TIP: Delete Keyframe

There are at least 5 different ways to delete a keyframe. But, most people only know method 1 below.

• Method 1. Right click while hovering over or after selecting the keyframe to delete. Select the Delete option from the popup menu.

• Method 2. In the Slide Options | Effects | Motion Effects window, drag the keyframe right or left until another keyframe is reached. The overlapping keyframes are now outlined in yellow. Release the mouse button to delete a keyframe.The keyframe that remains, including all settings, is the one that was dragged.
  • CAVEAT. As of release 4.52.4049, if you still have the default ProShow Intro show selected, you may not see this behavior. Instead, you will find it impossible to delete a keyframe by dragging a keyframe left over a previous keyframe. This is a behavior bug and an odd one at that (since there should be absolutely NO connection between the keyframe behavior and an introductory show). So, turn off the ProShow intro or select one of your own as an intro show. One way to do this is by clicking on Create Output, Select DVD. In the Create DVD window, select Shows. In the lower right is the Include Intro Show section. Unselect the box (it will change from a check in a green box to a white box labeled off) or select your own show as an introductory show.
• Method 3. If all time between two keyframes is removed, the keyframe to the right is removed. The remaining keyframe has the settings of the keyframe from which time was removed. (See Keyframes: Add/Remove Time).
• Method 4. In the Multi-Layer Keyframe Editor there are two methods for deleting keyframes: single layer and across multiple layers. In either case, to delete: right click the mouse(s) over one on the selected keyframes and select Delete Selected Keyframes. Delete a single keyframe at a time or multiple keyframes across multiple layers (one keyframe per layer).
  • 4a) Single Layer. Select a keyframe. Delete it as given above. The keyframe gets deleted and the next keyframe gets selected. Do it again. Upon deleting a keyframe, the next keyframe gets selected. Good for quickly deleting many keyframes in a row. This is similar to method 1 above. However, it does not automatically select the next keyframe when a keyframe is deleted whereas this method does.
  • 4b) Multiple Layers. There are two methods here: rubber banding and multiple selections.
    • 4-b1) Rubber Band. Select Keyframes by positioning the cursor above and to the left or right of a keyframe, Click and hold the mouse button while dragging down and over the keyframes on the multiple layers. The keyframes closest to the right of the inside of the rubber band on each layer will become selected (as long as the keyframes are within the rubber banded region). These keyframes need not exist at the same time location. When deleted, the next keyframe to the right of the deleted keyframe on each layer becomes selected. Delete again if desired.
    • 4-b2) Multi-Select. CTRL-click on a keyframe selects it. One 1 keyframe on any layer is selectable at a time. But multiple layers may have a selected keyframe. The keyframes may be located anywhere within the layer. Deleting them selects the next available keyframe located to the right of the deleted keyframe on each layer.

CAPTION KEYFRAME DELETE. The delete methods outlined above also work with caption keyframes. Additionally, when using the click-drag method to delete a caption keyframe, you’ll see a red outline instead yellow.

© 2011 Dale Fenimore