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 - Menu "Edit - Camera"
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| The camera-menu gives you freedom to move interactively in the area and to insert any rotation and inclination angles for the camera. As with a real camera, you can implement Tele-photo or wide-angle settings over a zoom feature. Positioning the camera is very flexible in CyberMotion. On the one hand you can edit directly the coordinates of the camera or move with help of the arrow buttons next to the coordinates along the world-axes or along the object-axes of the camera or even in an orbit about another object.
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| On the other hand - since the camera can be manipulated like every other object - it can also be repositioned directly (in the "Move Object" mode) or rotated to set the viewing-direction (in the "Rotate Object" mode). If you move or rotate the camera object in a viewport window you can see in the camera viewport how the visible camera-detail changes.
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| Furthermore you can change the camera position just by clicking in the camera viewport and moving the mouse, independent from the work mode present.
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| Finally you can arrange the camera under an object hierarchy. Suppose you want an object to fly through an area and the camera should always line up on the flying object. If you link the camera hierarchically under the object, the camera is automatically moved with the flying object when the flying object is moved, scaled or rotated in the respective work menus.
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| At the top of the tool window are three angle instruments for the alignment of the camera. You can enter the angles via the keyboard or just click into an instrument and drag the pointer to the desired position.
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| · | Inclination - The left instruments shows the inclination angle (pitch) of the camera.
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| · | Direction - In the center box is shown the direction angle of the camera.
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| · | Roll - The right instrument displays the lateral inclination-angle, which is the rotation of the camera about its viewing axis. The dial consists of a crosswise-beam, which has markings at both ends. This works precisely as the dial showing the horizontal level in an aircraft. If you roll the camera to the left or right along its axis the horizon rolls in exactly the opposite direction. Rolling through 180 degrees turns the camera upside-down and the markings on the beam point to the underside.
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| · | Step - This parameter defines the step-width, with which the camera is rotated or moved along its axes when rotating or moving the camera via the arrow buttons next to the edit fields.
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| The current location of the camera is shown in the "Camera Movement" box.
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| The coordinates can also be input directly from the keyboard by choosing the X, Y, Z-buttons.
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| You can use the arrow buttons next to the camera coordinates to move the camera throughout the area. Operate the buttons beside the X-coordinate, and the camera moves along the spatial X axis. The same is true for the other buttons. The step-width, with which you move and rotate the camera, can be put in through the Step parameter to suit your requirements. It would be tedious if you could only move along the world-axes. Quite often you must move around an object or in the viewing direction of the camera to get the best viewpoint and it would be very time-consuming to trace this movement along the world-axes. Therefore, in the "Camera Movement" box there are three buttons with which you can determine the movement-type:
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| · | movement along world-axes: If the <World Axes> button is selected, you can move along the X, Y, Z-world-axes - up, down, forwards, backwards, right or left.
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| · | movement along camera axes: If the <Camera Axes> button is selected, then movement is executed along the camera axes. For instance, if you have previously positioned your camera so that it is inclined to the left at a certain angle and you now operate the movement-arrow for the movement to the left, the camera - moving on the camera-axis inclined to the side - therefore moves to the lower-left. The same is true for all other movement directions. If, for example, you turn the camera on its axes to line it up on an object, then the camera automatically points in the direction of the object. Therefore, in camera-axes mode you need only operate the arrow button for movement along the Z-axis and the camera moves directly toward or away from the object.
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| · | circular movement about an object: Select the <Circular> button if you want to move in an orbit about an object. The relevant object must previously have been marked in the Select Object dialog. If no object has been marked the camera moves in an orbit about the world center. Choosing the X-arrow buttons causes a horizontal circular-movement of the camera. Similarly, choosing the Y-arrow button causes a vertical circular movement, during which the camera lens always remains lined up on the object.
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Moving the Camera Directly in the Camera Viewport Window
| By clicking in the camera viewport window and moving the mouse you can easily change the camera position independent from the work mode present. The movement direction depends again from the selection made in the camera menu. If <World Axes> mode is active then the camera moves on the x- and y-planes. Pressing down the <ALT>-key additionally will move the camera to the front or the rear along the z- world-axis. In <Camera Axes> mode the camera moves along the camera axes and if circular movement is set than the camera moves in an orbit about an object.
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| The "Zoom" parameter you can directly influences the "width of focus" of your camera. By increasing or reducing the "zoom" parameter you can implement wide-angle or telephoto-effects respectively. As with a real camera, there is perspective distortion of the picture.
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| The "camera" <Focus> button lines up the camera on marked objects, turning the camera so that it points at the center of the objects.
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| By choosing the "camera" <Center> button the camera leaps directly to the center of the selected objects. If you are then within a closed body it is advisable to move it a little way from the object.
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