Animation Tools
dash2128
Posts: 690
I noticed there was a product (360 Rotating Turntable Animations) that permitted one to rotate an object (or character)- which is great, because one can capture animation around the object, or simply all sides of it, and add text. But I haven't located any product that helps one zoom in on the object/character or do a 'sweep-around', things like that.
Are there any?
If not, how are such effects achieved in DS? (I've done it with the mouse, but it can be somewhat tedious and shaky.)
(I've used the aniblocks to get different shots of characters- for example- running towards the camera; but I'd like to accomplish some zooms and sweep-arounds. ...also...on the side...does anyone know of a control that operates better than a mouse dial, for zooming in and out (and moving left or right) - operations like that. It can take forever in DS, with an ordinary mouse.)
Zooming and creating smooth sweep-arounds would be nice, if there was a product that would help. (or some controls in DS itself, that helped. Information on the techniques would also be useful, escpecially if there is no product help.)
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Comments
@ How do I orbit the camera on one axis only?
1. create a null object for camera focus
2. select the camera under Parameters General > Misc group you can find Point At - set it to point at the null object
3. place or parent the null object to anything you like in the scene the camera will always focus on the null
4. you now can select the camera in the viewport and use the default 3D scene navigation - the camera will orbit around the null focus now
5. you can also select the null and translate it with the universal tool while looking thru the camera so the camera will follow
6. select the camera go to Parameters Transforms and lock the desired rotation axis parameter so the camera dont rotate in that direction anymore
Then you can use the Timeline to create keyframes for the camera rotation. But you have to translate the camera on the x-axis sideways (the rotations are locked and controled by the Point-At for now). To do a smooth 360° rotation would still be a challange. First I would create another null translate it somewhat on the -z axis for the distance (translate y in relation to the camera focus null for the height is a matter of taste) to mark the start point of the camera and parent the camera to the start point null with "parent in place off" (options menu Scene pane) so it snaps to the exact location of the null. Then set "parent in place on" and unparent the camera now try out how far you have to translate x in one direction untill you reach the start point again. Even if this sounds very thought out you have to test it because I'm only guessing how this could be done. So I don't take any resposibility for sea sickness, disorientation or frustration.
changing Mouse Button Modifiers to Navigate more easily in the 3D Space while your MouseCusor stays over the Viewport:
What only "on the side"
the 3D Scene navigation in the preview window is the most important part while working with 3D content and used all the time. I always scratch my head if I see people in tutorial videos using the view controls on the right upper corner beside the Cube to change the perspective. How time consuming and tedious. Sometimes I think its just theier inablility to work with both hands the same time. If you are used to First Person Shooter Navigation WASD (Edit: customized not default
Shift+Kto activate) you can use that but for me its more anoing than helpful.Before I even get used to work with DazStudio I got my 3D navigation setup like I'm used to with other 3D programs (in ZBrush everything to change 3D perspective works with the Alt key and I managed to teach Blender to do the same - now I can switch my work with the programs without even thinking of how to navigate the view).
To change keyboard shortcuts you can go to Main Menu: Window>Workspace>Customize
In the bottom section of the dialogue you can see the Viewport Shortcuts: View Controls
I think by default the Mouse Button Modifiers for Orbit is set to Ctrl+Alt+LeftMouse but I like it to be Alt+LeftMouse like I''m used to in other Programs.
I have changed most of the Mouse Button Modifiers there to work with holding down Alt. But you will be warned that some of the key+mouse combinations I use are allready mapped to something else to control in the Geomerty Editor or the WeightMap Brush - but I dont miss them - I'm so used to press the Alt key while my mouse is over the viewport (after a few years now the Alt key even lost its label
).
The most time I use:
In depth view of the Keyboard+Mouse ShortCutKeys in the DazStudio Config File "actions.dsx"
Here you see the ViewControls section of the ...Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio4\actions.dsx (this Path is Windows specific) that gets modified and you may want to make a backup of before changing anything. DazStudio also offers a Export button at the bottom of the Customize window (then you have too choose what settings you want to export/backup). You can change the Mouse Button Modifiers in the Customize window but the instead of deleting/unbinding the conflicting keyboardshortcut DazStudio will introduce you to a little minigame where you have to be smarter than the progarmers to setup everything like you want to.
May you accept the challange or simply find the "actions.dsx" config file with the file-browser and edit it with a text editor.
You can have any combination of Alt / Ctrl / Shift + LeftMB / MidMB / RightMB.
Here is the Node Weight Map Brush Mouse Button Modifiers I use - the best thing about this is that I can change the brush size with Alt+MouseWheel.
And finaly the Geometry Editor here I cant use "Remove from Selection" anymore because of the conflicts with Orbit - but there are workarounds.
ShotCutKeys for the Timline also working with all Animation Plugins: AniMate2 - KeyMate - GraphMate
Edit: [PS] You doing Animations - maybe change your keys for faster workflow with that also see @Keyboard shortcuts...
Oh wow just found this, very nice - Thanks!
Tryed to change keyboard shortcuts recently and it works but not like sayed under the Customize Actions list I found the "Animation" entry - there you can find all the usefull stuff like Step To Pevious/Next Frame.
Then right-click Change Keyboard Shortcut: I set it to be the left and right ArrowKeys not linked to anything - for one frame forward/reverse - skip to the keyframes is PageUp/Down and Space key is Play/Pause now Im happy
- should be set like this by default.
BTW tested it for all Plugins and it works with all: Timeline, Keymate, Graphmate and Animate2.
[Edit]: Changed text formating for better readability
I just noticed this, thank you!
I will go over it in closer detale.
Speaking of actions like sweep-arounds...Is there a better way to ZOOM than just using the mouse dial?
