Camera paths

Once you draw a Camera Path in CAD Mode, you can use the Camera Path Editor and the Timeline tool in DESIGN or LIVE mode to define the time interval between two nodes along the path. If there are Camera Targets inserted in the file, you can also specify when the camera should follow a camera target. Finally, you can also define the orientation and field angle of the Camera at the current node position.

Once you have defined the time intervals and camera’s orientation, you can open the Timeline tool and watch the Camera Path play in Shaded view. Camera Path playback is also simulated in Full Screen mode.

You can also patch a Camera Path to a DMX universe and then control the camera’s movement through a console. For details, see Patching camera paths.

Using the Camera Path Editor

Once you create a Camera Path in CAD mode, follow the steps in this section to define the time intervals between the nodes on the path, change camera behavior, assign targets to camera nodes, and reposition nodes in space. For details on drawing Camera Paths, see Drawing camera paths.

Camera Path Editor window

Camera Path Editor columns

• Node:    This column gives you the Node number of the nodes on your Timeline.
• Shortest Path:    When the Shortest Path checkbox is selected for a node, it forces the camera to rotate as little as possible when moving between two nodes on your timeline. When the Shortest Path checkbox is cleared for a node, the camera will take the longer of the two directions as it rotates to aim at the next node's target. This applies to Roll, Pitch and Yaw.
• X, Y, and Z Columns:    The X, Y, and Z columns in the Camera Path Editor are editable position information for each of the nodes on your timeline. You may enter in distance values into these fields to re-position your nodes as you see fit.
• Rx, Ry, and Rz Columns:    These columns represent the rotation around each of the X, Y, and Z axes in WYSIWYG. These columns are non-editable, but allow you to get positional information from your nodes.
• Rx, or Rotation around the X Axis = PITCH   [tilting forward and backward]
• Ry, or Rotation around the Y Axis = ROLL    [tilting side to side]
• Rz, or Rotation around the Z Axis = YAW       [also called Heading or Direction]
• Interval:    A node’s Interval is how long it takes in seconds to get from one node to another. For example, if the timing on node 2 is ten seconds (10s), then the camera would move for ten seconds before reaching node 2.
• Behavior:    Behavior is the camera’s movement and direction behavior as it relates to the Camera Path. There are three types of Camera Behavior:
• Follow Path:    The camera will follow straight along the path, not deviating in any way possible from the path as it travels between nodes.
• Follow Target:    The camera will always point at an assigned Camera Target if this behavior is chosen for a node.
• User Defined:    This option allows the camera to behave exactly as specified by a user, meaning that the camera will point wherever you point it when the User Defined behavior is chosen.
• Target:       Each node can be assigned a different target when the Follow Target behavior in the Behavior column is chosen. The Target column is a drop-down list for choosing different targets in your drawing.
• Field Angle:    This option allows you to enter in different field angles for each node.

To use the Camera Path Editor

1. In Wireframe view, from the Design menu, choose Camera Path Editor.
2. In the Camera Path Editor, from the Camera Path drop-down list, select the Camera Path that you want to edit.
3. In the Interval column, adjust the timing for each node along the path, specifying when you want the camera to be at that node.

• If you have placed targets along the path, and you want the Camera to follow a target at a particular node, in the Target column click in the cell corresponding to the node and, from the drop-down list that appears, select Follow Target. Then, click in the adjacent Target cell to select the target.
• To define the orientation and field angle of the Camera at a particular node along the path, in the Camera Target column, click in the cell corresponding the node, and then select User Defined.

4. Once you have defined the time intervals, you can use the Timeline tool to watch the Camera Path play in the Shaded view. For details, see below.

Visual Camera Path Builder tool

The Visual Camera Path Builder tool allows you to create a Camera Path on the fly while you move the Camera around your space. This tool essentially works by placing a node at the Camera’s current position once you’ve told WYSIWYG that you are satisfied with the Camera’s current placement on screen.

Note: The Visual Camera Path Builder tool is disabled if the Shaded View Camera Control was set to Other 3D Applications in the General tab of the Application Options window.

To use the Visual Camera Path Builder tool

1. Right-click in the Shaded view and select Visual Camera Path Builder.
2. Once you’ve started the Visual Camera Path Builder, you’ll be prompted to name your new path, add it to the Camera layer (or a layer of your choosing), and create the first node based on the Camera’s current position.

3. Once you click OK in the dialog box, you will then be in Visual Camera Path Editor mode. Maneuver the Camera around the space, and when you want to create a new node based on your Camera’s position, right-click in the Shaded view and choose the Add Node. At this point, you can also Abort your Camera Path in the Visual Camera Path Builder tool.
4. Move the Camera and right-click every time you would like to create a new node from your Camera’s current position in space.
5. When you have created as many nodes as you would like to have in your Camera Path, right-click again in the Shaded view and choose Finish Camera Path.
6. At this point, you can also Abort your Camera Path, or you can choose to Close the Camera Path from your current view, which will create a seamless loop on the Camera Path. When you are finished with the Visual Camera Path Builder tool, you will automatically exit the Visual Camera Path Builder tool mode.

To use the Timeline tool

Once you have adjusted the timing of a Camera Path with the Camera Path Editor, switch to the Shaded view to watch the camera move along the path with the Timeline tool. This tool enables you to watch the timing in slow motion, regular speed, or up to four times the speed.

Notes:

• Camera Path playback is also simulated in Full Screen mode.
• Nodes of existing Camera Paths can be edited from a Shaded view when the Timeline's Previous Node or Next Node buttons are used; they can only be edited while playback is paused.

1. In Shaded view, click View > Timeline.

Result: The Timeline tool appears.

2. Use the controls to watch the Camera move along the path you have defined:

• Play: Click to start the Camera Path simulation in the Shaded view. While this plays, the red line moves along the timeline to display its current position. You can click on the red line indicator and scrub along the timeline, which updates the red line and the Camera simulation at the corresponding point along the path.
• Stop: Click to stop the camera.
• Previous Node: Click to switch back to the previous node on the path.
• Next Node: Click to move to the next node on the path.
• Toggle PlayBack Direction: Click to switch the direction of the camera on the path.
• Toggle Loop: Click to keep the camera moving on the path in a continuos loop.
• Adjust Playback Speed: Click to choose the playback speed.
• Show Node Numbers: Click to show the node numbers in the timeline.
• Zoom: Use the slider to zoom in or out on the timeline.

Note: When the DMX Control for Cameras/Camera Paths is enabled in Camera Manager, the controls in the Timeline tool are disabled in LIVE mode, as DMX will be in control of all Camera Path playback and settings.