focus layer manually moving?

[oberon Zuta]

Hello and hi

If i check depht of field then is important to bring the most important part of the image in the focus layer.

It works automatically if i do alt+click on the subject i like to have sharp. But in same time if i cick on that subject it centers itself on the screen - if i drive around the focus keep itself even if is out of center. But if i like to refocus - afain is centered.

I wist to drive softly the focus layer farward and backwards - does anybody have an idea how to make this?

 

Thank u very much for each little help :/

[Frawmusl]

On the SL Viewer there is not much you can do to get a smoother camera except practice(or at least as far as I have seen on the options). Now if you look into other viewers such as Firestorm ( think) and Nirans(Machinima based) it becomes alot easer to get that nice smooth camera that you'd like when taking photos. I recommend Nirans, Its high quality and very very smooth. Lots of buttons you can push to make it even smoother

[oberon Zuta]

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Frawmusl wrote:

On the SL Viewer there is not much you can do to get a smoother camera except practice(or at least as far as I have seen on the options). Now if you look into other viewers such as Firestorm ( think) and Nirans(Machinima based) it becomes alot easer to get that nice smooth camera that you'd like when taking photos. I recommend Nirans, Its high quality and very very smooth. Lots of buttons you can push to make it even smoother

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hello frawmusl

thank you for your answer

unfortunately i m working with a mac - i have a windows layer and i m watching for a ubuntu - but i dont like to change always -

I installed the exodus viewer - have also interesting options - but what the community think about tha: i guess that the colors are most beautyful in the SL viewer.

oberon

[Madelaine McMasters]

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oberon Zuta wrote:

Hello and hi

If i check depht of field then is important to bring the most important part of the image in the focus layer.

It works automatically if i do alt+click on the subject i like to have sharp. But in same time if i cick on that subject it centers itself on the screen - if i drive around the focus keep itself even if is out of center. But if i like to refocus - afain is centered.

I wist to drive softly the focus layer farward and backwards - does anybody have an idea how to make this?

 

Thank u very much for each little help

---

 

I'm not sure I understand what you want, Oberon. When I wish to compose a photo that has the focal point not in the center of the image, I first alt-click the thing I want in focus, then manually tilt/pan the camera with the hud or key equivalents.

I use Firestorm, I don't know if my instructions will apply elsewhere.

If you want a slow change in focal distance when you select a new focal point, you can change DOF Focus Transition Time in Preferences->Graphics->Depth of Field->DOF Focus Transition Time.

I don't know of a way to manually set the focal distance, other than alt-click. I don't think this would be needed except for either machinima, or for personal enjoyment when camming around SL. For a static image, you can always move the camera after focusing it.

Anybody out there know a way to manually focus the camera, other than by pointing at things?

[oberon Zuta]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

I don't know of a way to manually set the focal distance, other than alt-click. I don't think this would be needed except for either machinima, or for personal enjoyment when camming around SL. For a static image, you can always move the camera after focusing it.

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Hi Madelaine -

thank you for your input - but see - if u work with the maximum focal length the littlest move with the hud is like a worldtravel ...

and if u set u r cam properly and u r frame set well - maybe u think .. hmmm lets drive with the focus layer a bit. I dont talk about scheimpflug - only the focus distance. The most shot i did are coincidently. I try as much as i have the focus on a good part, then i make the shoot. But in our world is all calculated - and i guess even the focus distance. I miss a little wheel for dirving with the focus forward and back - i talk only about static pics - photography - not machimia.

thanks - oberon

[Jackson Redstar]

alt+ click on the subject you want focused. then use the ctrl+alt+arrow keys to pan/rotate, and shift+ctrl+alt+arrow keys to shift

[oberon Zuta]

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Jackson Redstar wrote:

alt+ click on the subject you want focused. then use the ctrl+alt+arrow keys to pan/rotate, and shift+ctrl+alt+arrow keys to shift

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Hello Jackson

yes - thats true but if i have a closeup the shift for one keystroke is around 1/3 of the face in 1000mm focal lenght ...

I will place this problem in the scripting section too of this forum because  i found this:

LlSetCameraParams

See i survived the change from analog Photography to digital Photography i m sure i will survive the revoution to inworld Photography too

[Madeline Blackbart]

I think llsetcameraparems changes your camera setting for you to a set point. I don't think it will help you much TBH unless you know where yo u want your camera to be in the first place. I think you may be having a bit of trouble clearly saying what you needin english so perhaps also post this in the forum for your native language? They might no the answer and you may have an easier time explaining what you want to them

[Madelaine McMasters]

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oberon Zuta wrote:

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

I don't know of a way to manually set the focal distance, other than alt-click. I don't think this would be needed except for either machinima, or for personal enjoyment when camming around SL. For a static image, you can always move the camera after focusing it.

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Hi Madelaine -

thank you for your input - but see - if u work with the maximum focal length the littlest move with the hud is like a worldtravel ...

and if u set u r cam properly and u r frame set well - maybe u think .. hmmm lets drive with the focus layer a bit. I dont talk about scheimpflug - only the focus distance. The most shot i did are coincidently. I try as much as i have the focus on a good part, then i make the shoot. But in our world is all calculated - and i guess even the focus distance. I miss a little wheel for dirving with the focus forward and back - i talk only about static pics - photography - not machimia.

thanks - oberon

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I think I get it. In RL, you compose your photo in the viewfinder, then manually turn the focus ring to get the most pleasing overall look for the image. I don't know how to do this directly in SL. You could script a HUD that uses llSetCameraParams to move the focus spot back and forth from your current view.