My own zooms have been pretty shaky. I wish there was a product that helped out with these actions. Turntable save me some time. But these 3- turning, sweeping and zooming- are what I am trying to accomplish. Mastering the techniques (and getting what product help is available), is necessary to my achieving some goals.
Sorry I usualy explain things more complicated than they are. So I made a new screenshot with instructions for everyone to show how to change the Mouse Button Modifiers in the Customize Settings @ Main Menu: Window>Workspace>Customize.
[PS] I know this is a bit complicated but once you setup your Mouse Button Modifiers and keyboard shortcuts as it makes sens to you, you will get used to it by the time and never think of it again. For the beginning it can help to make a note of all the shortcuts on a piece of paper and post it next to your monitor.
BTW even if you change these Mouse Button Modifiers the mousewheel scroll zoom will still be available.
With turning you propably mean turn the Camera/Perspective View in the Viewport like turning your head. In the DS Customize Dialogue: Mouse Button Modifiers: its called Rotate Camera.
If you use my settings try this: Ctrl+Alt+LeftMouseButton+MoveMouse
its defined in line:
With sweeping you propably mean Orbit Camera, while its best to first select something in the scene then use the Frame Selection action (I think its the F key by default - but I set it to be Ctrl+F like Im used to in Blender).
Frame Selection
The selection can be a Figure root node or a bodypart / bone even the eyes have bones (does this sound creepy
).
You can also use Frame Selection on a Null object or if you switch to the Geometry Editor Tool you can select a single Polygon and even use Frame Selection on that selection.
Zoom without MouseWheel
Oh I just noticed I made a mistake as I wrote:
this is related to the Dolly Camera Movement as it is defined here:
The Dolly Camera Movement will also move sideways if you dont move the mouse straight Up-Down. Maybe you meant that by saying your mouse zooms are pretty shaky.
For only Zoom (Dolly) I use this one (its Ctrl+Shift+RightMouseButton+MoveMouseUp-Down)
But maybe its better to have something easier to remember like Alt+MiddleMouseButton+MoveMouseUp-Down to zoom.
Therfore the line should look like this:
[PS] now I've changed my settings for the sake of usablility.
I'm on the run, but I Just noticed your reply, and was able to bring up 4.9 for a minute- Thank you for the additional help!
Camera Tracker: with Poit At Null Object for dynamic Camera Focus including Rigid Follow Nodes
A moment ago an idea came throu my mind an I like to explain you what I mean.
create Null Object and Camera
1. create a new Null Object and name it maybe "Null_Focus_Camera_1"
2. create a new Camera "Camera_1"
3. select Camera_1 go to Parameters pane Property Group: General>Misc select Point At Property - choose Null_Focus_Camera_1
creat Rigid Follow Node
4. select your Figure in the Scene switch to the Geometry Editor Tool - make a Selection on the Figure with the Polygon Selection
5. Right-Click the Viewport and in the menu select Geomety Assignment>Create Rigid Follow Node From Selected
Setup the Scene
6. go to Scene pane Options Menu and set Parent Items In Place to OFF (see "Drag and Drop Option" to use Drag&Drop in Scene pane to (re)Parent nodes and also let the selection snap to the center position / Transform Properties of the node you parented it to)
7. go to Scene pane select Null_Focus_Camera_1 and parent it with Drag&Drop on to the "Rigid Follow Node 1" (Null_Focus_Camera_1 should snap to the position of Rigid Follow Node 1 now)
See the final Scene Setup ScreenShot with instructions to deal with the Camera Z Rotate issue... I call this rolling (leaning sideways) while using Point At
The Figure_cube and the Polygon Selection with the three Polygons on the corner is a boring example (I was a bit lazy), but imagin you can create Rigid Follow Nodes for example on the tip of a genesis Figures Nose and change that Camera Focus to the tip of a finger during Animation.
The Rigid Follow Nodes have the advantage that they even follow the Morphs and Character Shapes applied on a Figure.
To make it simple you can skip the Rigid Follow Nodes and use the (Re-)Parent with snaping the Null_Focus_Camera_1 to the Figures Bones positions instead.
That is interestsing, I'm taking some screenshots, so I can look it more closely.
Pardon me, please, if I sound distracted. I'm trying to get my old Bryce content set up again, so I can move some of it into my daz work file.
I almost have it done. I installed Bryce in the path: Computer>C:>Program Files (X86)>Daz3d.
....It seems that the DM installation path for Bryce product content is: Computer>C:>Program Files (X86)>Daz3d>Bryce7>Presets>Content (I set that, then installed)
But when I try to Import my Bryce product (Bryce Space Port, for example.), I only receive the 'No items match search' pop-up. (attachment)
I'm doing something wrong, because when I try to open or import the Content- more specifically, when I reach the end of the path chain-,nothing is there to open; and the pop-up window comes up.
Anyway, I've got to fix that, before I can work on much else.
So can a character replace the null object, then? (I haven't taken a closer look, yet. I think I'll print it out.)
I've updated the Camera Tracker Post with a new ScreenShot and Info.
Click on the Attachments to get a HighRes view in the Browser.
Sorry I cant help you with Bryce - I dont know is there a Bryce section in this Forum?
Maybe search for an Export OBJ WaveFront File option in Bryce or see what other Export Formats it offers.
As far as I know you cant open Bryce content with the DazStudio Content Library.
There is a Forum, here that deals with Bryce. I placed a post there, but I'm having to wade through my lack of knowledge to understand what their saying, as I generally use DazStudio.
I'll take a look at the new info. I have a busy weekend starting up, so I'll have to squeeze it in.
Thank you, and hope you have a good weekend of your own.