CAMERA MOVEMENT?

[Hans Rickheit]

Hello again!

I'm still trying to learn how to use Anime Studio. I can't seem to find any Video tutorials that explain the basics of camera movement.

In the cartoon I'm making, I want the camera to remain stationary until about Frame 190. Then, i want it to pan left, following the character's movement until about Frame 222, where it will remain stationary until the next camera movement.

I haven't sussed out how to use the camera tools to set the parameters for when it should begin and end moving during animation. Can somebody explain this basic stuff to me?

[Hans Rickheit]

Ha Ha! Never mind... I figured it out through trial and error....!

[Greenlaw]

Glad you got it figured out.

One of the limitations with ASP's camera is that it doesn't allow you to 'rig' the camera and it can get tricky to animate complex moves with only a single set of coordinates to work with. Most 3D programs, for example, allow you to use a hierarchy of nulls to help you animate the camera using multiple pivot points. Even After Effects can do this by letting you parenting the 3D camera layer to other null layers, and allowing you keyframe the camera and nulls separately.

In some situations, you can work around this limitation in ASP by nesting your artwork in layers and animating the layers instead of the camera or in addition to the camera. For example, by parenting all your artwork layers to an empty 'master' layer, you might animate the 'master' to simulate camera panning but animate the camera itself for z-movements and rolling. Sometimes, this can be easier and more precise than trying to get all the camera choreography by keyframing only the camera itself.

It would be cool if the camera in a future release of ASP was treated like a layer in ASP (like the camera in After Effects,) so it can relate directly to other layers and their pivot points.

G.