Using the Parameter

This section goes over different ways of using p, after driving it and biasing it. Functions that use p to calculate the value for a property or variable will be called "animator functions". There is one animator function for each property or variable being animated.

So far in the tutorial, the animator functions have moved an object in a straight line, because they are linear functions derived through the steps in shifting & scaling.

The two most useful types of functions in animation are linear and trigonometric (sin and cos), and they are the focus of the animator function sections. However, any type of function can be used as an animator function, including strange ones like some of those shown in the More Examples demos.

Another common class of functions, polynomials, are not treated separately. They do come into play in the spline section, because splines are parametric functions that use polynomials. The Bezier Curve gives an explanation of how polynomials are used in that type of spline.

An animator function may be composed of several parts and get complex, such as the bezier animator function. However, the different parts still comprise one animator function which can be written (and coded) in the form sp.property = animatorFunction(p).