How to move camera the best way

[Gabriel Isodo]

This question because I realise that moving the camera is one of the thing I don't know. I use the mouse and I click on the arrow. But it is very hard to go where I want. And When I record the screen I don't want to see the arrow. 

Do you have other way to move the camera in better way?

[Wulfie Reanimator]

If you hold the Alt key, you can click anywhere on your screen and your camera will focus there.

You can keep holding the left mouse button down while moving the mouse, this way you can rotate the camera and zoom in/out.

You can also orbit/pan the camera with Control/Shift (while using the mouse and holding Alt.)

Edited April 2 by Wulfie Reanimator

[AmeliaJ08]

Alt key + hold click is the easiest and pretty much all I use. You can combine it with ctrl and shift for other movements but I find alt is enough for me.

The camera controls are useful when taking pictures though, get the rough position using alt+ hold click and then the camera control buttons/sliders allow for fine adjustment by small amounts with a single click of each.

 

Edited April 2 by AmeliaJ08

[Jackson Redstar]

you can use the alt + mouse to move the camera and you some cam smoothing (assuming you are on Firestorm) You can also use (with some cam smoothing) alt + arrow keys, that will give you rotate left/right/up/down and while holding alt key press the ctrl key the up/down arrow keys will now give you a tilt up/down. Note this also works holding down these keys and moving your mouse. Finally you have pan left/right/up/down if you hold down the shift+ctrl+alt and use the arrow keys - but - the cam smoothing does not work when panning (sure wish it did!) but for basic movements while filming you can get great results just using alt, alt + ctrl, arrow keys and cam smoothing or the same alt, alt+ ctrl plus cam smoothing and the mouse. Takes a little practice to get all that coordinated

[SandorWren]

5 hours ago, Jackson Redstar said:

you can use the alt + mouse to move the camera and you some cam smoothing (assuming you are on Firestorm) You can also use (with some cam smoothing) alt + arrow keys, that will give you rotate left/right/up/down and while holding alt key press the ctrl key the up/down arrow keys will now give you a tilt up/down. Note this also works holding down these keys and moving your mouse. Finally you have pan left/right/up/down if you hold down the shift+ctrl+alt and use the arrow keys - but - the cam smoothing does not work when panning (sure wish it did!) but for basic movements while filming you can get great results just using alt, alt + ctrl, arrow keys and cam smoothing or the same alt, alt+ ctrl plus cam smoothing and the mouse. Takes a little practice to get all that coordinated

It certainly does take practice. And it's hard to remember if I haven't recorded video in a bit. What drives me nuts is whatever I use the alt left MB on get's centered on the screen.  Focus follow cursor won't work with video recording, since the cursor gets recorded too!!!

 This why it would be nice if our SL cameras could record video. If it can show a "clean" screen with our cameras, it should be able to with video recording too (if it was implemented).

Edited April 2 by Bagnu

[Wulfie Reanimator]

19 hours ago, Bagnu said:

It certainly does take practice. And it's hard to remember if I haven't recorded video in a bit. What drives me nuts is whatever I use the alt left MB on get's centered on the screen.  Focus follow cursor won't work with video recording, since the cursor gets recorded too!!!

 This why it would be nice if our SL cameras could record video. If it can show a "clean" screen with our cameras, it should be able to with video recording too (if it was implemented).

Any good recording software has an option to not record the mouse cursor.

[NiranV Dean]

1 hour ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

Any good recording software has an option to not record the mouse cursor.

Except NVidia Share/Shadowplay.

[Wulfie Reanimator]

38 minutes ago, NiranV Dean said:

Except NVidia Share/Shadowplay.

I did say good. 😋 /s

[SandorWren]

7 minutes ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

I did say good. 😋 /s

LOL!!! There IS a reg mod NVIDIA provides that removes the cursor. I looked it up, and just installed it. Works fine. I just have to add the other reg mod if I want the cursor to show. But I'm not making instructional videos, so I don't need it. 

