Animated 3d camera

I have been trying to access the animation of my 3d camera in the pdf simulation but have been unable to get it to display. I have tried with both .3ds and .u3d files.
I have been able to get cameras to come into the pdf as a view but without any animation. Are animated cameras even supported?
Please let me know if anyone has a solution for this problem.

Hi,
When I first used the 3d tracker in afetr effects, I also had very similar problems. I must be honest - it has been a while since I used it again, so I cant remember what I did wrong, or how I fixed it!
I would suggest taking a look at this tutorial:http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/3d-camera-tracker-after-effects/ and then re-trying the other one. You might be able to pick up where you went wrong. Also, keep checking the outcome step by step as you go along (if possible) by adding the camera a little earlier or something - I have not gone through the tutorial you are following, so I dont know if that would be possible, but if it is, you might be able to pick up the step where things go south.
Good luck,
Pierre

Similar Messages

Why no Motion Blur when animating a camera?

I think I'm in trouble. I'm finishing a project where a logo (let's call it a box) was built by creating all the sides using solids, then making these solid layers 3D. I then move the CAMERA around the box. That seemed to be a lot easier than trying to move all the 3D layers in front of a camera.
I cannot get any motion blur effect when the camera moves fast. I've tried numerous settings (and of course have the layers enabled for motion blur). Is it not working because the layers aren't in motion? Can I acheive motion blur by animating a camera around 3D layers?

Thanks, but I do have motion blur on for the composition and the layers and the render queue. There is no "switch" to turn motion blur on for a camera layer, and of course no 3D switch for a camera because it's inherently 3D.
I used various motion blur (advanced) composition settings, as well as adjusting the camera's apature, fstop, focal length, focal distance, etc. Can't seem to get any motion blur effect. The camera occasionally whip-pans, slows down, speeds up - so it's certainly moving fast enough.
Just wondering if I should have created a Null layer, parent it to the camera and animate the Null because that does have switches for 3D and motion blur.
Why wouldn't motion blur show when animating a camera around an object?

How can I add 3ds Model into After Effects with animation and camera rotation?

Hi all!
I'm on my way to my final project of Multimedia Animation of my bachelor last year.
I have good knowledge of After Effects & 3ds Max.
I want to do a short movie with aliens being shot down.
So, my question is: How can I import my 3ds model with the animation(keyframes) into After Effects AND rotate the whole character and it's animation as I move the camera?
for example, having a alien being shot down at the same time I'm recording with the HD camera around, that means that I have to define planes and angles, the problem is that I'm not parenting the character correctly with the plane.

Element doesn't do pre-anaimted objects, so that would be the limiting factor. Of course it could still be handy for otehr scene elements. On that note, using AtomKraft and exporting the model as an Alembic file with animation might also be something to look into...
Mylenium

Animating the Camera in AE

For years and years I tried to animate the camera in AE.
I MUST deactivate the 2 node option or I'll burst into a rage within 2 minutes.
And the auto orient too.
I tried parenting to a null, with and without split coordinates.
The null isn't really on the same spot as the camera when youy start.
I don't know if that is the reason but the movement gets nervous: no good angle and position interaction.
I tried using the numeric sliders.
Tiresome fiddling, as the system sticks to world coordinates when you do that.
I tried the unifified cameratool.
It seems so luxurious, until you try tweak things and discover the orient system creates bogus curves.
I tried swith between world-, local- and view axis.
That system doesn't work at all.
Nothing happens.
I'd like to meet the camera system designer.
Have a word.
The ONLY way I get reasonable and fast plus predictable 3D animations in AE is when Imparent EVERY object to a master null and animate that.
Perfect moves, great angle and position integration.
Only this is so lame, so not professional.
Can't Adobe just copy the lightwave camera engine?

