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Creating Cameras

Each of the four camera types creates a new camera with a different perspective.

Making the Default Camera Visible

The default camera in Softimage is a perspective camera. When you first create a scene, the entire default camera rig is hidden.

To make the default camera visible

• Click the camera icon on a viewport menu bar and choose Select Camera. This selects the default camera. Press h to display (unhide) the camera. You can display the camera’s interest the same way by choosing Select Interest from the same menu and then pressing h.

or

• In the explorer, expand the Camera Root node, select the Camera node and press h to display the camera. You can display the camera’s interest and root the same way. If you want to display the entire rig, branch-select the Camera Root node and press h.

Adding Cameras

You can create additional cameras for your scenes. Cameras created in Autodesk Softimage are saved directly in the scene file. You can view and render your scene through any camera.

To create a new camera with a defined projection

You can create a new camera with a defined projection directly from the Render toolbar.

1. Choose Get > Primitive > Camera and select a type of camera (see Types of Camera for details).

You can choose More... to open a browser where you can select a camera preset.

2. A new camera, with its preset projection, appears in the scene and positioned at the origin. The property editor for the new camera is displayed once you select a camera. Adjust the values as required.

3. Select and manipulate cameras as you would any other object. You can use its manipulators to rotate or translate the camera (press b).

Creating Orthographic Cameras

Autodesk Softimage does not allow you to specify a default orthographic camera to use as the output render camera, but you can easily create your own orthogonal camera either for rendering or just to help build your scene.

To create an orthographic camera

1. Choose Get > Primitive > Camera > Orthographic. In the new camera’s property editor, define a name for the camera.

If you are creating an orthographic camera in order to render, give the camera a unique name (other than an existing camera) such as Right_render, Left_render, etc.

2. Close the property editor. The new camera’s root (the camera itself and its interest) is automatically selected.

3. Translate the camera to the same location as the default orthographic camera. Use the translation controls on Transform panel and the information in this table to recreate an orthographic camera with which you can render.

Synchronizing Cameras

You can synchronize any camera in your scene with any other camera or any viewpoint (top, front, right, and so on). This is useful for creating renderable orthographic views or when you’d like to see the same camera view in different viewing modes (one in hidden line and the other textured, for example).

To synchronize a camera to a viewpoint or another camera

1. Create a new camera (called camera_new for this example) and delete its interest. Set a 3D view to the new camera’s view.

You need to delete the camera’s interest so it can always focus on the interest of the camera or viewpoint with which it’s synchronized. However, if you don’t want to delete the interest, you can always deactivate the camera’s direction constraint to its interest. Open the camera’s DirectionCns property editor and deselect the Active check box on the Direction tab.

2. Set a second 3D view to the camera that you want to synchronize the new camera with (called camera_original for this example).

3. Open the camera_new’s property editor by choosing Properties from the camera icon menus in any viewport and lock the property editor. Now go to the Global Transform page.

4. Repeat step 3 for camera_original.

5. Do one of the following:

- To synchronize camera_new with camera_original, enter camera_original’s global transformation values (scaling, rotation, position) in the equivalent text boxes of the camera_new’s property editor.

The cameras are now synchronized. However, transforming either camera will break the synchronization.

or

- To synchronize camera_new with camera_original and keep them synchronized, drag-and-drop the animation icon of each of camera_original’s global transform properties (scaling, rotation, position) on the equivalent icon in the camera_new’s property editor.

The camera’s are now linked by an “equal to” expression. Transforming one will cause the other to be transformed identically.

Synchronizing a Camera with a Viewpoint

The previous example explains how to synchronize a camera with another camera, but the process for synchronizing a camera with a viewpoint is almost the same. However, you will need to change the following camera settings:

• Viewpoint are orthographic views, so change the camera’s projection type to orthographic.

• Change the camera’s format to match the viewpoint’s standard and picture ratio.

Autodesk Softimage v.7.5     <     >