3D Walkthrough Paths and Camera Dolly

[Davied2]

When tweeking the path of my 3D walkthrough if I want to dolly the camera up of down in a key frame and get the view I require - if i then move forward or backwards one key frame then return to the adjusted (camera dollyed) key frame the view has changed.

It is as if it is not remembering then position I dollyed the camera to.

Is there a known problem with this or am I doing something wrong.

Please help - its driving me crazy

Dave

[Mark Vorstenbosch]

Hi

Every time you place the camera you can change the height(elevation) of the camera.
See if that helps.

This is how I know how to lift the camera up in the Walkthroughs.

[Davied2]

Mark many thanks for the reply.

I am aware about changing the heights on placement but you are also allowed to dolly the camera in you walkthrough 3d view using the "open" tab and can adjust the camera height using the eye icon at the top of the screen, however, this only works occasionally or, once you have the view you required Revit dos not save the camera position.

Has anyone else noticed this.

Frustrated Dave

[Max Lloyd]

Yep. Its a real PITA. The best way I've found to deal with it is to spend some time setting up the walkthrough in the first place.

In my experience, dollying up and down, or forward and backwards with the walkthrough open, causes all sorts of problems to the other frames and never gives you the results you were expecting. The only thing that doesn't seem to effect all the other frames in a weird way, is the actual view direction from that camera point.

My solution: I have started placing a series of say 10 camera views along what I expect to be the walkthrough path. I will then get each of those camera views to the correct view, height and location. I will then open a plan view, and by 'showing the camera' in plan view, will draw a little marker point to represent the position of each camera. I will then go to each view and note down the elevation (height) of that camera.

Now that I have a series of marks in plan view, i can create the walkthrough. So first point on the walkthrough path is where your first camera marker is. Before clicking the first point, make sure you put in the elevation for that camera. Now go to the second point, remembering to change the elevation, and so on and so forth.

When done, open up the walkthrough, go to each of the keyframes and using the 'eye' button, use the 'turn' button to get your view direction sorted. You may want to increase your far clip offset which you can do from the plan view.

If you follow this and spend the time getting your views right, you should get something very very good. Do a test walkthrough by exporting a hidden line or shaded view before going for the rendered option just to see you are happy with the path, speed etc.

See this thread (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=32267) where I recently set up and posted a walkthrough. I think there are a few more tips there too.

Hope this helps.

Max.

[iru69]

Has anyone else noticed this.
Yes. It's annoying. I mentioned the issue in a previous thread that you started on walkthroughs:

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=33026

No one seemed to have an answer. Maybe they'll address this "bug" some day.

[luigi]

I just wanted to say that it is a problem only when moving the camera position, not the target. If you move the target up or down, left or right, it will remember its position. It is a bugger though!!! My thought is that somehow when the view is open, it is default to "active camera" instead of "path". In "active camera" you can't change the location of the camera, you an only do that in "path"....only the factory may know...It is a bugger though!!!

I have to check many existing elevations to find the path, fight with wireframe or hidden mode to see where the camera path is related to some reference height....it makes things difficult!

[brendan.mac]

I have been doing walkthroughs with Revit but it is only since version 9.1 that I haven't been able to save the changes that I make.

I use the technique that Max talks about below and, after a bit of time and tweaking, the effect is fantastic.

My problem is that when I am finally happy with the product, how do I exit the editing process and save the changes I have made??

when I get the prompt to 'exit the edit' mode, it doesn't save the changes and reverts back to what it was before.

Very frustrating.

What am I missing?? It has to be something simple or else I would have found it by now!!


Yep. Its a real PITA. The best way I've found to deal with it is to spend some time setting up the walkthrough in the first place.

In my experience, dollying up and down, or forward and backwards with the walkthrough open, causes all sorts of problems to the other frames and never gives you the results you were expecting. The only thing that doesn't seem to effect all the other frames in a weird way, is the actual view direction from that camera point.

My solution: I have started placing a series of say 10 camera views along what I expect to be the walkthrough path. I will then get each of those camera views to the correct view, height and location. I will then open a plan view, and by 'showing the camera' in plan view, will draw a little marker point to represent the position of each camera. I will then go to each view and note down the elevation (height) of that camera.

Now that I have a series of marks in plan view, i can create the walkthrough. So first point on the walkthrough path is where your first camera marker is. Before clicking the first point, make sure you put in the elevation for that camera. Now go to the second point, remembering to change the elevation, and so on and so forth.

When done, open up the walkthrough, go to each of the keyframes and using the 'eye' button, use the 'turn' button to get your view direction sorted. You may want to increase your far clip offset which you can do from the plan view.

If you follow this and spend the time getting your views right, you should get something very very good. Do a test walkthrough by exporting a hidden line or shaded view before going for the rendered option just to see you are happy with the path, speed etc.

See this thread (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=32267) where I recently set up and posted a walkthrough. I think there are a few more tips there too.

Hope this helps.

Max.