Camera Path

This command duplicates a selected polyline and transforms it into a camera path. You can then create virtual visits in the 3D scene with specific targets and control the animation duration. Once the animation is set, you can export the result into a video.

1. Animation setup: .

   1. Set the video duration with Camera path duration. It will define the travelling speed.

   2. Smooth the camera path option will smooth the trajectory to make the movement more continuous.

   3. Display camera path during the animation: if checked, the polyline used to generate the camera path will be visible during the animation or the video generation.

   4. Play in loop: if checked, the animation will be played in loop if the polyline is closed or back and forth if not.

2. Camera state in the video: choose to create the video in perspective or orthographic mode. If you want to simulate a movement inside the 3D scene, select Perspective. Otherwise, select Orthographic (for instance, to turn around the object).

3. Camera setup:

   1. With the Camera Up vector button of this frame, the up vector of the camera can be specified. Once the camera is correctly oriented, you just have to click on the button Use Current to redefine the camera up vector.

   2. The button Add / Edit can be used to add, modify or suppress targets. During the animation, you can specify a point to target. To do this you have to:

      1. Move the slider where you want to add a target.

      2. Click on the Add / Edit button.

      3. Click on the point you want to target or press ENTER to reuse the last target.

      4. To modify an existing target, you just have to move the slider on the frame where the target is defined and click on Add / Edit. If you click on a point, the target will be updated. However, if you press Backspace, the target will be removed.

   3. The button Zoom factor, Use current is available only when the camera is in ortho. It fixes the zoom factor of camera for the whole animation.

   4. The Depth parameter allows you to define a slice thickness (like limitplane) so that everything behind this distance is hidden.

4. Optionally, it is possible to add a logo. It will be visible from the bottom left of the screen during the registration.

5. Animation playback:

   1. The slider offers the possibility to navigate quickly in the animation.

   2. The buttons labeled by < and > move respectively the slider one second backward or one second forward.

   3. Moreover, the buttons << and >> jump directly to the previous or next target (if exist).

   4. The current time in the animation is then displayed in the text box just below the slider.

   5. The animation can be played by pressing or recorded by pressing . When the record button is pressed, a dialog box appears to enter the filename and then to choose the format.