[Plugin] CameraKeyMaker 1.0 (Update 2011-04-09)

[jcohen71]

I tried to use CameraKeyMaker on a Mac running Sketchup 8, but ran in to the same problem others have mentioned: I cannot seem to find an equivilant key combination to Alt-Q used on Windows, and so I can't place any camera keys. (neither Opt-Q or Ctrl-Q work for me)

If there's a simple fix for this I'd love to hear about it, otherwise I'll eagerly wait for the next version. This seems like a great tool that we could use on many projects.

Best Regards,

Joshua Cohen
Fat Pencil Studio
+1.503.465.4533
info@fatpencilstudio.com

[driven]

@jcohen71 said:

If there's a simple fix for this I'd love to hear about it,

in camera_key_maker.rb
I changed line 387 to read

if key == 81 and $preview == false

I then did a search and replace for the word Alt and replaced it with Shift,

so Shift+ Q works on my mac...

[TIG]

I do not know this tool in any detail... but in passing... I see that there are $ global variables like '$preview' these are dangerous - especially if they have simplistic names [like 'preview'] as other authors might have used them [ill-advisedly] too, as globals works across all scripts in that session - better to use '@preview' as an instance variable, or '@@preview' as a class variable, to hold your data specifically for your own tool so such potential clashes are avoided...

[macgile]

@tig said:

I do not know this tool in any detail... but in passing... I see that there are $ global variables like '$preview' these are dangerous - especially if they have simplistic names [like 'preview'] as other authors might have used them [ill-advisedly] too, as globals works across all scripts in that session - better to use '@preview' as an instance variable, or '@@preview' as a class variable, to hold your data specifically for your own tool so such potential clashes are avoided...

Yes TIG

when I developed this plugin I had only one months experience the ruby language and API sketchup.
certainly you will find other errors of this type in the source, but I perfecting every day.
in the next release several beginner mistakes are corrected but it will remain.

best regard

[vtrdo]

hi guys

i have here a bit strange behavior of the plug ..

I have set up simple fly-around with 10 camera Keys - previews look perfect , smooth and going exactly as we want... ... camera follows busier curve ...till this moment everything is nice and easy

problems are:
1/after i press the ENTER even if i change the number for Frames between each key I always get 19 scenes .. is this correct?
2/ bigger one scenes which were produced change the Field of View and positions now it is in position is same as the key ...

What can i do to get result same as Preview ... or do i have to set up properly the Keys and forget what the preview is showing??

many thanks!!!!

[majid]

I can't run it at all!!!! any conflict with other plugs?
where I must seek it? plugin menu? tools menu?
how can I activate it's toolbar (ui) please?

---

edit: thanks ... wow this is wonderful, thank you, I was seeking it in false place.
I just wondering how can I edit the path?

[theVonZipper]

Trying out CameraKeyMaker on a winXP. Doesn't behave like the video tutorial. (BTW, is there supposed to be audio with that video?)
Although Alt-Q does add a key frame, I cannot use the orbit tool to reposition the camera. The CameraKeyMaker feedback onscreen disappears & as far as I can tell the script ends.
What is available is a dotted sphere to mark position. I clicked on that & circled a cube. Hitting enter did send the key frames to scenes. But the scenes created this way do not orbit the cube.
Is there a new version available yet? (The version I am trying out does not iclude the 1.0 designation anywhere in its name or files).

If I could get it to work it would be a great feature.
Thanks,
-=Zip

[simon le bon]

Hi macgile,

I'm using/learning your tool since few days. After a hard start, I now begin to tame it pretty well. I understand now how I can manage the bezier camera path. It is a cool tool and the exported animations are nicely fluid
I begin to see some requests to ask for.
But the main thing I'm confronted in is a problem of angle of camera.

I just have finished a complex camera path with a complex model and have launched CameraMaker scenes maker. I realize something I hadn't noticed in my trainings: is that animation uses a fixed camera angle of 30° !! This is too short!
Standard angle in sketchup is 35° , I for my part have made the all camera path with a wider angle of 50°. Now my animation is to much cropped.

I have tried to update the scenes one by one (the firsts of my 69 scenes!) with this 50° angle but it seems that some geometry don't display satisfactorily.

Do you think it is possible to do something ? or it is a big update of the code!

Cheers,
Simon.

[TIG]

Perhaps the line
@camera = @view.camera
could be followed by
@camera.fov = 50.0
or whatever fov-angle you'd like ?

[simon le bon]

Hi Tig,

Thanks for the advice. I shall try this tomorrow.

• • • simon

[simon le bon]

Hi TIG,

I've just tried what you were recommending

@tig said:

Perhaps the line
@camera = @view.camera
could be followed by
@camera.fov = 50.0
or whatever fov-angle you'd like ?

Resulting to this change, the camera is set to 50° as soon as I activate CameraKeyMaker tool . But when my Alt+Q camera shots are done and I clic "Enter" to call the SET UP SCENES and "OK" , created scenes are still cropped back to camera 30°.
I have made a search on "30°" into the ruby txt, but the specified string was not found.

Do you have any other idea?

simon

[TIG]

The screen size [width/height etc] is set in code later on - perhaps this is cropping the image ?
I don't use this tool so I am winging it here

view.camera.set(eye, target, up)
if @save_image
        keys = {
         ;filename => @fileName,
         ;width => 320,
         ;height => 240,
         ;antialias => true,
         ;compression => 0.9,
        ;transparent => true }
        view.write_image keys
       end

have you tried changing those ?
Trying changing the width/height proportions...

Also perhaps add view.camera.fov=50.0 before 'keys' ???
Also ' newCamera' is set perhaps you need to set newCamera.fov=50.0 too ?

[simon le bon]

Hi TIG,

"crop" is probably a wrong word I have used. I tell this way to express that the 30° telephoto produces like a zooming into the field. (oups my english )

@tig said:

try changing those
Also perhaps add view.camera.fov=50.0 before 'keys' ???
Also ' newCamera' is set perhaps you need to set newCamera.fov=50.0 too ?

They both don't change the 30° scenes output

first try:

second try:

I believe in the second one because:

     generate_scene = true

      if generate_scene

is the place where I'm searching to change the camera opening field. Is the way I have add the line is good?

s

[driven]

hi,

Your output image dims ratio is 1.333, if the window isn't a same ratio it causes problems on mac's...

or you could try running Martin's camera Stats, might show you what's happening.http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=27835

john

[simon le bon]

Hi John,

Thank you for your cent.

Y
@unknownuser said:

our output image dims ratio is 1.333, if the window isn't a same ratio it causes problems on mac's...

I have tried a 16/9 format (ratio: 1.66 ) but I don't notice any different result

 if @save_image
        keys = {
         ;filename => @fileName,
         ;width => 1000,
         ;height => 602,

I have downloaded and used [Plugin] Camera Stats by MartinRinehart : it confirms my fields of view

Cheers,
simon

PS: I just have sent a PM to macgile . wait and see.

[RichardU]

I see there is a preview recently posted on YouTube for version 2.0 of this tool.

[numerobis]

Great plugin! very nice!
but... any news on this fov problem?!? with a camera always jumping to 30° fov it's pretty useless for me...

[Pixero]

@richardu said:

I see there is a preview recently posted on YouTube for version 2.0 of this tool.

Can you post a link? I can´t find it.

[RichardU]

@pixero said:

Can you post a link? I can´t find it.

[numerobis]