Cameras
A camera is a real layer with a pinhole lens model. Without one, a 3D composition is rendered from a default view; with one, you control the shot.
Creating a camera
Insert → Camera, or the + Camera button in the viewport header. Either opens a real creation dialog where you choose the lens preset up front, rather than inserting a hardcoded default you then have to fix.
One-node and two-node
| Type | Behaves like |
|---|---|
| One-node | A free camera. You aim it by rotating it |
| Two-node | A camera with a point of interest. It always looks at that point; move either end |
Two-node is what you want for orbiting a subject or for a move that must keep something framed. One-node is better for a fly-through where the aim itself is the animation.
Focal length
Focal length is expressed in composition-space pixels, with familiar mm presets in the Camera section of the Style inspector tab. Pick the preset that matches the look you want — wide for drama and exaggerated parallax, long for a compressed, product-shot feel — and the underlying pixel value follows.
Focal length is keyframeable, so a zoom is available as a distinct move from a dolly. Animating both in opposite directions gives you a dolly zoom.
Depth of field
The camera drives depth-of-field blur. Layers away from the focus distance blur; layers at it stay sharp.
Because focus distance is a keyframeable property, a rack focus is two keyframes.
Animating a camera move
The reliable pattern: frame the shot interactively, then keyframe. Use C to cycle orbit / pan / dolly and drag until the view is right, then set a keyframe on the camera’s position and orientation. Repeat at the end of the move.
Or start from a preset — Cinematic Pan 3D, Depth Push In and Orbit Tilt 3D in the Animate menu all write real camera keyframes you can then adjust.
Checking the shot
| Key | View |
|---|---|
| 1 | Active Camera — what the render sees |
| 2 | The last custom view you used |
Use the 2-up or 4-up multi-view layouts to keep an orthographic view open beside the camera view. Model in one, verify depth in the other. See Navigating 3D.
Related
- 3D layers
- Lights & materials
- The assistant’s
add_camera_movetool: Tool reference