[Gabriel Isodo]

On 4/2/2024 at 12:55 PM, Wulfie Reanimator said:

If you hold the Alt key, you can click anywhere on your screen and your camera will focus there.

 

I try this and it does not work for me

[Qie Niangao]

Unless you're already familiar with what Wulfie and Amelia were explaining, maybe try the description in the Knowledge Base, specifically the section "Keyboard controls". This needs to be so over-practiced it's automatic—no temptation to "cheat" with on-screen controls—before even starting to think about screen recording and the more advanced techniques Jackson described.

[SandorWren]

2 hours ago, Qie Niangao said:

Unless you're already familiar with what Wulfie and Amelia were explaining, maybe try the description in the Knowledge Base, specifically the section "Keyboard controls". This needs to be so over-practiced it's automatic—no temptation to "cheat" with on-screen controls—before even starting to think about screen recording and the more advanced techniques Jackson described.

This isn't really necessary, and very encumbering on a day to day basis in using an SL viewer, unless someone is recording video constantly. It's like playing twister on the keyboard. At least for me it is. I can't type.

Edited April 3 by Bagnu

[SandorWren]

It works in Firestorm. Alt + left click mouse button.

[Ardy Lay]

I use OBS to record SL.  Hiding the mouse cursor is just an option there.  But OBS is a whole six-pack of cans of worms to master so probably not what you want just for recording.  I know I won't be tutoring anyone on OBS.

Sometimes I use a game controller to move my camera around.

Edited April 4 by Ardy Lay

[Qie Niangao]

11 hours ago, Bagnu said:

This isn't really necessary, and very encumbering on a day to day basis in using an SL viewer, unless someone is recording video constantly. It's like playing twister on the keyboard. At least for me it is. I can't type.

I wonder if we can be talking about the same thing. Granted, I avoid recording video (or even taking photos) so my needs are simple, but I cannot imagine navigating SL without using just the two alt-LMB and ctrl-alt-LMB drag gestures to position the cam, essentially instantly. No doubt, that "instantly" would be a problem for recording, though.

[AmeliaJ08]

3 hours ago, Qie Niangao said:

I wonder if we can be talking about the same thing. Granted, I avoid recording video (or even taking photos) so my needs are simple, but I cannot imagine navigating SL without using just the two alt-LMB and ctrl-alt-LMB drag gestures to position the cam, essentially instantly. No doubt, that "instantly" would be a problem for recording, though.

Same, it just became utterly natural and I don't even think about it when I do it. It's something I have to remind myself to mention to noobies even since I realized I was just assuming everyone was doing it.

Using SL without alt+left click moving the camera must be pain! I only realized I hadn't mentioned it when one noobie kept telling me she couldn't see the things I was trying point out

It's also why moving between Blender and SL is quite awkward due to the different camera control keyboard shortcuts, at least it is for me. I spend enough time in one and then try to use the same key combos in the other.

 

[Bubblesort Triskaidekaphobia]

I've been playing with OBS to record video lately.  It's really not that hard.  Open Firestorm, then OBS, then pick Firestorm as an input.  Set up an output by hitting the Settings button (bottom right corner of OBS) > Output tab on left side, and give it a recording path.  Then hit apply, ok, and you are set to click record, and you're rolling!  I'm pretty sure not recording the cursor is the default, but if not, it's simple to change, they didn't hide the cursor setting or anything.  Just hit the cog in the sources list, then uncheck Capture Cursor.  It's not a complicated program for the average SL user, IMHO, unless you are trying to livestream, but I am pretty sure SL is banned on all major livestreaming platforms, like Twitch.  Might livestream to only fans or link your video to lovense, or something, IDK.  It can be complicated if you do that stuff.  Shooting simple video is simple, though.

I can't shoot without setting up cam smoothing in my viewer.  My shots are just too jerky and jumpy.  I also use some cam smoothing just to navigate SL, ever since I started tinkering with it.

Cam smoothing is in World > Photo and Video > Cameratools > Cam smoothing

It defaults to 1.000.  Try changing it to 2.000.  Doesn't that just feel nicer?  It does to me.  That's what I use as my walking around cam smoothing setting.

