A shaky effect

[eienblue]

Hi, I just got this program and was trying to animate a first person point of view walking towards a door. I animated the camera to zoom in to the door but have no idea how to animate the up and down walking effect. Could I get some step by step help please? Thanks.

[Elodie]

Which camera do you use ? The Camera tool, the keyframer or the Multiplane Camera ?

[Paul Fierlinger]

My guess is that you are experimenting with the simple Camera tool within the Main Panel. Start by making sure that the Parameters (click on Parameter at the very bottom of Camera Panel) are the same as your project window. Then pull back a bit from your project within the window so that yo can see surrounding areas.

Click in the center of your project and click again a little off center. This way you have created the beginning and end of any move you are going to make. Note that it doesn't matter at this point where on the timeline you happen to have your playhead. Now, using RMB, insert a new point on the line between your two end points and proceed from here with more points , creating your up and down swings and zooms, by expanding and repositioning each box. Playback often to see WIP.

Click in the icon of the Time Profile which will bring out your curve editor graph. Move this just below your layers and stretch it out so that the beginning and end of the curve matches the two ends of the timeline. Flatten the beginning of the curve to the bottom edge, which will create a hold of your beginning position. Do the same with the end, only flatten it to the top edge. Now your camera move starts and ends with a hold.

Ask more questions.

[eienblue]

Omg, you're a genius. Thanks so much. I did not know that you can draw a motion path within the camera movement. I was only learning from the tutorial videos provided by the website. I wished they had more in-depth tutorials online, but I guess it's okay cause this place has helpful people like you who is able to explain it with accuracy without pictures. =)

[Paul Fierlinger]

I'm happy to help. I hadn't mentioned the use of splines in the curve editor and a few other small things like that, which I assume you would discover on your own. What I like about this camera is that it allows us to animate in 12's or 15's and when we render to QT or AVI, while the export panel can turn our animation into two's, the camera moves will adapt and remain smooth without any resets. Just don't forget to select camera instead of project when you do this.