About animating layer properties

In ArcMap, ArcScene, and ArcGlobe, you can create an animation that changes layer properties such as transparency and visibility. The animation you create is contained within a map layer track, a layer track, and a globe layer track, respectively.

Reasons to create a layer track could include the following:

• To make layers transparent so other layers can be seen as the animation progresses. A layer track works well alongside a camera track that might show a navigation through a scene. At a certain point in the navigation, you might want the information in a layer underneath the top layer in the table of contents to show through.
• To turn layers off in the table of contents. You might have an animation that contains two time layer tracks to which different objects (layers) are attached. At a certain point in the animation, you might want to turn off one of the layers so you can see the other layer animated in the display.
• To move a layer (such as a car) along a path.
• To sequentially display data without a time field (create a group animation).

The layer properties that can be animated in ArcMap, ArcScene, and ArcGlobe are discussed in detail under Layer properties that can be animated.

There are several ways to create the layer animations in each application.

• Create keyframes to animate layer transparency or visibility.
• Move a layer along a path (ArcScene only).
• Create a group animation to animate layers sequentially when there is no time field in the layer attribute tables.