I made a large map. The camera looks down. I wanna land in an angle close up and then move over the map.
As I land, the map completely rotates out of the view.
Extra keyframes introduces horrible wonks.
I tried every system.
Parenting to a null caused weird wonks right away when landing.
Then I just parented ALL OBJECTS to a null.
Zero problems.
The only thing you need to know, is that position keyframes must be set on linear in their spatial curve, when they act up.
It took me months to find out about that. Terrible waste of heart tissue.
I totally had it with the AE camera.
There is NO WAY I'm ever gonna master it.
After trying ALL these years, I think I'm done.
I'll stick to the stupid parenting method, as that seems to be the ONLY predictable and controllable method for me.
I think the inconsistencies between temporal and spatial interpolation are the biggest problem, plus the stupid absolute axi.
A very sad moment; I've actually given up.
My only hope is a development of a relative camera control from the viewport, with translating axi which makes the camera a constant origin.
Fiddle free, like in lightwave. I can't get the hang of the AE system.
Further more, the need for dimension splitting to get to the tangent handles is also irritating.
Not to mention the value tangent handles act nasty half of the time too.
This is supposed to be an animation tool. It's more like a collection of workarounds.
Doesn't anybody over at Adobe see this?

How do you stop the camera adjusting itself in 3D?

It's my first time at after effects, and when using 3D text with a camera tied to a null object, after the camera moves over my text, I want the X rotation, Y rotation and position to change to focus on the next piece of text which is somewhere else. This works fine, however it automatically moves the camera between keyframes in a strange pattern, which takes away from the sharpness I was trying to create and I don't know why it's happening. Does anyone know how to stop this?

stever951 wrote:
...when using 3D text with a camera tied to a null object, after the camera moves over my text, I want the X rotation, Y rotation and position to change to focus on the next piece of text which is somewhere else. This works fine, however it automatically moves the camera between keyframes in a strange pattern, which takes away from the sharpness I was trying to create and I don't know why it's happening. Does anyone know how to stop this?
For starters, you can look at these recent podcasts on the Creative COW about animating cameras:
http://podcasts.creativecow.net/after-effects-tutorials-podcast/animating-a-camera-1
http://podcasts.creativecow.net/after-effects-tutorials-podcast/animating-a-camera-2
http://podcasts.creativecow.net/after-effects-tutorials-podcast/animating-a-camera-3
To answer your immediate problem, you need to change the null's Bezier Path. Go to a keyframe. Find the keyframe's Bezier Handles. Adjust 'em.
But here's what's got me really worried: you're jumping into the deep end of the pool, and you're wearing lead shoes! Here's what I mean:
stever951 wrote:
It's my first time at after effects
Wow, now there's a red flag if there ever was one! In order to avoid confusion and frustration, go here:
http://blogs.adobe.com/toddkopriva/2010/01/getting-started-with-after-eff.html

Blurred text with camera movements

Hi All
I am sure that someone has solved this matter, but I couldn't find any post to it. I am animating my camera in which it moves fast towards a text and beyond it. Unfortunately, when I come close to the text, it blurs & pixelate. My first thought was to adjust the focal length of the camera, but there is no settings for that, is there? Then I played with the NEAR settings but they don't really address the issue, they merely give me an option to cheat a bit. Then I saw I can 'rasterize' the text layer in motion, again I am not aware of the settings being in motion, and NOW I am about to try Photoshop rasterized test and import the file into motion. So please stop me from further experimentation and share a clue or two o how to avoid the text burring when I move the camera towards it. Thanks in advance.

Cheers Mark. Thanks.
In fact, I thought when you export the sequence, it would set it automatically to high, but it doesn't. Now, I know ... and for everyone out there, in case you didn't know, you can leave the render quality even low while you are designing the sequence, but don't forget to set it to high before you export.

Extracted C4D Camera data from Cineware does not align.

