Hi All, I’m sorry but here comes another camera-path problem/question.
I want that cemara follow my path + in some path section I want to rotate the camera - quite simple. (I was trying to find some tutorial but I really have found only complex stuff).
My first problem is that when I create path and put it as a constraint to my camera - my camera does not move (plus the ‘const’ field turns in red colour) image 1. When I change axis the camera moves (image 2) but the camera does not direct to the the direction I want - why? what am I doing wrong?
My second problem is the camera rotation when it is following a path, how can I do that?Many thanks for your help
the easiest way to get the camera to follow the path:
select the camera
shift select the path (in that order)
Shift+P (select follow path)
then select your camera and clear the location and origin
Alt+O
Alt+G
if you want the camera to rotate with the path (like a roller coaster)
make sure you have curve follow and curve path are selected
and change the tracking on the camera to make it face the direction you want
if anything is unclear just ask and I will explain further
Hi, millions of thanks - the camera now moves ;). But I dont understand the second ‘rotation’ technic. Please can you describe it a bit more? (have curve follow and curve path selected? change tracking?)
thank you in advance… :RocknRoll:
check the curve follow and follow path with the Path selected
in the edit buttons (F9)
change the tracking with the camera selected
in the object buttons (F7)
track to is the axis you want to face forward
and up - is the axis you want to face up
hi, many thanks…but maybe we didnt understand. In some sections of the path I want to rotate the camera as I want. More details in the attached picture…
There is an easy way to achieve smooth camera motion and rotation without using a path object. Just add an Empty to the scene, select the camera, then shift-select the Empty, then press Ctrl-T and choose “TrackTo constraint” from the menu. Now the camera will always face the Empty.
To program the camera path and focus, just navigate to a particular frame, move the camera to the position where you want it to be at this point in time, move the Empty to the position that you want the camera to look at, then insert location keyframes for both the camera and the Empty. By default, transitions between keyframes will be controlled by bezier curves, i.e. camera motion and rotation will be smooth, like a 3D steadycam shot.
The advantage over using path objects is that you can easily control the speed of camera motion along the path, i.e. you can also make the camera halt for a moment or even flip its position from one frame to the next so it looks like switching to another camera. You can move the keyframes back and forth in the IPO window to adjust the timing and sync it with some other action in the scene.
thank you. This was the technic I used at the begynning but then I thought that the ‘path following technic’ might be a bit faster…but maybe not for my type of animation…
Hi miroslav,
there is a simple solution at your question:
setup the camera, the path e the constrain, with follow path etc and (to the camera) ALT+O ALT+G
set an empty where you want the camera look through
select the camera, then the empty and CTRL+T and choose TrackTo Constrain
Et Voilà!
you just have both the advantage of path and automatic rotation of point of view
good blender
MoX
p.s. (sorry for my bad english)