When I'm doing machinima, I play with it a lot, bumping it up to 5-10, sometimes 20.  Bumping it up to 100 can give you a really cool crane shot or drone cam type effect, if you know what you're doing.

Tip:  I find it easier to cam out than cam in with smoothing at ridiculous numbers like 100.  If I'm doing that, I like to set the smoothing, then cam close on the subject, and pull back from the subject, and back out the window until I get the whole building in the shot.  Then, in post (using Premiere), I reverse the video for an establishing shot of the building, that flies in through the window, to land on the subject perfectly.  Of course, you can't change cam smoothing on the fly easily, as far as I know, so you have to cut after that (unless you want to shoot your whole scene in reverse), so it's not a way to run a massive one shot that will impress film school professors, but it's a way to crane a good establishing shot into the subject smoothly.  Takes some practice to hit that window and building, though.

Cam smoothing doesn't work on pan, at all, which is annoying, at first... but you can turn that bug into a feature!  Try this:

Crank your cam smoothing up to 20 and cam around a bit.  It's kind of hard to control, but not impossible, right?  You are just drifting a lot.  When you are drifting and want to stop, hold shift and pan just a teeny tiny bit.  The drift instantly stops.  It's like a brake on a car.  You can stop the cam smoothed orbiting motion on a dime if you do it right, but it takes practice.  If you are doing this with extreme cam smoothing at something like 100, sometimes the cam snaps to where it's going too fast, and you end up with a jump cut that you probably didn't intend to make.

It's too bad there doesn't seem to be a way to smooth a pan, because that would be really nice to have.  I've played with the camera lag setting and zoom speed and other things, but panning seems un-modifiable.  Pan smoothing might make a good JIRA feature request, if JIRA still existed.  I don't even know where to make feature requests now that it's gone.  Someday I'll look it up.

[AmeliaJ08]

17 minutes ago, Bubblesort Triskaidekaphobia said:

I've been playing with OBS to record video lately.  It's really not that hard.  Open Firestorm, then OBS, then pick Firestorm as an input.  Set up an output by hitting the Settings button (bottom right corner of OBS) > Output tab on left side, and give it a recording path.  Then hit apply, ok, and you are set to click record, and you're rolling!  I'm pretty sure not recording the cursor is the default, but if not, it's simple to change, they didn't hide the cursor setting or anything.  Just hit the cog in the sources list, then uncheck Capture Cursor.  It's not a complicated program for the average SL user, IMHO, unless you are trying to livestream, but I am pretty sure SL is banned on all major livestreaming platforms, like Twitch.  Might livestream to only fans or link your video to lovense, or something, IDK.  It can be complicated if you do that stuff.  Shooting simple video is simple, though.

I can't shoot without setting up cam smoothing in my viewer.  My shots are just too jerky and jumpy.  I also use some cam smoothing just to navigate SL, ever since I started tinkering with it.

Cam smoothing is in World > Photo and Video > Cameratools > Cam smoothing

It defaults to 1.000.  Try changing it to 2.000.  Doesn't that just feel nicer?  It does to me.  That's what I use as my walking around cam smoothing setting.

When I'm doing machinima, I play with it a lot, bumping it up to 5-10, sometimes 20.  Bumping it up to 100 can give you a really cool crane shot or drone cam type effect, if you know what you're doing.

Tip:  I find it easier to cam out than cam in with smoothing at ridiculous numbers like 100.  If I'm doing that, I like to set the smoothing, then cam close on the subject, and pull back from the subject, and back out the window until I get the whole building in the shot.  Then, in post (using Premiere), I reverse the video for an establishing shot of the building, that flies in through the window, to land on the subject perfectly.  Of course, you can't change cam smoothing on the fly easily, as far as I know, so you have to cut after that (unless you want to shoot your whole scene in reverse), so it's not a way to run a massive one shot that will impress film school professors, but it's a way to crane a good establishing shot into the subject smoothly.  Takes some practice to hit that window and building, though.