My fault for not trying a simple scene in C4D and making sure this would work.
But alas, I spent the better part of the day animating a Camera (using the CSTools DocuCam setup) in Cinema. It's excatly how I want it. The camera rig is parented to a null which is simply changing its position around the scene. I'm also keyframing a target null that the DocuCam is following. The DocuCam has several xpressions that cause it to "wiggle" and quickly zoom in and out to give a handheld feel.
First attempt, I brought in the C4d (r14) file into AECC and hit Extract Camera data. Solo'd out just the DocuCam (the currently selected camera in the C4D source file), and added a Solid to the Comp. Scrubbed through the timeline to see if it moved away from the Camera as expected, and it is totally misaligned. The camera doesn't rotate or perform any of the same movement as it did in C4d.
I also tried baking all the keyframes for each of the elements in the c4d file, and re-import. Not any better. All the frames for the camera do import (without the nulls, etc), but again, it looks like I'd have to muck around with some nulls in AE to (maybe) get everything to align.
Hoping I'm missing some obvious solution to the problem, or my expectations are out of whack.
It will be annoying to have to CameraTrack my 3D rendered scene, when I have all that data in C4D.
Other attempts included:
Trying to use an .aec file and that only imported 1 keyframe for the camera, despite the baking method.
Repeat same procedure, this time with External Compositing Tags attached to the camera and assoc layers. Even attached it to a dummy object (Cube) in front of the camera and tag'd it.
Crazy project, super deadline, thought this would be the right workflow. Any help would be appreciated!
Steve

Hi Rick – I appreciate the advice.
To answer your question, I have the latest version of CC, just released a couple of days ago, and I'm running C4D r14.041 (not Lite).
Just to make sure we are on the same page. I don't want to use the AE camera to affect the Cineware layer. I want to extract the camera from the C4d file, so I have a 3D camera in AE, and can then composite other elements over (or "into") my 3D scene so those layers align visually to whatever we are seeing in the C4D scene.
In fact, I didn't even plan to use the Cineware layer once I got the C4D data, rather planning to render out of C4D an image seq and import back into AE.
Basically, I have a 3D scene of a town, some buildings... then I want to composite some explosions, etc... but don't want to do that in C4D on planes, but would rather do that as separate layers in AE, so I can control effects on those individually, and then color-grade everything together (with the rendered scene below).

How to make it look like the camera is following a zig zagging line

I have an animated video where a person clicks a button and an arrow appears coming out of the right side of the computer. I would like to make it look like the camera follows the arrow as it zooms along a zig zag path and eventually ends at another computer. Does anyone know of any good tutorials for this?
Thanks,
Paul

This is just a matter of keyframes for camera position and point of interest.You are probably not going to find a tutorial that exactly matches your project. Try this:
Open up 2 views, one active camera, one top view.
Set a position keyframe for the camera where you want the movement to start.
Drag the point of interest to point at your subject (animated arrow)
Using the top view and setting the CTI (current time indicator) to the end point of the camera move, move the camera's point of interest to the same position as the animated arrow
Still in the top view, move the camera to it's final position
Using the pen tool (keyboard shortcut g) add points to the camera position path and drag them into a zig zag shape using the top view
Selecting the Point of interest in the timeline, adjust the position of the point of interest to follow the arrow as it animates across the screen by moving the CTI and setting new positions.
Another thing you could do would be just to use a lookAt expression for point of interest. This would keep the camera pointed at the arrow.
Hope this helps. Animating a camera is one of the most basic skills an AE artist should have. It takes a bit of practice but it's not hard.

AE Camera, please Behave!

Dear Community,
i'm asking myself since ages why keyframing a camera in AE can become a monstrous fiddling task whenever doing a copmplex animation. i've never achieved a nice camera movement without null objects or workarounds.
tought i'm doing something completely wrong, but watching the tutorial "Creating a Cube World" from Carl Larsen show up on how much AE lacks when it comes to animating a Camera and its coordinates.
so far my insights.
Camera always uses the shortest way inbetween keframes, means the animation that is intended to do that what i've keyframed, renders complete nonsense.
Keyframes always interpolated wrong (spatial), causes movement bouncing back and forth inbetween keyframes (stupid), have to set every keframe maually to linear - easing keyframes is a nightmare plus fiddling around in the graph editor.
Focussing Cameras Depth of field and setting up the Aperture should be a walk in the park but instead it's just goofing around and killing my nerves. it has nothing to do with how a camera really behaves.
i'm pretty shure there are much more issues i glady did not dealt with them yet.
however, so much for my rants here, one goes one more time to to the Ae feature request.
cheers

