Back to Cameras Control Board
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.
Building Up a Compound
Open 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 video for the billboard
As you can see the VirtualCam compound has Sequencer inputs. 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 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.
To control the camera via Sequencer you must make some editions 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 just double-click on the compound. Now you can see its inner modules. We need the Camera Sequencer module and the orange-colored 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 PIN collector on a Control Board to make it simple and useful. It's not necessary but recommended.
Right-click in the FLOW editor, choose New Special Compound / Control Board
Now you have a Control Board. In the example project, its name is changed to Sequence Control
Now place the Camera Sequencer PIN collector on the new control board.
To do this, right-click on the PIN collector, then choose Add to Control Board
Now if you click on your Control Board you will see the Camera Sequencer box with the camera routes.
Setting Up Camera Paths
In the CAMERAS Control Board Set Cam 1 Path to SEQ. This will permit the Sequencer input to control the camera.
Select. the first path in the Camera Sequencer Control Board.
Now double-click on the Camera Sequencer module in the Camera Sequencer compound to open the Camera Sequencer.
If you worked with Aximmetry Sequencer before you can discover the similarity between the two modules.
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.
At the bottom of the screen, you can see a Film Slate. We will use it to capture the waypoints of the moving camera.
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Turn on the Film Slates in all CAM 1's tracks. You can see the selected ones become red. This means that each capture affects the first cam path.
Place the cursor to 0:00 You can move the camera freely on your previous screen. Position the camera to the start point and press the big Film Slate at the bottom of the sequencer.
You will see small orbs 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 route. 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 an orb by clicking on it, then at the bottom center of the Camera Sequencer 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.
You can manually edit the values and the ease and slope of all points if you need, 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:
