Back to Cameras Control Board of Virtual Camera Compounds
Introduction
If you work a lot with Aximmetry's virtual cameras you know that you can set up camera movement paths using 2 or 3 points and the rotation between them.
For more information about path settings please visit: Setting Up Virtual Sets with VR Cameras
From Aximmetry version 2021.3.2, you can sequence the camera path.
Setting up the Camera Sequencer Compound
Open the Aximmetry Composer and load the scene you want to use. You can use any of our Virtual or Mixed cam compounds as they all allow the camera to be controlled by the Sequencer. In this example, we are using the VirtualCam_Unreal_3-Cam.xcomp compound with a test input video for the billboard.
As you can see the VirtualCam compound has Sequencer inputs (Seq pins). Let's use them now. If you cannot see these pins then you have an older version of Aximmetry and you need to upgrade it.
Each camera has its sequencer inputs for Cam Transform, Zoom Factor, and Focus Distance as well.
Add the Camera Sequencer compound located at [Common]:Compounds\Camera\Camera_Sequencer.xcomp to the project.
In the example, the Camera Sequencer is connected to Camera 1's pins. The number of cameras you want to sequence is the number of Camera Sequencers you need.
At this stage, the VirtualCam_Unreal_3-Cam camera compound still uses its own paths instead of the Camera Sequencer connected to the Seq pins.
To switch to using the Seq pins, go to the CAMERAS Control Board and set Cam 1 Path to SEQ. This will permit the Camera Sequencer to control the camera.
To control the camera via Sequencer you must make some edits in the Camera Sequencer compound.
By this time you may have information about editing compounds in place. And you discovered that the Camera Sequencer compound is locked. You can see that chain symbol in the upper left corner.
To unlock the compound simply right-click on it and choose Edit Compound In-Place.
Now the chain symbol had changed into a note symbol. You can edit this compound now.
To edit it double-click on the compound. Now you can see its inner modules. We need the CAMERA Sequencer (Sequencer module) and the orange-colored CAMERA SEQUENCER PATH (Pin Collector).
NOTE: The compound is linked. So if you make some changes and save it, it will affect all of your projects that contain this compound. More about Compounds.
You may want to see the CAMERA SEQUENCER PATH (Pin Collector) on a Control Board to make it simple and useful. It's not necessary but recommended.
Right-click in the FLOW editor and choose New Special Compound / Control Board.
Now place the CAMERA SEQUENCER PATH (Pin Collector) on the new control board.
To do this, right-click on the CAMERA SEQUENCER PATH, then choose Add to Control Board.
Now if you click on your Control Board you will see the CAMERA SEQUENCER PATH panel with the camera paths.
Setting Up Camera Paths
Now double-click on the CAMERA Sequencer (Sequencer module) in the Camera Sequencer compound to open the Sequence Editor.
You can see the tracks for each camera path's parameters, like Position (Transformation), Rotation, Zoom Factor, and Focus Distance.
You can browse the time by clicking and holding the middle mouse button and dragging the mouse left/right. If you want to zoom in/out of the track press ctrl + click hold the middle mouse button and drag the mouse left/right.
Turn on the Film Slates in all PATH 1's tracks. You can see the selected ones become red. This means that each capture affects the first cam path.
Press Stop and place the cursor () at 0:00.
Move the camera freely in the preview panel to your intended starting point.
NOTE: Make sure you have the same camera (1) selected in the CAMERA SEQUENCER PATH panel that you added to your Control Board.
Press the big Film Slate button at the bottom of the Sequencer panel.
You will see small orbs (keys) appearing in the tracks.
Move the cursor to the next time point, then position the camera to the next waypoint. Click on Film Slate again.
Repeat these actions until you finish setting up the camera paths. Click on the Play button or press Space to see the result. You can refine your sequence by clicking and dragging the orbs.
If you select a key () by clicking on it, then at the bottom center of the Sequence Editor you will see additional adjustable parameters. Here you can manually edit the values, the ease, and the slope of all points if you need to. This allows you to make a very precise fine-tuning.
Continue to Introduction to Green Screen Production
With this document, you finished the Virtual Camera Workflow. You can head back to the Introduction to Green Screen Workflow to learn more about Green Screen Production:
