Transform Window

Owned by Aurélien Charrier
Last updated: Oct 08, 2021 by Etienne Beschet
6 min read


The Transform window is the place to access/edit the channel values.

At the top of the window, you can find the different Transform actions (Reset, Copy, Paste, etc.).

These actions (features) work according to:

  • a selection of controllers (Picker)
  • a selection of keyframes (Stacker/Timebar)
  • an activation of channels (Transform)

How do i activate/select the channels?

  • You activate/select a channel by checking its checkbox ().
  • You activate/select all channels of a transform type simultaneously by left-clicking on the large Move, Rotate, Scale, etc. buttons at the left border of the window. Right click will activate/deactivate everything. Middle click will isolate the corresponding checkboxes for Move, Rotate, Scale, IK, Reverse Foot, Blendshapes, and Camera FOV (Field of view).

Checkboxes only for Transform features

Checkboxes () work only for Transform actions. Not to be confused with key icons () indicating that the corresponding channels are keyframed (red for x, green for y and blue for z).

Below the different Transform actions you can find the x, y, z channels ordered from Move to Scale. You can directly edit channels by entering values.

The Curveboard affects the Transform window display

When the CurveBoard is active, the Transform window slightly changes to offer channels visibility management : the key icons () are replaced by channel visibility icons (). You may display channels by clicking on these icons.

Transform Actions

IK and RF special rules

About IKs and Reverse Feet, the Transform actions will be driven by the following rule: whatever selection you make  — meaning the IK/RF controller or the FK chain (full or part of it) — the result will be the same as if you had selected the full FK chain. Then the IK/RF target will be placed relatively to the chain leaf.

The only exception concerns the copy/paste when you select only an IK or an RF controller: In these cases, IK/RF controllers position is copied/pasted and their joint chains are then resolved (leading to a different result than if you had copied/pasted the chain joints).

IK/RF and checkboxes

Again concerning IKs and Reverse Feet, some Transform actions may have weird (although normal) results if all channel boxes are not checked, so we recommend letting them all checked.


Reset Values to Ref Pose (or Bind Pose): Reset the selected channels () to Ref Pose values into Animation mode while the same command resets the selected channels to Bind Pose values into rigging mode.

IK/RF Reset reminder

Whatever you select — target, joint chain, both target and joint chain (full or part of it) — you will always reset the full FK chain and the target will return to its leaf position.

Copy Values: Copy the selected channel values (). The command works on and between keyframes (however, you need to paste the values on a keyframe).

Paste Values: Paste the previously copied channel values on the current selected joint(s) and keyframe(s).

Order matters!

  • Concerning joints not belonging to an IK or RF chain and pasted on different joints than the copied ones, the order matters. Meaning that the first copied in hierarchy 1 will be pasted on first in hierarchy 2, etc. The order used for joints is the one configured in the Picker dialog when you created joints, then if you reorder your picker this won't affect copy/paste behavior.
  • It means to that the first copied keyframe will be pasted on the new first keyframe, the second copied keyframe will be pasted on the new second keyframe, etc.
  • If you have more copied elements than new elements, supplementary copied elements will be ignored. If you have less copied elements than new elements, supplementary new elements will remain ignored.

IK/RF Copy/Paste reminder

  • If you select the IK/RF target to copy/paste, you benefit from the position of the target (relatively to the Character). In this case, the joint chain will do its best to follow the target position. Useful to copy/paste a target specific position!
  • If you select the join chain (or part of it), you benefit from the FK posing. In this case, the target will return to the leaf joint position.
  • If you select both, the result will be the same as if you would have selected the full FK chain (IK/RF target will be placed relatively to the chain leaf).
  • Please notice that the target color is copied and pasted.


Paste After: Paste the copied keyframe(s) after the last selected keyframe, therefore adding new keyframes with their timings. In this case again, order matters (cf remark above).

Great to copy/paste full or part of an animation!

You may use this feature to copy a complete animation (or part of it) to add it to your current animation.

Uncopied controllers will remain in Ref Pose

If you copy only a part of a hierarchy (ex: an arm, a leg, etc.), the rest of the character will remain in Reference pose in the new added keyframe(s). 

Mirror Values: Mirror the selected channel values to the other side. Our mirroring command is based on our side label convention meaning that the (side) joints must have the following tags in their names : r_/l_/R_/L_ as prefix, or _r/_l/_R/_L as suffix or even right/left/Right/Left anywhere in the name.

Can i flip sides?

Yes! If you select both sides, they will be flipped.

IK/RF Mirror reminder

Whatever you select — target, joint chain, both target and joint chain (full or part of it) — you will always mirror the full chain according to the spine and the target will return to its leaf position.

Mirroring requirements

It is important to remind that our mirroring features (including the cycle maker features) works if:

  • The skeleton is correctly named/labelled (about it, we suggest consulting the Mirror Skin & Joints parts of the Skin Atelier page)
  • The Bind Pose/Ref Pose of the skeleton was obtained via our rig mirroring process

It means that if you bring your skeleton from another 3D package, it may be possible that you encounter some issues due to different axis orientation. In order to fix them, please delete a side of the skeleton and let Akeytsu mirror it.

Mirror unexpected results?

There are several options in Akeytsu that automatically mirror keys, based on naming rules that identify left and right controllers. As of now, any controller that isn’t identified as a left or right controller is automatically deemed a central one. This raises unexpected results when trying to mirror a non-central, non-symmetric controller.


Transform Edit Mode

 When the current Layer (Mixer window) is in Edit Mode (), key icons () are replaced by hammer icons ().

According to selected controllers, you may enable/disable keyframing on a channel by clicking ().

Where can i enable the Transform Edit mode?

The Transform Edit Mode can be enabled/disabled in the Mixer dialog.

Transform Coordinate System Display

 In rigging mode, you may notice the Transform window can display different coordinate system display depending on you are in Bind Pose, Ref Pose or Skin & Check mode:

  • In Bind Pose, channels values are displayed in World coordinates () 
  • In Build Pose/Ref Pose, channels values are displayed in Local coordinates ()
  • In Skin & Check mode, channels values are displayed in Local Relative (to Bind Pose) coordinates ()

In Animation mode, even it is not clearly displayed, the Transform window displays values in Local Relative (to Ref Pose) coordinates ()

Not possible to switch between the coordinate system displays

For the moment it is only an informative display, and you can not switch between the different coordinate systems.


Transform Preferences

Copy/Paste IK target color: Copy and paste the IK and Reverse Foot target color (so the interpolation mode related to the target).

Mirror IK target color: Mirror the IK and Reverse Foot target color (so the interpolation mode related to the target).