I just finished a 30 second spot using flat objects in AE's 3D space. The camera had to not only do the usual flying through the scene, it had to pause, pedestal up, pan to see a an object that had been hidden behind a foreground object, resume its flight out a window and then make a elegantly sweeping, banking turn.
I set specific markers hooked to the soundtrack and placed the camera at the necessary positions and orientation/rotation. I set all of those keyframes as holds. There were only six. Then I made duplicates of some, those I knew had ease in-pause-ease out moves to design.
After that, I converted all of them to standard keyframes in pairs and carefully tweaked the flight path into elegant curves mostly using the Custom Views.
One move was particularly difficult so I set hold KFs every 15 frames and then I merely simplified that path.
Things turned out well. It was not particularly difficult because my expectations were set based on my previous exasperation.
bogiesan

Camera Tool isn't working correctly

Hello, i have a question about the camera tool. I just started to work with Ae and i'm confused.
I want to make Textanimation. The first scene works good, i have animated the camera movement and set all the keyframes.
But now i can't move the camera anymore. No matter what camera tool i use, the image stays the same?
I assume it's just a little error, one checkbox maybe, but i can't figure out how to fix it!
So, can you help me please?

I don't know if this is helpful... But when i try to move the camera in the window nothing happens.

Question about a camera/web-cam

Hi,
Does best buy sell any camera/web-cam/security camera that can record to your computer or phone so you can watch it in the morning?
I want to see what my cats are up to during the night when I wake up, if they are being naughty or nice.
Preferably something not that expensive.
A motion sensored one would be good also if they sell any of those.
Ty.

Hmm....
check out this video where VLC uses your webcam to record
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z5c28rd5Wk
Yes, Best Buy has security cameras. Do your research to see if they meet your needs
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/home-security-safety/home-surveillance-cameras/pcmcat254000050005.c?id=p...
check Google Play or iTunes store for possible phone apps.
Will the room be well lit, or totally dark? Many cameras don't work well in the dark. The better ones have an IR or illumination light. In extreme low light, this is my fav camera that records with minimal light assistance. The video is stored on an SD card that you can load onto your computer.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/tlc200-f1-2-time-lapse-and-stop-motion-hd-video-camera-built-in-super-wi...
GoPro's also have an ability to store video for around an hour.
It's amazing the wild naked animal action cameras will capture when you are not around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXVkCkXf5LA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xa0JLPgiPA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT4ikdAS-P0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPZNjtODzFI

Problems with Unified Camera tool

Let me preface this with the fact that I'm very new to After Effects and have been self taught over the last week or so.
Working on creating a 2D-3D fly-through with a landscape photo. Got it set with key-points to fly through the 8 layers from beginning to end, but was working on changing the camera angle at a few points. I was able to use Unified Camera tool to successfully do that, and then all of sudden it stopped working- When I went to click on Unified Camera tool, it shows the icon until I actually click on the screen and then it automatically switches to Orbit Camera tool for some reason. Is there any setting that you know of that I've hit that makes it so that Unified Camera tool won't work?

