Available Tangent Types

The following are a list of tangent types:

• Fixed

The Fixed tangent type doesn’t change the current control points but they no longer update as keyframes around them are moved. This becomes the tangent type once any tangent has been manually moved.

• Flat

The Flat tangent type makes the control points sit horizontally either side of the keyframe. All the keyframes are using the Flat tangent type.

• Linear

The Linear tangent type places the control point directly in line with the keyframe that acts as the other anchor point for the segment. If both control points for a bezier segment are linear, the segment is a straight line from one keyframe to the next. The first and middle keyframes use the linear tangent, the right keyframe does not.

• Smooth

The Smooth tangent type places the control points either side of a keyframe forming a line that runs parallel to a line formed by the keyframes either side. The line formed by the control points remains parallel to the line created by the keyframes.

• Smooth Normal

The Smooth Normal tangent type places the two control points vertically in line with the keyframe. Whichever keyframe is higher between the keyframes to the left and right, controls the direction of the curve. Should the keyframes to the left and right be equal, both control points are placed vertically below.

With the right keyframe above the left, the curve goes down through the middle keyframe.	With the right keyframe below the left, the curve goes up through the middle keyframe.

• Plateau

The Plateau tangent type uses the Flat and Smooth tangent types depending on its keyframes location relative to the keyframes on either side. If the keyframes on either side are both above or both below the tangent’s keyframe, then the Flat tangent type is used. If the tangent’s keyframe falls between the values for the keyframes on either side, then the Smooth tangent type is used. When using the Smooth tangent type, if one of the control points for the tangent would fall outside the range between the keyframes on either side, then that control point converts to the Flat tangent type instead.

Here the Plateau tangent type uses the same algorithm as the Flat tangent type.	Once again the Flat tangent type is used.
Here the Plateau tangent type uses the same algorithm as the Smooth tangent type.	As the lower control point would drop below the keyframe to the right, that control point becomes Flat.