Controllers

Limber gives every limb a start controller and an end controller. You cannot remove either, unless you delete the entire limb. Controllers don't automatically rotate along with the limb like Locators do.

FreeK controllers

The Free Blending property in the Limber effect will do nothing until a FreeK controller has been assigned to the limb. Select one of the limb's layers and click the + / - FreeK button. Limber will assign a FreeK controller where the joint currently is and turn up Free Blending so you can now animate the joint freely. You might prefer to keyframe Free Blending up from 0 to 100, at a later frame. To remove a FreeK controller from a limb, hold Option / Alt and click the +/- FreeK button.

Parenting FreeK controllers

You can parent FreeK controllers to whatever you want, apart from Locators on the same limb - things will not work correctly if you do that.

Controller appearance

You can change the size of all the controllers and locators for a limb. Select any one of them and click the +/- Size button to make them bigger. Option / Alt + click to make them smaller.

Clicking the Hide / Show button will hide them all. Option / Alt + click to show them again.

Go to the Settings panel to change the default shape, size and color of new controllers and locators.

Hold Shift and click the +/- Size button to reset the size, color and shape of all controllers and locators in the current comp.

Hiding, showing, changing the size, and resetting controllers and locators.

Artwork by Millie Woodcock

Why don't controllers change size?

Controllers and Locators retain their apparent size in the comp, regardless of how you scale layers that they are parented to. It can sometimes look like they are not scaling, when they are.

Color Dynamics

As well as the main Limber effect, End Controllers also have a second effect with a Color dynamics checkbox. Turning this on enables a color shift when the limb is almost fully stretched. When it becomes dead straight, the color changes abruptly to red. This can make it easier to predict when pops are about to occur in your animation.

Turn on the Color dynamics checkbox and End Controllers will change color when they're almost straight