3D –graphics and animation Cameras and lights
Harri Airaksinen
3D –graphics and animation Cameras and lights
Harri Airaksinen
Camera types
Modeling systems have their default camera (perspective view). Camera can be rotate, zoom …
Camera types
Target camera
(location –
target)
POV = Point of View
Free camera
Camera is located by pointing, direction is the viewport direction
Focal length Focal plane
Focal length -[live area], area, where cameras properties/controls make it possible to see 3D –objects through camera
Focal plane, plane fixed by cameras lens, where 3D environment can be seen nicely
Seeing through camera
How to present the viewport?
The depth of field
Lens/cameras feature, what area in 3D environment can be seen nicely
Camera controls – 3D Studio Max
How to use cameras?
Point of View Shots; directly to the target, many cases height of persons eyes
Low Angle and High Angle Shots
Reverse Angle Shots
How to use cameras?
[ Computer Graphics, Principles and Practice; James D. Foley, Andries van Dam,
Steven K. Feiner, John F. Hughes ] Close-Up Shots
Medium and Wide Shots
Long Shots / Tele Shots
Camera lens types
Common 3D modeling tools have wide collection of lenses (and you can build your own)
Note! Real photography light sensible film must places to projection plane
In 3D environment simulated cameras projection plane can be anywhere
Camera lens types
offers an adequate 46 degree
angle of view with very little
perspective distortion and with
average depth of field ->
useful for medium to wide
shots. 500 mm or more Extra Long / Super tele photo 135 - 250 mm Long / Telephoto 80 mm Medium Long 50 - 55 mm Standard / Normal 35 mm Medium Wide Angle 28 mm Wide Angle 18 mm Extreme Wide Angle 7,5 mm Fisheye Focal lenght Type
Camera lens types
A wide angle 24 or 28 mm lens supplies a 83 degree angle of view, outstanding depth of field, but also a small amount of distortion on the edges of the picture due to the forced perspective projection typical of the wide angle of vision.
A telephoto 135 mm lens has
excellent abilities for close framing ->
flattens the perspective and has a
narrow 5 degree angle of view and
a small depth of field.
Lenses in generally – link between focal length and the angle of view
Lenses with a short focal length offer a wide angle of view and increased depth of field, but objects appear distant to the camera Lenses with a long focal length have narrow
angles of view and depth of field
If you don’t change the lens, but camera is moving – what happen?
Camera is moving away from target:
Image area is increasing
The depth of field is increasing
When both the lens and the point of view are changed ?
[The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Imaging; Isaac Victor Kerlow] The subjects in the foreground of the image remain within a similar scale as long as:
the focal length decreases or increases along with the distance between the camera and the subject
The projection of the background elements
is significantly different
Camera animations
The camera has a powerful storytelling effect because it leads the eyes and mind of an audience through a story
Camera animations and paths
Camera movement is controlled by path (line, spline or some other 2D object)
Camera POV: down the path, targeted to point of interest, changing point of interest or combination all of these
Camera animations and paths
Select camera motion Assign Controller
The use of camera and layout - dramatic art -
Use different cameras to tell the story and expressing the emotion
Keep the long straight lines in the composition parallel or perpendicular to the edges of the image to avoid unwanted tension and distraction -> the horizon or a tall tree in a landscape tilting to one side especially when the tree is close to an edge of the image
The camera too close to an object may result in images with large unfocused areas occupied by these objects -> effect often overwhelms the rest of the image emotion (example. face is zoomed, only eye or mouth is seen)
The use of camera and layout - dramatic art -
It is usually distracting to cut off the head of a subject in a head shot or a portion of the object in a close-up shot -> when done skillfully, cutting off portions of the main subject can help the viewer focus on details -- such as the eyes or the mouth, for example -- that may add emotion to the image
When image clarity is an important issue, it helps to place the main subject in a shot against plain backgrounds. Backgrounds with dense textures or with a multitude of objects and colors tend to take the attention of the viewer away from the items in the foreground
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