Rotate scene around selected object-how?
wofford_0a9574e29f
Posts: 2
Seems there should be a way to select an object then rotate the scene, keeping the selected object centered. What am I missing?
Comments
Select the object/figure, then right-click on the framing icon in the viewport controls. That makes it an aim control, as in "aim the camera there" without zooming in or out, like the "frame view" does.
Or select the object/fighure and press CTRL+SHIFT+A.
CTRL+Shift+A works great; many thanks. But I've yet to find a "framing icon" in vieport controls, mine just gives the option for the number of viewports, with no mention of "frame" or "orbit" or whatever. I've attached an image file showing what my viewport controls look like, I've got the feeling I'm missing something simple. The ultimate goal here is to have the girl dancing on the rocks, something to go with a music video I'm working on.
It's the control that looks like a targeting reticule in the stack at the upper right. Hover the mouse over it for a quick tip, and check the status bar at the bottom of the window (if it's on) for a more verbose description.
That did the trick, I appreciate all the help, especially the image showing the correct icon. And by extension, when one window opens others then follow in quick order. I now have a deeper understanding of the whole program. Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate it very much.
So there ARE hot keys in Daz! Might there be a list? Don't suppose they're configruable.
Not a full list that I know of, but they can be found in the Customize popup (F3). Expand the Action groups to see which, if any, have shortcut keys. Right click an entry for options.
Most actions in DS are configurable in the Customise dialog (F3). By right-clicking an entry, you can change the shortcut key, icon, etc. In addition, you can customise anything you like in the content library as well. Say you want to assign a shortcut to a figure, prop or pose file. Right-click the thumbnail, choose 'Create Custom Action'. Then go to Customise and expand the Custom entry in the left-hand pane. You'll see your new action and you can assign a shortcut to it.
You can aslo drag these actions to a toolbar, give them icons, etc. I have all my most-used stuff on custom toolbars.
PS I believe there's a simple script which you can run to list all the current shortcuts in use. Perhaps Richard Haseltine posted it somwehere?
As I started with Daz Studio I wanted my shortcuts for scene navigation (Orbit, Pan, Zoom) like I'm used to in other programs.
Otherwise I couldn't efectivly work with the program and I resisted to use the view control icons because this slows you down moving your mouse up there all the time.
The most used and also the first shortcut I press for me is Ctrl+F = Frame Selection. It will focus the current view: eg. Prespective or Camera on the current scene selection - it is like setting the pivot point / origin for the camera to orbit around and zoom in on. You will need to Fame or Aim at the selection before you use Orbit or Zoom to define this hidden focus point for the view. Otherwise the current view will point somwhere but not where you want it and the camera does strange things if you orbit and zoom.
Another thing you can do is select a spotlight as the current view and aim those at some scene selection making it easier to lit up selected things in the scene.
Here I made a Viewport Navigation Guide with hopefully everything in one image. It shows where to find all the viewport controls and where to change the shortcuts.
At the bottom of the Customize dialog you will find the Viewport shotcuts and the Mouse Button Modifiers. Those where the very first shortcuts I changed in Daz Studio to something I was used to from other 3D software. Since then my workflow had become much faster.
The Aim At is often overseen likewise the multible functions of the View Control icons in the upper right. As I first saw the Quick Info pop up I didn't understand RMB = RightMousButton / LMB = LeftMouseButton and I never learned the second righht-click function. Another example is the Vintage function of the Viewport Cube: left-click one side or edge or corner to aling the current view to that angle - that I wish I had known earlier.
I think it is a shame that all this isn't very well documented making it had for beginners. So I created a thread with collecting and quote some of my posts dedicated to everything about customizing Daz Studio shortcuts and the interface.
How to Customize Daz Studio - to speed up Workflow!? [WIP]
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/samples/actions/action_accelerators/start
I tryed this script once but the downside is you get a popup dialog with a scrollable list box but the dialog is not resizable so you never see the full list.
Recently I was looking at the script code to find a way to resize the dialog or to add a button to save the list as a text file. But I have no expirience with constructing those dialog Widgets or how they are called.
If you realy want to see a complete list of all the shortcuts open the Daz Studio configuration file in a text editor %AppData%\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio4\actions.dsx.
I show a few lines of this file with the customizations I made in my thread:
My customized Keyboard Shortcuts
You should be able to select the text and copy it to a text editor.
Thanks again Northof. I'd never have found it there.
Well I wasn't thinking about that I thought too complicated about rewirting the script to do that. Once you have it as a text file you could also print it out to have it on paper next to your monitor for example.
Ya, as that's where I started to find out about them & nada. I've bookmarked your link though & greatly appreciate that.
Frankly the entire UI needs reworking too, but that's another battle.
This is too funny. Literally for years I have been struggling with rotating the camera and keeping the right distance without the camera doing cartwheels all over the scene. Then just now Is tumbled upon this thread. All this dam time all I had to do was Cntrl/shft/A? I don't know if I want to laugh or cry right now.