I think I have a little script that puts up a two button HUD that remembers a camera position when one button is clicked, and can return to that camera position when the other button is clicked. That could probably be altered to move the camera focus back and forth. Unfortunately, the way camera focus is determined in SL is not as a distance from the camera, but as an absolute coordinate position on the sim. You'd have to work out the camera's position, then compute the coordinates of a point ahead of the camera by the focal distance you want. I've no idea how smoothly this would work, but it's worth a try.

I won't be in-world for a few hours, but I will go looking for that camera thingie and forward it to you.

Oh, and call me Maddy, I can't spell Madelaine!

[oberon Zuta]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

 

I think I have a little script that puts up a two button HUD that remembers a camera position when one button is clicked, and can return to that camera position when the other button is clicked. That could probably be altered to move the camera focus back and forth. Unfortunately, the way camera focus is determined in SL is not as a distance from the camera, but as an absolute coordinate position on the sim. You'd have to work out the camera's position, then compute the coordinates of a point ahead of the camera by the focal distance you want. I've no idea how smoothly this would work, but it's worth a try.

 

Hi Maddy

i guess thats exactly what i search for!

[oberon Zuta]

Hi Madeline

yes - u are right - my english is poor - lets talk the images!

example

If i have this frame with this little light spot on the nose and probably i decide to set the layer of sharpnes on the other eye without moving the camera not a half millimeter - how to do? Exist a HUD for that somewhere?

 

Thank you for any ideas - Oberon

[Madelaine McMasters]

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oberon Zuta wrote:

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

 

I think I have a little script that puts up a two button HUD that remembers a camera position when one button is clicked, and can return to that camera position when the other button is clicked. That could probably be altered to move the camera focus back and forth. Unfortunately, the way camera focus is determined in SL is not as a distance from the camera, but as an absolute coordinate position on the sim. You'd have to work out the camera's position, then compute the coordinates of a point ahead of the camera by the focal distance you want. I've no idea how smoothly this would work, but it's worth a try.

 

Hi Maddy

i guess thats exactly what i search for!

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This isn't quite what you are searching for, but it might be a start. I don't get in-world often, but next time I do, I'll hunt for this HUD.

Then comes the bigger task of changing the script so that it moves the focal point target of the camera without actually moving the camera. This will require computing coordinates along the light of sight of the camera. That requires more thinking than I'm able to afford at the moment!

[oberon Zuta]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

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That requires more thinking than I'm able to afford at the moment!

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Hi Maddy - i do understand this - is not that i beg for a solution or that i'm totally dim in scripting, but before i try to do a thing like this - i may ask wheter it exists already ...

 

Thank u very much for your help!

[oberon Zuta]

Hello Community

in this video in the first scene happens exactly what i search for!

The sharpnes layer (focus point) changes without moving the camera from background to foreground. Is this called 'focus point tracking'?

[Madelaine McMasters]

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oberon Zuta wrote:

Hello Community

in this video in the first scene happens exactly what i search for!

The sharpnes layer (focus point) changes without moving the camera from background to foreground. Is this called 'focus point tracking'?

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Oooh, oooh, oooh... I figured it out!

That video was done in "Mouselook" mode. Enable DOF, then go into mouselook and cam around. The camera will focus on the center of the frame. If you hold down the "option"(Mac) or "alt"(PC?) key, the camera will no longer pan as you mouse around, but the camera will focus on whatever the cursor is over. If you let go of the "alt" key, you can then take a snapshot!

[oberon Zuta]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

 

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Oooh, oooh, oooh... I figured it out!

That video was done in "Mouselook" mode. Enable DOF, then go into mouselook and cam around. The camera will focus on the center of the frame. If you hold down the "option"(Mac) or "alt"(PC?) key, the camera will no longer pan as you mouse around, but the camera will focus on whatever the cursor is over. If you let go of the "alt" key, you can then take a snapshot!

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hmmm maddy - sorry - yes thats great - but in mouslook i can't work - is not possible with the camera to pan around the object - only to pan around me. But in the videodescripten i read: 'It still needs a few bugs worked out (focus point tracking only works in flycam mode) but the effect looks great.' Fly Cam is the contrary of mouselook - isn't it?

 

[Madelaine McMasters]

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oberon Zuta wrote:

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

 

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Oooh, oooh, oooh... I figured it out!

That video was done in "Mouselook" mode. Enable DOF, then go into mouselook and cam around. The camera will focus on the center of the frame. If you hold down the "option"(Mac) or "alt"(PC?) key, the camera will no longer pan as you mouse around, but the camera will focus on whatever the cursor is over. If you let go of the "alt" key, you can then take a snapshot!

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hmmm maddy - sorry - yes thats great - but in mouslook i can't work - is not possible with the camera to pan around the object - only to pan around me. But in the videodescripten i read: 'It still needs a few bugs worked out (focus point tracking only works in flycam mode) but the effect looks great.' Fly Cam is the contrary of mouselock - isn't it?

 

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There are limitations in mouselook camera movement, as the only way to change the camera position is to change the avatar position, and that can be blocked by objects. I'll try to work on the script in my simple camera HUD later today.

[oberon Zuta]

Hi Maddy

i watched the video with the fox one more time and recognized that the first szene is not in the mouslook because there is only a mousepointer not the crosshair sign.

technic - Second Life 3.6.1, OpenGL Version: 2.1 ATI-1.6.36, OS X 10.6.8