Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=726125

I have a large, fairly complex scene with a number of figures. I need to position cameras to pose the individuals and then move cameras around to try different composition views and finally to render. The scene is actually a set where the action point is offset from the origin. I've used the fixed view cameras, top, left, etc., for orientation scaling them for a wide view and then for close-up details. The complexity of the scene means some elements obscure others during this process but their interaction means I need to keep most of them visible during the process. I've been positioning the cameras roughly with the widgets but mostly by setting particular values for the x, y, and z positions and angles. Unfortunately, this is a trial and error process and takes a lot of time. Worse, the complexity of the scene makes screen updates relatively slow, and very jumpy using the widgets. Is there an easier way to position cmaeras? I miss the visible cameras I can grab and position in other 3D apps. Thanks. Incidentally, this is for the next panel of Zos Adventure, the most recent episode of which can be seen here: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=726125

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You CAN grab the cameras and move them around. All you need is to enable them in the hierachy-editor, then they're "grabbable" If the scene updates slowly it can help to see the scene in wireframe or one of the other untextured modes, it takes up far less ressources on large scenes. Also the Fast tracking option can help.

Great tip, never even noticed that. O.o Marque

that doesn't work in either P4 or P5 for me...all it does is what is says and shows the cameras "in the Hiearchy editor, not in the window.....am I missing a setting somewhere else?

That's coz you're looking thru the camera, Dizzie. Switch to the AUX cam and you can see them :o)

Great tips!
Hey I have been using Poser for 3 years and just discovered
that there is a camera directory sitting there with all kinds of preset positons. This would have save me alot of time when I accedently lost my view (without setting dots)and twisted knobs endlessly to return back...
Duh!!!!

Thanks, ernyoka1. I should have thought of that. I move visible key lights around all the time. I am finding though that the visible charateristic doesn't stick. When I switch to a different view I need to find and make the camera visible again. Since there are a huge number of objects in the hierarchy list, that takes a while. I have tried different display styles looking for the quickest redraw that is still useable. I'd like to use a multiple view window too, but even with the smaller window size the redraws are worse.

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ACK...doesn't matter, I still can't see them...

Michael have you tried parenting your camera to a visible object, then move the parent obj? And Dizzie, you are still looking though the only visible camera (Aux). It cannot see itself. To see one, you gotta look at it from another camera.

But Dizzie... Now you haven't made anyone BUT the AUX camera visible, at least from the look of your hierachy. Look thru the AUX cam, then try swithing the Face cam or main cam on and you will see them. I promise :o)

Tip: don't click the camera's name to see it, click the eye beside it. If you click its name, you will be looking through it.

Not in the hierachy editor, R_Hatch. On my screenshot I'm looking thru the AUX cam and as you can see the Main cam is the one I've cliched on, because it was the one I tried to move around when I made the screengrab. But you're right that you have to click the little eye beside the name to make it visible :o)

You can also change the display properties of the camera to shaded instead of that Outline mode it normally displays in. That makes it even easier to see and grab the cameras. For some reason I can't get them to render though, which puzzles me, as they ARE actual geometry (There's a camera.obj in Poser) I haven't tried to find if there's actually a cm2 or something that corresponds to each camera, though I would think so. In that case, a bit of hacking could possibly make it render as well.

Thanks! I have got to try this tonight. That has always bugged me that I could not see the camera.

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Thanks Hatch---I get it now.... I'm looking thru the main camera and I have all of them turned on and can't see any of them....grrrrr I can get it to do it in P5, is this only a feature of 5 and not 4?

I opened Poser ProPack, and can see the other cameras, but they are all hanging out behind the main camera, so try rotating the view around and see if you can see them. And why are you using Poser 4 if you have 5?

because I like it.....

Forum: Poser - OFFICIAL

Subject: Easier camera positioning