Motioning for animating???

[AMkyle]

Hey when your animating say a story on a choreography how do you get the camera to move, for example if someones walking around a corner of the street how do you get the camera to move with him.

[Rodney]

Hi Kyle,

 

There are several methods you can use.

- You can move the camera in time (you'll want to set keyframes correctly or it won't move as you'd like)

- You can apply the camera to a path

- You can constrain the camera to an object or character

- You can create the camera right inside the object or character

- Something I'm forgetting here

 

Stationary Camera

- Select the Camera

- Right Click and add an 'Aim At' constraint

- Make the object or character the camera's Target

 

Camera on a Path

If you want to put the camera on a Path (which I assume you may want to as you round the corner):

- Create your path

- Select your Camera and Right click

- Apply a Constrain to Path (See 'Take a Walk' Exericise in TaoA:M for how to do this)

- Make sure your Camera is still selected

- Apply a 'Aim At' constraint where the target is the object or character you want the Camera to follow.

 

Multiple Cameras and/or Shots

You may find that just placing the camera or cutting the sequence into different parts will work better.

Think... Shot 1.... Shot 2... Shot 3. Then add all the separate shots together in another Choreography (As Rotoscopes).

Try some simple tests to explore your options.

 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, let us know what discover!

[NancyGormezano]

Depending on what you want - you can apply all of these constraints to the camera (using compensate mode with each):

 

translate to (character model)

orient like (character model)

aim at (character model)

 

then when the character's model bone moves, the camera will always follow. Unfortunately the model will always be in the relatively same position in the camera view and it might look a little obvious.

 

try a simple case just to get the feel.

 

Then you might try instead, constraining the camera to a null that is in the vicinity of your model and use that as your focal point (rather than the model). Then you would also have to animate the null. But could have more interesting variation in how things looked thru the camera.

[Rodney]

Then you might try instead, constraining the camera to a null that is in the vicinity of your model and use that as your focal point (rather than the model). Then you would also have to animate the null. But could have more interesting variation in how things looked thru the camera.

 

I like this suggestion Nancy.

If you can, definitely target a Null instead of a character.

 

This will free the camera to look exactly where you want it to look.

Something that will be much harder if you target the Character itself.

You could then constrain the Null to the Character if necessary.