To insert a keyframe in Adobe Animate using a shortcut, press the F6 key.
Keyframes are fundamental to animation in Animate. They mark significant points in time where you define changes to your animation, such as position, scale, rotation, or other properties. By default, when you insert a keyframe, Animate copies the content from the previous keyframe to that new point on the timeline.
Understanding Keyframe Shortcuts in Animate
Adobe Animate provides several essential shortcuts for managing frames and keyframes on the Timeline, streamlining your animation workflow. Based on the provided reference, here are the key ones:
- F5 – Insert Frame: Adds a regular frame. This extends the duration of the current frame's content without creating a new keyframe.
- F6 – Insert Keyframe: Creates a new keyframe. It copies the content from the preceding keyframe to the new position. This is the primary shortcut for adding a regular keyframe.
- F7 – Insert Blank Keyframe: Inserts a new keyframe that is completely empty. This is useful when you want to start drawing new content at that specific point in the animation.
- Shift + F5 – Remove Frame: Deletes the selected frame(s) or keyframe(s) from the timeline, shortening the duration of the animation.
Quick Reference Table
Here's a summary of the core frame and keyframe insertion/removal shortcuts:
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| F5 | Insert Frame | Extends current frame duration. |
| F6 | Insert Keyframe | Creates a new keyframe, copying previous content. |
| F7 | Insert Blank Keyframe | Creates a new, empty keyframe. |
| Shift + F5 | Remove Frame | Deletes selected frames/keyframes. |
Other useful shortcuts mentioned in the reference include:
- Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + T – Convert to Symbol
- Ctrl/Cmd + Enter – Test Movie
- Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Enter – Debug Movie
- Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + C – Copy Frames
How to Use the F6 Shortcut
Using the F6 shortcut is straightforward:
- Select the layer on the Timeline where you want to insert the keyframe.
- Click on the specific frame number on that layer where you want the new keyframe to appear.
- Press the F6 key on your keyboard.
Animate will automatically create a new keyframe at the selected frame number, indicated by a solid circle on the Timeline, and duplicate the content from the previous keyframe onto it. You can then modify the content or properties (like position, rotation, etc.) at this new keyframe to create animation changes between it and the previous keyframe.
