Camera/light circle around an object

[wildcard]

I'm fooling around with the lights and camera to get a better feel in how to use them fast and easy and tried to have them circle around static object (model)

 

With both the light/camera I through I could easily draw a circle path around my object and have aim at the object to keep it centered all the time. But both don't seem to want to snap to the path and attach them selfs to it.

 

I've tried manually setting up the camera/light to do a circle motion around an object but this is very time consuming or at least the way I'm doing it.

I'm pretty sure there is an easy way to move the camera/lights around in a fluent circle motion

 

Searched around looking for a guide but came up empty handed.

 

Are there any guides?

[Fuchur]

I'm fooling around with the lights and camera to get a better feel in how to use them fast and easy and tried to have them circle around static object (model)

 

With both the light/camera I through I could easily draw a circle path around my object and have aim at the object to keep it centered all the time. But both don't seem to want to snap to the path and attach them selfs to it.

 

I've tried manually setting up the camera/light to do a circle motion around an object but this is very time consuming or at least the way I'm doing it.

I'm pretty sure there is an easy way to move the camera/lights around in a fluent circle motion

 

Searched around looking for a guide but came up empty handed.

 

Are there any guides?

 

An easy way to archieve this is to create a model, rightclick on it in the pws and choose *new >light*. Go to bones mode to see the light and place it at the needed distance from the object pivot (0/0/0). Bring the object to the chor and rightclick on it. Choose new > constraint > translate to and deselect everything. Select the object again and use an orient like constraint. (can be found at the same place as translate to). Now you can rotate the object very easily around the object.

 

You have two possibilities now. One is using an action one is using post interpolation in the timelinewindow.

 

Action:

Create a new action in the pws using the model with the light in it. In the actionwindow go to sceletal mode and animate one circle of rotation. Now drag and drop the action onto the shortcut of the model in the chor using the pws. In the properties of the actionshortcut you can then use the repeat value to let it repeat as often as needed.

 

-----+------------------

 

Postinterpolation:

In the chor you can animate the object by rotating it and move the light in a circle very easily. After one circle you can go to the timeline window. Now make sure that you have selected the object and you are in the rotate mode. Rightclick on the channel with the desired rotation axis and choose *post interpolation>repeat*.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[HomeSlice]

Fuchur's method should work well, and it is pretty easy to set up.

Another way is to create a new Null.

Place the Null in the chor.

Right-click on a light in the chor and choose New Constraint > Translate To, and pick the Null with the picker.

Deselect the light.

Then choose the light again, right-click and choose New Constraint > Aim At, and pick the Null with the picker.

Now you can move the Null anywhere you want, such as to the same location as the object you want to light, and the light will move with the Null and aim at it.

If you want the light to rotate around the Null, just rotate the Null.

You can do the same thing with the camera.

 

With both the light/camera I through I could easily draw a circle path around my object and have aim at the object to keep it centered all the time. But both don't seem to want to snap to the path and attach them selfs to it.

You may have forgotten to turn "Compensate Mode" off when choosing the Path Constraint. When the Compensate Mode button is active, offsets are created, which cause the constrained object to maintain its current position. It should still move in a circular motion though when you animate the Ease property on the Path Constraint. When the Compensate Mode button is off when you create a new constraint, no offsets are created, so for example, if you are creating a Path constraint, the object will snap to the starting point on the path.

[John Bigboote]

With both the light/camera I through I could easily draw a circle path around my object and have aim at the object to keep it centered all the time. But both don't seem to want to snap to the path and attach them selfs to it.

 

If you forget to set the 'Compensate Mode' trick, then simply open the 'aim-at' constraint and enter a value of 0,0,0 to all of the offsets... this is the way I always do it because I fell into the bad habit of NEVER using Compensate Mode.

[wildcard]

Multiple way's for my problem. Thanks!

Didn't had much time to set it up yet and test it proper, but I believe I had Fuchur's method working on the first try before AM decided to crash on me. Had one to many crashes to day, so AM is on a Time out and I'm letting my frustration out by killing some Zombies in Left 4 Dead