Cam smoothing doesn't work on pan, at all, which is annoying, at first... but you can turn that bug into a feature!  Try this:

Crank your cam smoothing up to 20 and cam around a bit.  It's kind of hard to control, but not impossible, right?  You are just drifting a lot.  When you are drifting and want to stop, hold shift and pan just a teeny tiny bit.  The drift instantly stops.  It's like a brake on a car.  You can stop the cam smoothed orbiting motion on a dime if you do it right, but it takes practice.  If you are doing this with extreme cam smoothing at something like 100, sometimes the cam snaps to where it's going too fast, and you end up with a jump cut that you probably didn't intend to make.

It's too bad there doesn't seem to be a way to smooth a pan, because that would be really nice to have.  I've played with the camera lag setting and zoom speed and other things, but panning seems un-modifiable.  Pan smoothing might make a good JIRA feature request, if JIRA still existed.  I don't even know where to make feature requests now that it's gone.  Someday I'll look it up.

JIRA has been replaced with this, feature requests go here: https://feedback.secondlife.com/

No smoothing on pan does seem odd and almost sounds like a bug, I've never tried it and never noticed but if its present for all other movements I would assume it is simply broken for pan.

[SandorWren]

7 hours ago, Qie Niangao said:

I wonder if we can be talking about the same thing. Granted, I avoid recording video (or even taking photos) so my needs are simple, but I cannot imagine navigating SL without using just the two alt-LMB and ctrl-alt-LMB drag gestures to position the cam, essentially instantly. No doubt, that "instantly" would be a problem for recording, though.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I was talking about things like using CTRL+SHIFT+ALT and arrow keys to move the camera around. That drives me nuts. I never learned how to type, so I need to look at my keyboard when I'm positioning my fingers when I start that. That's hard with "on the fly" video, where a fraction of a second can mean missing what's happening.

[Jackson Redstar]

i know it is way off topic from the top post, but since we also talking about recording video i did a simple OBS tut a bit back

 

[SandorWren]

1 hour ago, Jackson Redstar said:

i know it is way off topic from the top post, but since we also talking about recording video i did a simple OBS tut a bit back

 

Thanks!! I have only used my NVIDIA Shadowplay to capture bits of SL video. I will give this a try for sure!!!

[NiranV Dean]

On 4/3/2024 at 5:55 PM, Bagnu said:

LOL!!! There IS a reg mod NVIDIA provides that removes the cursor. I looked it up, and just installed it. Works fine. I just have to add the other reg mod if I want the cursor to show. But I'm not making instructional videos, so I don't need it. 

i know, it requires restarting tho, i dont do that

Edited April 5 by NiranV Dean

[SandorWren]

8 minutes ago, NiranV Dean said:

iknow, it requires restarting ho, i dont do that

LOL, I used to be a ho, but not so much anymore. Restarting? I restarted my new PC about 10 times in the last half hour just to get "effing" Windows 11 to recognize that the TV I'm using as a monitor really IS 10 bit HDR!!!! Faece me!!! I'm pissed that I should have to do that!!! A reg mod really IS much easier.

[NiranV Dean]

4 hours ago, Bagnu said:

LOL, I used to be a ho, but not so much anymore. Restarting? I restarted my new PC about 10 times in the last half hour just to get "effing" Windows 11 to recognize that the TV I'm using as a monitor really IS 10 bit HDR!!!! Faece me!!! I'm pissed that I should have to do that!!! A reg mod really IS much easier.

Writing in SteamVR is hard when half your keypresses are skipped.

Also restarting is not an option when you want to keep 6 months of "undo" history in Visual Studio.

Edited April 5 by NiranV Dean

[SandorWren]

3 minutes ago, NiranV Dean said:

Writing in SteamVR is hard when half your keypresses are skipped.

Also restarting is not an option when you want to keep 6 months of "undo" history in Visual Studio.

Uggh....I don't know anything about Visual Studio.. But I get it.