Back to Setting Up Billboards in Virtual Camera Compounds
Introduction
The CAMERAS control board will be automatically added to the Aximmetry Composer Menu after importing any camera compound to your project.
Control Board Content
Depending on the compound, the number of panels, lines, and buttons might change, but generally, in all camera compounds, you will find the following:
Select Camera
The buttons allow you to change between virtual camera views by selecting them. The selected virtual camera's image will be visible on the Out and Preview pins of the compound.
The number of buttons depends on the camera compound you imported. This can be 3, 4, or 8.
Parameters
Here, you can select if the camera's view should be rendered locally or with a Multi-Machine remotely.
Preview Monitor Content
Let you change what is displayed on the Preview output (of the VirtualCam compound):
Program
This will put the program's (final) output in the Preview.
NOTE: In this case, the content displayed on the Out pin and Preview pin of the VirtualCam compound will be the same.
Matrix
This will display a matrix view on the Preview. The Matrix view consists of the Virtual Cameras (3, 4, or 8) and the Program out.
NOTE: In the case of a 4-cam compound, there is no Program out on the Matrix view.
NOTE: In the case of Aximmetry rendered scenes, only the currently selected camera will be rendered at the highest quality. The other preview cameras are default rendered at a lower quality. This is to save performance.
NOTE: In the case of Unreal-rendered scenes, the virtual scene will only be visible on the program output. Additional preview outputs can only show the billboards' images. To see the complete scene on every output of the Matrix view, you must use a Multi-Machine setup.
Cam 1,2,3...
This will display the selected camera on the Preview.
Parameters
Preview Height
Sets the height of all non-selected camera previews in Matrix view. You can define the height in pixels.
Matrix Gap
Adds a gap between the previews in Matrix view. You can define the gap in pixels.
Matrix Camera Number
Specifies the number of camera views (Cam 1, Cam 2, Cam 3, etc.) to be shown in the Matrix view option.
NOTE: For mixed camera setups, this parameter is separated into "Matrix V CAM Number" for virtual cameras and "Matrix T CAM Number" for tracked cameras.
Matrix Show Program
Displays the program output in the Matrix view.
Antialias
Adds antialiasing to the various preview views. Can be None, 2x, 4x, or 8x.
Full Resolution Preview
Previews are by default rendered at lower resolutions than the final output. This is to save GPU time. However, you can set the preview to full resolution (same as the Program output).
HDR Render
Toggles HDR render on the preview.
Show Name
Specifies the additional information displayed on the label at the top left of each camera view.
The available options are None, CAM, INPUT, and INPUT and CAM.
"CAM" refers to the camera name, as set by the Cam 1,2,3... Name parameters, while "INPUT" refers to the input's Name.
Changes made here will be reflected both in the top left text of the Preview Monitor Content and in the ON Screen Info label.
NOTE: Multiple input names might be displayed for a single camera view, as you can assign multiple inputs to be visible for one camera in the VISIBILITY panel.
NOTE: In the tracked camera workflow, there is no input name displayed, as the tracked camera's input always matches the camera.
Font Size
Sets the font size of the label at the top left.
Font Color
Sets the color of the label at the top left.
By adjusting the alpha value, you can change the transparency of the label's background. If the font color is too dark, the background will automatically change from black to white for better readability.
When not using the Program view, the label's background will turn red if the current camera view matches the Select Camera.
Cam 1,2,3... Name
Allows customization of each camera view's name. Changes made here will be reflected both in the top left text of the Preview Monitor Content and in the ON Screen Info label.
NOTE: In the tracked camera workflow, this also sets the name displayed in the MONITOR views.
Show Engine
Displays the Cam Engine of the currently viewed camera when using a Multi-Machine setup.
On-Screen Information
Displays information on the Preview output by adding additional overlays. All of these buttons can be turned on simultaneously.
Info
Displays the following information on the preview output:
CAM: Can show the currently selected camera's name and input(s). The exact text displayed (instead of "CAM") is determined by the Show Name and Cam 1,2,3... Name parameters in the Preview Monitor Output panel.
PATH: The currently played virtual camera path. Then the value separated by “-” indicates the remaining time of the camera path, in seconds.
Lens
Displays the following information on the preview output:
FOV: The current Field-of-View value of the camera.
FOC: The current focus distance of the camera. Then the value separated by “-” is the aperture’s f-number.
Safe
It places a safe area mark on the selected camera on the Preview.
NOTE: Notice the two white frames close to the edge of the image.
SDI
Displays detailed technical SDI input information on the Preview:
This display will also indicate whether the program output is genlocked. For more information, see: Genlock Aximmetry Video Output
Parameters
Font Size
Sets the size of the text.
Font Color
Sets the color of the text.
By adjusting the alpha value, you can change the transparency of the label's background. If the font color is too dark, the background will automatically change from black to white for better readability.
Show on Program
All selected on-screen info will also be displayed on the final Program output.
Show on Preview
All selected on-screen info will also be displayed on the Preview output.
Show Matte SDI
Displays SDI information of the external keyer's SDI input.
NOTE: Displayed only when SDI is turned on at the ON SCREEN panel.
Show Warning
Displays various warnings or error messages on both the Preview and Out (final) outputs when set to On Preview and Out.
These warnings are not affected or related to the other settings or buttons in the ON SCREEN panel.
Streaming
Use this panel to start your stream directly from Aximmetry. More on streaming here:
Edit Camera Path
Virtual camera compounds allow you to create custom virtual camera movements.
To read more on creating, editing, and sequencing camera paths, here:
Camera & Render Setup
Play Mode
Selected by default. When this is enabled, the virtual camera will move according to the path selected.
Camera Movement Controls
Stop, pause, and play camera movement.
External Control Mode
Select this feature if you want to change cameras or camera paths externally.
In order to do this, navigate to the FLOW editor and find the camera compound. You will find input pins starting with the word Playlist...
You can connect the external controller to these pins.
Playlist Select Cam will change cameras
Playlist Cam 1 Path will change the camera path for CAM 1
etc.
Free Camera Mode
Select this function to move the camera freely in the scene. You can use the camera mover mouse control. By default, you can move the camera in any preview window (This can be changed, but more on this in the Pin Values chapter).
None of the camera paths will apply; the camera will stay in place.
Parameters
Edit On Channel
Here, you can limit which channels (preview and output) the cameras can be moved on. 0 = editable in all channels.
Capture Default
By default, the origin of the scene is the default position of the free camera if you reset it. With this feature, you can define the current position of the free camera as the default.
NOTE: This default position is also exposed on the camera compound in the Flow Editor as an input pin named Default Cam Pos.
Reset Free Cam
Reset the free cam to the default position.
CAM Motion Rate
Camera movement speed when moving the Free camera or when editing camera paths.
CAM Zoom Rate
Camera zoom speed when zooming with the Free camera or when editing camera paths.
CAM Rotation Rate
Camera rotation speed when rotating with the Free camera or when editing camera paths.
Detwitter
Turn ON to apply a soft vertical blur on interlaced video in order to get rid of twittering. Only works if the video output is interlaced.
Sharpen
Sharpens the output video.
Continue to Virtual Camera Movements
Once you have learned about the basics of the Cameras Control Board, you can move on to setting up the Virtual Cameras:
