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Animating the Camera

dragon1_logatadragon1_logata Posts: 8
edited December 1969 in Daz Studio Discussion

I would appreciate any information on animating a camera. Particularly on a defined path. Rather than being attached to an object and following said object I would like to define a "Point At" and have the camera move along a predetermined path.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Best regards

Comments

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,316
    edited December 1969

    Having the camera move a long a path is the same as having any item move a long a path, and should be combinable with using Point at (if you are wanting to point at something other than the origin of a bone parent a null to the place you want to be the target and point at that).

  • dragon1_logatadragon1_logata Posts: 8
    edited January 2015

    Okay, your answer explains that this is possible but the real question remains as follows: Where might I find information on setting up a camera to follow a designated path? Is this available in the higher level layouts? Where can I find a step by step example? Are there available any in depth demonstrations? There are no documentation anywhere so I take this as a sign that I am required to pay a fee to learn how to use DAZ Studio 4.7 effectively and efficiently?

    I have searched the DAZ tutorial sections as well as searched the selection of "Purchasable" tutorials to no avail.

    Any and all guidance appreciated.

    Post edited by dragon1_logata on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,316
    edited December 1969

    I'm not sure what you are wanting - there's no way to define a path, as in Illustrator, and have an item follow it if that's what you want. If you want to move the camera it's just a question of moving it into position in the frame you want, which will set a key-frame automatically (but be aware that DS applies smooth interpolation by default - there are, or used to be, free scripts to change the interpolation type or you can use KeyMate or GraphMate from the store).

  • dragon1_logatadragon1_logata Posts: 8
    edited December 1969

    I am attempting to recreate the camera effect used in the jump kick scene in the first Matrix movie.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,316
    edited December 1969

    I'm a Philistine, I know, but I've not seen that so more details of the effect may help me and my fellow Philistines.

  • dragon1_logatadragon1_logata Posts: 8
    edited December 1969

    It's OK. I'm Hawaiian! You must have seen the first Matrix movie, It's the scene where Trinity is in a room, cornered by a cop entering the room to arrest her and she jumps straight up, Flying Crane kick, caught in slow motion, and the camera revolves clockwise around a single point-at object. It's an FX taken from Japanese anime films.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,316
    edited December 1969

    I would think, having been shown the clip, parenting the camera to a null and rotating and slightly translating the null would work.

  • Botdog3Botdog3 Posts: 10
    edited December 1969

    One trick I've used is this:
    Add figure to scene and pose
    Add a torus and scale it so there is some distance between it and the figure
    Add camera and move so it intersects edge of torus
    Parent camera to torus
    Point camera to figure's hip or pelvis
    Set view to created camera
    Y translate torus to position that suits your view
    Unclick torus in scene to make torus invisible
    Finally, rotate torus and camera will follow around figure.
    Makes an acceptable version of effect.

  • Sparkie ShockSparkie Shock Posts: 96
    edited February 2015

    Soooooo .. what the hell is a torus? Cos your entire thing here hinges on knowing what that is?

    - Never mind ... I found it :P .. It's a primitive! .. for those who are also scratching their heads.
    I know :P ... who knew?!

    Post edited by Sparkie Shock on
  • dragon1_logatadragon1_logata Posts: 8
    edited December 1969

    Exactly. Who knew? I actually followed the same, actual, camera set up used in studio to capture this shot. What a pain in the arse! Now I have to stitch everything together - the same as what they did in studio. I'll figure out how to do this and post it as a camera preset. With instructions of course. Funny that DAZ has no documentation on camera animation.

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