Realtime Camera Properties

Note: Most of the following properties are specific to points on the camera path. They will not be enabled until you press the Edit Points button and select the point(s) you want to change.

 

Camera Path

 

Name

Optional name to help you identify this object when creating a movie or starting a Realtime Walkthrough.

Closed

Connect the end of the path to the start, creating a closed circuit. When unchecked, the camera path is an open line.

Reverse

Switch which direction the camera moves along the path.

Edit points

Enable or disable point editing mode, which will allow you to modify the shape. See Editing Points for details.

Shape options

Save the existing shape, or load a new one. For more details, see Saving and Loading Shapes.

Camera preview

Small preview of the current camera path. Drag the slider to view the preview. This preview does not appear when editing points.

Edit view

Adjust the viewpoint at the selected point along the path. This only appears when one (and only one) path point is selected.

Next

Click to edit the next viewpoint.

Previous

Click to edit the previous viewpoint.

 

Viewpoint Options

 

Elevation

Distance of the camera from the ground at the selected point.

Direction

Camera direction (left/right angle) at the selected point.

Angle

Camera tilt angle at the selected point.

Hold time

Number of seconds the camera will pause once it reaches the selected point.

Time of day

Time of day at the selected point. This affects the lighting, sun/moon position, shadows, and sky.

If the previous point's Cut to next point option is enabled, then the time of day will change immediately. Otherwise, the transition will smoothly occur over a few seconds.

Transition to next point

Style of transition from the currently selected point to the next. Select None for a normal transition, Cut for an instant transition, or one of the other options for the desired effect.

Camera speed

Speed of the camera as it moves from the selected point to the next. The speed is shown as feet or meters per second, but you can also enter mph or kph if desired. For example, 10 mph or 16 kph.

Decelerate smoothly when approaching

Gradually slow to the target speed as the camera reaches the selected point. When unchecked, the camera will immediately switch to the new speed once the selected point is reached.

Accelerate smoothly when leaving

Gradually speed up to the target speed as it leaves the selected point. When unchecked, the camera will immediately switch to the new speed once the selected point is reached.

Enable depth of field

Make objects sharp or blurry depending on their distance to the camera.

Focus start

Starting distance of where the scene will be in focus.

Focus range

How far the scene will remain in focus after the focus start distance.

Blur strength

How blurry the out of focus areas will be.

 

Text

 

Add text

Add text when the camera reaches the currently selected point.

Text

The text to display.

Font

Style of lettering that the text will use. 

Style

Style of the text.

Position

Where the text will appear on the screen.

Margin

Spacing between the text and the edge of the screen.

Font size

Height of the text relative to the screen resolution. The size ranges from 1 for the smallest text, to 100 for the largest.

Transparency

How transparent the text will be. Use 0 for fully opaque, or a larger value for the desired level of transparency.

Color

Text color.

Add drop shadow

Add a drop shadow for improved readability against a wider variety of backgrounds.

See also:

Adding a Realtime Camera
Setting Object Properties
Selecting Objects
Selecting Points
Editing Objects
Creating a Movie
Realtime Walkthrough
Saving and Loading Shapes