You have a double post going here. It's very hard to tell what is going on in your composition because we can't see the layer properties of any of your 3D layers.
I'll post a copy of my answer here:
How are you trying to adjust the camera? I think you are probably going about animating a camera along a path using a very awkward and tiresome workflow. By far the easiest way to animate a camera along a path is to place a null at the same position as your camera, parent the camera to a null, then animate the null. Camera path and the angle of the camera can be animated easily by animating the null even if you have a two node camera. If you have a one node camera you can independently animate the orientation or x, y, or z rotation of the camera independently of the null. This is a better way to work with either type of camera.
As Mylenium said, without seeing a screenshot of your comp with all problematic layers properties revealed we can't know what is going on. I also have no idea what you mean when you say it will show the Unified Camera tool until I click. Click where? Pressing the C key will change to the camera tools in the comp window. The first time you press C you get a unified camera tool. If you have a single node camera selected the unified camera tool adjusts orientation. If you have a 2 node camera selected, the unified camera tool adjusts camera position because the angle is controlled by the point of interest. Clicking the and dragging the unified camera tool always gives you an orbit icon. You cannot dolly in and out with the UCT. Never have been able to do that. You cannot change orientation with the UTC if you have a two node camera selected.
I think you are just not remembering how the tool works. BTW, using the unified camera tool to tilt up (no such thing as a pan up) with a two node camera will lower the camera position, but on a one node camera it will change the x orientation (mostly) of the camera. In either case, you'll find better results using a null at the camera position as a dolly for the camera.
Here's a short tutorial that may help you a bit. One of these days I'll record a comprehensive animating a camera tutorial.
If you follow this tutorial but paste the path to a 3D null called dolly, then use the temporary null to rotate the dolly to YZ, then parent the camera to the dolly null you won't have to set a two node camera to orient along the path and you'll have more options.

Camera Preview in inspector

Hey, quick question....I am struggling with performance due to me overloading on the 3d again, I am animating the camera and I had a small question...
I work in the main view at half res, and lighting turned off to improve realtime performance while I work....When I am animating the camera A small preview of the camera shows up in the inspector with lighting effect turned on...correct me if I am wrong but this means the scene is rendering in real time twice (once with the lighting effects I am trying to work without, all be it at a lower res). Is this not wasting my previous resources that I need for my real time performance....If so can it be switched off?

I believe you mean "Inset View" - you can de-activate it in the View menu over in the upper-right of the canvas.
Oh - wait - that's not it - you said Inspector window. The only way I know of is to not have something selected.
Patrick

Using interactive animation with Version 7.1

I have a MATRIXx superblock that I would like to animate and test. I viewed the block using System build which came with MATRIXx 7.1 running on Windows. I added input and output ICONS from the animation pallette and I saved the block along with inputs and outputs to an RTF file in c:\Temp. When I used version 5 of MATRIXx, I recalled being able to load an RTF file into ISIM and simulating it. I noticed there is an animation builder that is provided along with xmath so I selected that and the standard Interactive Animation window came up. I selected RTF file and tried to load the file but it said that "Error reading system build RTF file". Is there an incompatibility somewhere. When I saved the file, i made sure just to save the superblocks and nothing else. Am I not saving things properly. Appreciate some help on this. Thanks! The RTF file is provided as an attachment.
Pavan
Attachments:
test.rtf ‏2 KB

Hi Pavan,
I could open it in build 3518 (newest build is 3718). Just go to File, Open.. and choose the pull-down to filter for RTFs. I got one continuous and one discreet SB. Is that correct?
Richard
Applications Engineering
www.ni.com/support
Richard
Field Sales Engineer, New Jersey
National Instruments

Problems with keyframes of 3d Camera

Hey there,
trying to explain my problem in english..
I'm doing a short animation of with photos in a 3d room. Just moving the camera around them.
Now I have the problems that when I animate the camera at the back of the comp, the keyframes at the beginning change. Mostly the angle of the camera, sometimes even the position I think...
What is the problem? Must have something to do with the interpolation..
Interpolation for room ist linear, time interpolation is bezier.. but it should not take an effect on the status of the keyframe, just on the way between 2 keyframes?!..
Please help me

It seems that you are just animating the Camera Position and not Poin of Interest. Select the camera layer and press
A to reveal Point of Interest. Now keyframe both Position and Point Of Interest Parameters.

Animated 3d camera

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