Animation modifiers: Make 'Influence' keyable. (Optional: remove Restrict Frame Range)

Hi,

Modifiers have an unacceptable flaw. You need one modifier for every instance of an effect on every object, because of the way the modifier restricts frame range, and lack of keying. The second you need to re-time anything, your workflow is drastically complicated by chasing up each and every modifier and adjusting the 'Restrict Frame Range' properties.

You should just be able to adjust the dopesheet, same as adjusting timing on 99% of scene data. But that's not possible because none of the modifier is keyable.

If they just made 'INFLUENCE' keyable, you wouldn't need the entire 4 input options under 'Restrict Frame Range' as you'd simply achieve it with a curve, and you'd have far more control. Instead of just linear curves, you can have any kind of curve you want, and re-use the same modifier across the whole scene, at least for that one object.

This makes plenty of sense, but what about old blender projects using the 'Restrict Frame Range' function? You could simply leave that option in and leave off 'restrict Frame Range' by default

But if we're talking about simplifying the process, In theory that isn't complicated once you have the influence keyable:

Take the old blend files using 'Restrict Frame Range'. Transferring this data to the 'Influence' with linear curves as a default. Map the Start and End values as keyed frames with zero influence, map the 'Blend in, Out' values to values of '1'. If the value of 'In' is zero, count one frame and key afterwards, otherwise increment that value ahead of the start value. Same for 'Out' but subtract that value from the end value.

Unless the blend values overlap, that should rescue the majority of old projects.

Workarounds:

Currently the best known workaround is to create an empty for every object that you want to have the modifier work with, then you must animate the driver influence between those objects, and that modifier is always forever in use, burning through system resources. It's also complicating what could be a rather simple process.

kind regards,

Simon.