Creating a fly-thru with flying camera

Create a 3D fly-through animation of your WYSIWYG drawing with a Flying Camera/Camera Path. You can draw a Camera Path and define its nodes in CAD mode. A Flying Camera travels along your drawn Camera Path during playback in the Shaded view of DESIGN or LIVE mode. For more information, see Drawing_camera paths in CAD mode.

Editing a flying camera

Use the Camera Path Editor to set time intervals between nodes, set Camera Targets, define Flying Camera orientation, and field angles at node positions.

Use the Timeline tool to play the Camera Path and watch the Flying Camera's view in the Shaded view of DESIGN or LIVE mode. You can pivot, dolly, roll, or zoom the Flying Camera with the Camera Path paused at a node. Use the Previous Node and Next Node buttons on the Timeline tool to jump to the nodes you defined along the path.

For more information on the Camera Path Editor, Visual Camera Path Builder, and the Timeline tool, see the Camera paths section. See the Shaded view output section for information on Shaded View Recording.

Tip: Work on your Flying Camera in the Quad tab of DESIGN or LIVE mode with the Camera Path Editor open to see what is happening with the Flying Camera along the Camera Path in Wireframe and Shaded view.

Controlling a flying camera

Pivot a flying camera

You can change the yaw and pitch of the Flying Camera where it is pointing to (without altering its position) while paused at a Camera Path node. Pivoting the Flying Camera changes its target’s position.

To pivot a camera at a node

To pivot a Flying Camera using the mouse, hold down ALT on the keyboard then click and drag with the left mouse button in the Shaded view or the Shaded pane of Quad view in DESIGN or LIVE mode.
To pivot a Flying Camera using the keyboard, tap the arrow keys (without holding down ALT) while the Shaded view or the Shaded pane of Quad view is active in DESIGN or LIVE mode.

Note: Flying Cameras cannot pivot at nodes where their behavior were set to Follow Path or Follow Target. If something interferes with the shot and the Flying Camera at such a node must pivot, change its behavior at that node to the user-defined. The change in its behavior does not alter the Flying Camera’s current position and orientation.

Dolly a flying camera

You can alter the position of the Flying Camera and its target's orientation at the same time while paused at a Camera Path node. Dollying a Flying Camera changes the physical shape of its Camera Path.

To dolly a flying camera at a node

To dolly a Flying Camera up, down, left or right using the mouse, hold down CTRL and click-and-drag with the left mouse button in the Shaded view or the Shaded pane of Quad view in DESIGN or LIVE mode.
To dolly a Flying Camera in or out using the mouse, hold down CTRL and spin the mouse wheel up or down while the Shaded view or the Shaded pane of Quad view is active in DESIGN or LIVE mode.
To dolly a Flying Camera using the keyboard, hold down CTRL and tap the arrow keys while the Shaded view or the Shaded pane of Quad view is active in DESIGN or LIVE mode.
To dolly a Flying Camera in or out using the keyboard, hold down CTRL and tap the PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN keys while the Shaded view or the Shaded pane of Quad view is active in DESIGN or LIVE mode.

Note: Flying Cameras cannot dolly at nodes where their behavior ware set to Follow Path or Follow Target. If something interferes with the shot and the Flying Camera at such a node must dolly, change its behavior at that node to user-defined. The change in its behavior does not alter the Flying Camera's current position and orientation.

Roll a flying camera

You can tilt the Flying Camera left or right so that its bottom is no longer parallel to the ground while paused at a Camera Path node.

To roll a Flying Camera using the mouse, click and drag left or right with the middle mouse button (i.e., the mouse wheel) in the Shaded view or in the Shaded pane of Quad view in DESIGN or LIVE mode.
To roll a Flying Camera using the keyboard, hold down ALT and tap the PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN keys while the Shaded view or the Shaded pane of Quad view is active in DESIGN or LIVE mode.

Zoom a flying camera

You can zoom the Flying Camera's field of view in or out while paused at a Camera Path node.

To zoom a Flying Camera using the mouse, spin the mouse wheel up or down while the Shaded view or the Shaded pane of Quad view is active in DESIGN or LIVE mode.
To zoom a Flying Camera using the keyboard, tap the PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN keys while the Shaded view or the Shaded pane of Quad view is active in DESIGN or LIVE mode.