unconnected) → parameter to animate.
• Choose the output by purpose:
  • progress — percentage through the whole animation; the standard for motion
  • frame — current frame number; branch by frame together with switch or compare
  • time / total_frames — build custom progress control in a formula such as expression_float
• Raw 0–1 progress is rarely used directly. Convert it into useful motion with remap for range, ease_in_out for easing, or a waveform for back-and-forth and loops.
• Distribute one Time Source to several parameters, such as driving arm rotation and body bobbing from the same clock.

Common pitfalls

• Preview values remain 0: this is normal. Ordinary evaluation uses time=0, frame=0. Per-frame values flow only while animation_render evaluates. Select Animation Render and use its playback preview to check motion.
• The last and first frames do not connect: progress includes both endpoints from 0 to 1. For loops, insert a periodic waveform such as motion (Rotate) and make one cycle equal the total frame count.

Technical details

• Ordinary non-animation evaluation outputs time=0.0, frame=0, total_frames=1, and progress=0.0.
• Multi-frame evaluation by AnimationRender outputs different values for each frame.
• progress is calculated as frame / (total_frames - 1); when total_frames=1 it is 0.0.
• In the current AnimationRender evaluation, time is the same normalized time. It is not seconds.

Examples

Connect TimeSource → Float operation → Transform movement to create animation whose position changes on every frame.

Related nodes

• animation_render — runs this clock and is almost always paired with it
• motion / motion / motion — convert progress to oscillation, looping, or blinking
• remap / ease_in_out — convert the value range and add easing
• keyframe_clip — create motion from keyframes instead of a waveform