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Launched from the Shot menu, this modeless dialog adds and controls constraints on the relative position and orientation of the two cameras in a 3-D stereo rig. The constraints prevent chatter that could not have occurred in the actual rig.
Make Keys. Button. When on, keys are created and shown at the current frame. When off, the value and status on the first frame in the shot are shown—for non- animated fixed parameters.
Back to Key. Button. Moves back to the next previous frame with any stereo-related key.
Forward to Key. Button. Moves forward to the next following frame with any stereo- related key.
Dominant Camera. Drop-down list. Select which camera, left or right, should be taken to be the dominant stationary camera; the stereo parameters will reflect the position of the secondary camera moving relative to the dominant camera. The Left and Right settings are for rigs where only one camera toes in to produce vergence; the Center-Left and Center-Right settings are for rigs where both
cameras toe in equally to produce vergence. When you change dominance, you will be asked if you wish to switch the direction of the links on the trackers (and solver modes).
Show Actuals. Radio button. When selected, the Actual Values column shows the actual value of the corresponding parameter on the current frame.
Show Differences. Radio button. When selected, the Actual Values column shows the difference between the Lock-To Value and the actual value on the frame.
The following sections describe each of the parameters specifying the relationship between the two cameras, ie one for each row in the stereo geometry panel. Note that the parameters are all relative, ie they do not depend on the overall position or orientation within the 3-D environment. If you move the two cameras as a unit, they can be anywhere in 3-D without changing these parameters. For each parameter, there is a number of columns, which are specified in the section after this.
Distance. Parameter row. This is the inter-ocular distance between the (nodal points) of the two cameras. Note that this value is unit-less, like the rest of SynthEyes, its units are the same as the rest of the 3-D environment. So if you want the main 3- D environment to be in feet, you should enter the inter-ocular distance in feet also.
Direction. Parameter row. Degrees. Direction of the secondary camera relative to the primary camera, in the coordinate system of the primary camera. Zero means the secondary is directly beside the primary, a positive value moves it forward until at 90 degrees it is directly in front of the primary (though see Elevation, next).
However: in Center-Left or Center-Right mode, the zero-direction changes as a result of vergence to maintain symmetric toe-in. See other material to help understand that.
Elevation. Parameter row. Degrees. Elevation of the secondary camera relative to the primary camera, in the coordinate system of the primary camera. At an elevation of zero degrees, it is at the same relative elevation. At an elevation of 90 degrees, it would be directly over top of the primary.
Vergence. Parameter row. Degrees. Relative in/out look direction of the two cameras.
At zero, the cameras axes are parallel (subject to Tilt and Roll below), and positive values toe in the secondary camera. In center-left or center-right mode, the direction changes to the secondary camera to achieve symmetric toe-in.
Tilt. Parameter Row. Degrees. Relative up/down look direction of the secondary camera relative to the primary. At zero, they are even, as the value increases, the secondary camera is twisted looking upwards relative to the primary camera.
Roll. Parameter Row. Degrees. Relative roll of the secondary camera relative to the primary. At zero, they have no relative roll. Positive values twist the secondary camera counter-clockwise, as seen from the back.
Description of Parameter Columns
Lock Mode. Selector. Controls the mode and functionality of constraints for this parameter: As Is, no constraints are added; Known , constraints are added to force the cameras so that the parameter is the Lock-To value, which can be animated; Fixed Unknown, the parameter is forced to a single constant value,
which is unknown but determined during the solve; Varying , the value can be intermittently locked to specific values using the Lock button and Lock-To value, or intermittently held at a to-be-determined value by animating a Hold range.
Color. Swatch. Shows the color of the curve in the graph editor.
Channel. Text. Name of the parameter for the row.
Lock. Button. When set, constraints are generated to lock the parameter to the Lock-To value. Available only in Varying mode. Animated so specific ranges of frames may be specified. If all frames are to be locked, use Known mode instead.
Hold. Button. Animated button that forces the parameter to hold a to-be-determined value for the specific time it is active. For example, animate on during frames 0- 50 to say that vergence is constant at some value during that time, while allowing it to change after that. Available only for inter-ocular distance and vergence and only in Varying mode. If Hold should be on for the entire shot, use Fixed mode instead.
Lock-To Values. Spinner. Shows the value the parameter will be locked to, animatable.
Note that the spinner shows the value at the first frame of the shot when Make Keys is off.
Actual Values. Text field. Shows the value of the parameter on the current frame, or the difference between the Lock-To value and the actual value, if Show Differences is selected.
Weights. Spinner. Animated control over the weight of the generated constraints.
Shows value at first frame if Make Keys is off. The value 60 is the nominal value, the weight increases by a factor of 10 for an increase of 20 in the value (decibels). With a range from 0 to 120, this corresponds to 0.001 to 1000. Hint: if a constraint is not having effect, you will usually do better reducing the weight, not increasing it. It’s like shouting is rarely effective, just annoys people. Unlike on the hard/soft lock panel, a weight of zero does not create a hard lock. All stereo locks are soft, if the weight is zero it has no effect.
Less… More… Button. Shows or hides the following set of controls which shift information back and forth between the stereo channels and the camera positions.
Get 1f. Button. Gets the actual stereo parameters on the current frame, and writes them into the Lock-To value spinners. Any parameter in As-Is mode is not affected!
Get PB. Button. Same as Get 1f, but for the entire playback range (little green and red triangles on the time bar).
Get All. Button. Same as Get 1f, but for the entire shot.
Move Left Camera Live. Mode Button. The left camera is moved to a position determined by the right camera and stereo parameters (excluding any that are As-Is). If you adjust the spinners, the camera will move correspondingly. The seed path, solve path, or both are affected, see the checkboxes at bottom.
Move Left Camera Set 1f. Button. The left camera is moved to a position determined by the right camera and stereo parameters (excluding any that are As-Is). The seed path, solve path, or both are affected, see the checkboxes at bottom. Unlike Live, this is a one-shot event each time you click the button.
Move Left Camera Set PB. Button. Same as Set 1f, but for the playback range.
Move Left Camera Set All. Button. Same as Set 1f, but updates the left camera for the entire shot. For example, you might want track the right camera of a shot by itself; if you have known stereo parameters you can use this button to instantly generate the left camera path for the entire shot.
Move Both from Center Live/Set 1f/Set PB/Set All. Same as the Left version, except that the position of the two cameras is averaged to find a center point, then both cameras are offset half outwards in each direction (including tilt, roll, etc) to form new positions.
Move Right Camera Live/Set 1f/Set PB/Set All. Same as the Left version, except the right camera is moved based on the left position and stereo parameters.
Write seed path. Checkbox. Controls whether or not the Move buttons affect the seed path. You will need this on if you wish to create hard or soft camera position locks for a later solve. You can keep it off if you wish to make temporary fixes. If you write the solve path but not seed path, anything you do will be erased by the next solve (except in refine mode).
Write solve path. Checkbox. Controls whether or not the Move buttons affect the solve path. Normally should be on if the camera has already been solved; keep off if you are generating seed paths. If both Write boxes are off, the Move buttons will do nothing. If Write seed path is on, Write solve path is off, and the camera is solved, the Move buttons will be updating the seed path, but you will not be able to see anything happening—you will be seeing the solve path unless you select View/Show seed path.
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