Camera help

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chaz
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Camera help

Post by chaz »

Hi,

I want to do a zoom in on my characters and have the ability to change the size of the frame (the blue frame where the characters are) without the characters or background changing with it. Every time i try to zoom or track camera it moves all my characters with it. How do i stop that?

Thanks,

C
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slowtiger
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Re: Camera help

Post by slowtiger »

You just have to think the other way round: the blue reference frame is always there, and the content is changing size and position. If you move the camera, the content moves in relation to the reference frame.
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chaz
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Re: Camera help

Post by chaz »

The problem is, it makes it very hard to do a genuine close zoom in to the face of the character (it clearly shows that that character is enlarging and it involves having to re position the character etc). I have seen videos on youtube of people moving the blue frame instead of the character which would be much better as i don't have to move the character. Perhaps it's only something you can do on a specific version of anime studio pro?
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Hoptoad
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Re: Camera help

Post by Hoptoad »

I'm having a hard time understanding your question. You want a "genuine close zoom" on a character's face, but you don't want the character "enlarging"?
chaz
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Re: Camera help

Post by chaz »

Exactly, i want to be able to move the blue frame around my characters without actually moving the character. I want to be able to zoom the camera in rather than zooming in by enlarging the entire character. Every time i move the camera it moves the character rather than the frame around the character, do you know what i mean? It makes it very hard to animate zoom ins.
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Greenlaw
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Re: Camera help

Post by Greenlaw »

I'm not exactly sure what you mean but I'll take a guess. But first, let's make sure we're using correct terminology:

Zoom is a lens effect. For example, the camera is stationary and you zoom the lens. This makes it appear you're getting closer the subject but nothing is actually moving in z-space.

Track (or dolly) is when you physically move the camera.

If you want to Zoom, use the Zoom Camera tool. This manipulates the lens and leaves the camera itself in place. Now, is the issue that you want to zoom in but the camera doesn't zoom in where you want? The camera will always zoom to exactly what's in front of it. If it's not zooming where you want, you need to also physically rotate the camera so it winds up pointing at what you wish to zoom in on. You can use Roll Camera or Pan/Tilt Camera to do this. (This is where I wish we had IK controls for the camera like many 3D animation programs have.)

BTW, if the camera itself doesn't move along z, there is no parallax, so the effect is generally the same as scaling what the camera sees. This means multiplane effects will be ineffective.

If you actually want parallax, you need to physically move the camera. For this, don't use the Zoom Camera tool, use Track Camera. Track Camera will push the camera toward the layer you want to get closer to. You probably won't need to rotate the camera but if you want to, use the Roll or Pan/Tilt Camera tools. When you move the camera like this, parallax will affect what it sees, and any multplane layers you've set up will have real physical depth.

Generally, you don't want to combine zooms and camera motion at the same time. This can cause weird results...which can be pretty cool if that's what you want. (Think Hitchcock's Vertigo, or Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits.)

Hope this helps. If it doesn't, you need to post an example of the problem.
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synthsin75
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Re: Camera help

Post by synthsin75 »

Greenlaw wrote:Generally, you don't want to combine zooms and camera motion at the same time. This can cause weird results...which can be pretty cool if that's what you want. (Think Hitchcock's Vertigo, or Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits.)
Image
chaz
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Re: Camera help

Post by chaz »

Hi! Thanks for getting back to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTuZBqFmqnE - on this link if you skip to 1 minute 14 seconds (1:14) you'll see when he uses the zoom camera function (f5) and the track camera function (4) that it only moves the blue frame and not the actual characters. When i use the track camera or zoom function, rather than moving the blue frame it move the actual characters.

I'm not sure how to post images from my side otherwise I would to show in greater detail what i mean.

Thanks,

C
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synthsin75
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Re: Camera help

Post by synthsin75 »

If all your layers are at the same z-depth, like in that video, it should behave the same.
chaz
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Re: Camera help

Post by chaz »

And sorry if this is an obvious question but how do i ensure all my layers are at the same Z-depth?
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Greenlaw
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Re: Camera help

Post by Greenlaw »

chaz wrote:And sorry if this is an obvious question but how do i ensure all my layers are at the same Z-depth?
Hi Chaz,

Two ways:

1. Select a layer and check its z-position in the tool options bar. Then compare this value with the z-position of other layers.

Or...

2. Use the Orbit tool to look at the workspace from a different angle. Like this, for example:

Image

Tip: When using the Oribit tool, sometimes the lens will be too wide, making it difficult to look the scene in a meaningful way. To compensate, press Alt and push the scene away from you. This will 'flatten out' the scene. Now use the mouse wheel to zoom in. Mouse zooming will bring you closer into the scene while maintaining the long lens setting. Now you should be able to use Orbit more easily around the scene. (This is what I had to do to get the Orbit view in the above pic.)

Hope this helps.
Last edited by Greenlaw on Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Hoptoad
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Re: Camera help

Post by Hoptoad »

In my mind, the blue frame is a portal, connecting me in my chair to a vast emptiness of nothing. I add things to the nothing, like shapes and images. And then I click buttons to move the things. But the portal never moves.

I assumed everybody thought like this. But maybe I'm wrong.

Perhaps try rethinking about what the blue rectangle represents. Maybe you're overcomplicating your perception of the interface.

Zoom only makes things bigger...in your mind.
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Greenlaw
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Re: Camera help

Post by Greenlaw »

That blue frame is actually the camera's view...at least when the workspace is in 'camera' mode, which is most of the time. It may seem to not move because it always 'moves' with the camera. When you use zoom, you're adjusting the lens so it may appear to move but you're only changing how the camera sees the scene.

The only time this view is not the camera view is when you orbit away from the camera, as shown above. Then you're looking at the scene from your pov. But of course even then, Moho is still going to render only what the camera sees (the blue box) and not necessarily what you're seeing.

For example, in the image above, if I tell Moho to render the scene, it's always going to render the left panel's view (camera), not the right panel, even if I close the left panel.
Last edited by Greenlaw on Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:19 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Hoptoad
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Re: Camera help

Post by Hoptoad »

Interesting stuff, Greenlaw. Thanks. I've been limiting myself to the X and Y dimensions. But now you've got me thinking about Z.
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