The dope sheet uses a timeline to display skeleton keyframes. The top row of the timeline shows frame numbers. Frame columns with no keyframes are collapsed to save space (you can click the C button to un-collapse the columns).
The master skeleton and each sub-skeleton has a row (channel). If a skeleton has a keyframe for a frame number, that column is highlighted for the skeleton. Clicking on a skeleton's row selects that skeleton.
Important: Each channel has a button in the Rec column (short for Recording). If the button is red, the channel is live for recording and erasing frames, if the button is green, the channel is safe: no frames will be erased or recorded. Click the button to switch between live and safe settings.Important: The frame that will be recorded is shown in the Dope Sheet with a red outline. The recording frame is always the same as the current trueSpace frame. Double-click a frame to make that frame current.
You may have noticed that the color red is used in Motion Studio to indicate recording.
Important: Right-clicking a frame number opens a context menu, where you can record the pose into the frame number, or erase a keyframe.
The toolbar above the dope sheet contains several commands (Copy, Paste, Erase, Mark, Register, and PasteRegister). These commands operate on selected frames.
A frame (or many frames) can be selected by clicking (or dragging) on the frame numbers. Selected frames are shown by a dark highlight. Shift-click and ctrl-click are supported for selecting frames.
To use one of the dope sheet commands, first select a frame or a series of frames, then click one of the buttons.
Important: Do not confuse selected frames (dark gray) with the current frame (red outline). Remember that the Record button on the Shuttle always records the current frame, but the command buttons on the dope sheet operate on selected frames.
Note: when copying frames, Motion Studio simply marks the selected frame span as a copy source, there is no clipboard. On paste, the marked frames are simply copied to the paste frames. Therefore overlapping copy and paste regions are not allowed.
There is detailed information on Mark, Register, and PasteRegister in the Mark/Register section.
Note: There is a graphical Paste Register example here: PasteRegister example.