Hi All,

I'm a newbie to 3d everything. But I like Blender a lot, and not just because it's free. I'm well into the user manual but so far one thing troubles me.

Why does the camera seem so awkward to manouver? I have used a camera in real life studios, and there the two things which I need to move easily are the camera and the lights.

If I select the camera in object mode and try to rotate it by using RKEY it does not respond. I can press N and rotate it numerically, but I think that is a rather clumsy way to do it. I know I can set it up to point it to a selected object. But I would really like to be able to move it around and back and forth just like a real camera, and preferably while I still am viewing though the camera lens, a bit like I can in DAZ Studio.

Have I missed something? 

Thanks.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2669658

Are you maybe having a problem like in this thread: www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php

By the way, did you know you can look through a light just like you can look through a camera?  Select the light and press ctrl + numpad 0

Thanks very much, haloedrain.

That solves my problem. And your tip about the lamp as camera helps also. In fact it answered what was going to be my next question:- 'How do you activate a second camera? Answer:- Select it and then Control + Numpad 0.'

Regards,

Colin

I accidently discovered the fly mode one day and I've been using it since then to fine tune my camera position. I usually Drag, Grab and Rotate it the normal way first to get it close. Next, I switch to Camera View mode by pressing '0'. Then, press 'Shift-F' to switch to fly mode. The scroll when on your mouse will accelerate forwards and backwards, while moving the mouse simulates pitch and roll. I usually keep the camera selected as an object at the same time so if I get into trouble, I can press "ESC" to get out of fly mode then Grab,move and rotate the camera the regular way while still viewing from the camera (0).

Quote - I accidently discovered the fly mode one day and I've been using it since then to fine tune my camera position. I usually Drag, Grab and Rotate it the normal way first to get it close. Next, I switch to Camera View mode by pressing '0'. Then, press 'Shift-F' to switch to fly mode. The scroll when on your mouse will accelerate forwards and backwards, while moving the mouse simulates pitch and roll. I usually keep the camera selected as an object at the same time so if I get into trouble, I can press "ESC" to get out of fly mode then Grab,move and rotate the camera the regular way while still viewing from the camera (0).

Thank you reddog9. That is the type of mode I was looking for.  There is only one aspect which is not quite like holding a real camera in my hands. In fly mode the camera keeps moving after the mouse movement has stopped. As, you say, coming out of fly mode and using GKEY to grab the camera solves that problem, except for one type of movement. Grab mode does not enable zooming the camera while viewing through it. Fly mode does, but as I mention above, it keeps zooming after the mouse has stopped.

I have another question for anyone. Is there a way to select the camera while viewing through it? If I select another object while in camera view, I do not want to have to exit camera view to select the camera again so that I can use GKEY to grab and move the camera.

I usually create an outliner window along the side,that way I can select whatever object I want whenever I want without having to rely on the pick system of the 3D window.

While looking through the cam, scroll your mousewheel back a little and right-click on the frame of it. Your view is literally placed inside the frame of the camera  in 3d view, so just scroll back a little and you can see the edge.

While getting used to the controls, it is usually best to use an empty (spacebar-add-empty) to the scene for the camera to track to. Empties are invisible to the camera, and can be placed exactly where you want the camera to look. 

First , select the camera. Then hold down shift (for selecting more than one object) and select the empty. Now press Ctrl-T and choose Track-To constraint.

Now the camera will be very interested in what the empty is doing. You can also parent the empty to an object to make the camera's view follow the object's movements, or animate the empty for a pan.

Now if we could somehow get some info from the empty to the Map To node we could use it for some easy FOV animation.

Thank you Enivob and oldskoolPunk,

All three of those ideas are extremely helpful.  I should have thought of Enivob's idea myself. It seems so obvious now that I've read it. I would not have thought of oldskoolPunk's ideas, though.

Thanks again!

I've just realized that Enivob's idea also provides a way of moving the camera closer to the scene (zooming) while retaining the view through the camera.  Even better!