Unfamiliar with the inner workings of cameras, but...
dissentrix
Posts: 70
...I was wondering whether it was possible to stop the "focal distance" parameter from automatically changing, in the "Camera" tab - or alternatively dynamically remaining in "lock-step" with your zoom, so to speak. When you zoom into stuff, it results in the headlamp becoming incredibly dark (I can only assume it has to do with the original focus of the camera changing). I like to use the headlamp in my more "casual" renders, so it's a bit annoying.
I have tried locking the focal distance, which mainly results in the camera not focusing/rotating around properly on objects when you View Frame - it seems to be locked to the point of origin (0,0,0) of the image in terms of actual point of reference. I guess the question is, would it be possible to "update" the new point of origin for the lighting to work correctly?
Apologies if this is a dumb question that ignores the reality of how cameras work; would appreciate any insight.
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This seems to be a headlamp issue i also suffer from, if i say use viewport to zoom the camera around with the arrow keys in free cam movement mode sometimes the headlamp will change directions and lock elsewhere taking all light off the subject in front of the camera like the headlamp turned off but it isn't off it facing the wrong angle somewhere else in the scene because the headlamp hasn't followed the current camera at a set distance, either that or the lamp is way to bright because you zoomed in then used arrow keys in free movement mode to change angle to zoom back out leaving the headlamp way to close in its last position because it never followed your new position, sometimes using scroll wheel on the mouse will correct the focus or you muck about with it till the head lamp is back in right location, try changing camera maybe the light will throw it'self back into order by using a mode not associated with the current settings that your using, thats if you have set different render modes to different cams that you have locked, say you save a render profile then associate it too one of your cameras but perspective mode needs to be changed to your new render settings as default or vice versa
Focal Distance or Focal length? Focal length is zoom (though you can also move the camera, Dolly in the tool top).
No, definitely focal distance. It's beneath the "depth of field on/off" button.
I've never experienced this specific aspect of it - I don't use the arrow keys to move the camera, I zoom using the mouse, pan and orbit (and view frame) using the buttons in the top-right corner of the viewport. I don't really understand what you mean otherwise, apologies.
Right now the workaround I've been using is "resetting" the focal distance parameter after I zoom in, fixing the lighting - but that said, it focuses back on (I believe?) the center of the image when I do so, similarly to when I try to lock it.
What do you mean by "zoom", and what do you mean by "headlamp". And you're in Iray preview?
Are you zooming by physically moving the camera, or by adjusting the focal length (the typical way to zoom a camera lens)? And is the "headlamp" the "Render Settings/General/Auto Headlamp"?
I did a quick setup and don't see a variation in headlamp light as the camera moves. I'm confused.
Ok what i mean is you can set your free movement using the wsad keys to pan the camera around, usually it's locked but you can unlock it by hitting the keyboard icon along the top of the viewport so you can just pan around to get the angle you need like a game, useful for setting up poses or parenting props at different angles so it sits on the right portion of the mesh, etc parent gun to lower abdomen for a gun holster with the position and angle you want the gun to sit in. When you move the camrea around using the wsad direction keys sometimes the headlamp doesn't follow the camera position and stays in the last place or moves to a different angle due to your panning around it seems to lose track of your current camera position and you lose all light in the scene like the headlamp is turned off but it's not because its somewhere else in the scene focusing on another area is what i mean by my previous statement.
More then likely the headlamp has been thrown right off scene into the gray area where it's not effecting the central postion of the current camera your using, sometimes switiching camera perspectives by using another camera will aline the light and focus to the right distance where it will light up the entire scene again with a normal amount of zoomed light for the distance the camera is sitting from your targeted prop or character.
I "zoom" using the mouse wheel, physically, to move the camera around. I'm in "texture shaded" preview, but it's the same thing when I render - I also render using 3Delight, not Iray.
So, if you "View Frame" on, say, an object in a room, and then zoom in physically using the mouse wheel - the focal distance will change, to the point that the headlamp light gets all funky and out-of-focus. This is especially bad if:
A) You've selected an object to focus on, but then try to zoom in on, for instance, a character that's in front of the object by moving the camera around;
B) You do an extreme close-up on a character/object's features.
Truth be told, I had no idea "focal length" was the usual way to zoom the camera in DAZ (or do you just mean in general, for physical cameras?) - I like the quickness associated with physically zooming the wheel.
Oh, I see - yeah, I don't use keyboard navigation. Thanks for informing me though, I'd never even really noticed the button. EDIT: And upon testing, it actually seems like a decent way to zoom in quickly into large scenes, because when you View Frame a scene element that's part of some really big scene (even if it's a smaller one), sometimes the camera will zoom out miles away for whatever reason, and in that case the mouse wheel zoom is super slow. So thanks, this is actually quite helpful!
I can agree with your theory about what's happening to the headlamp - I thought myself it was because the camera's light remained focused on the object from the specific point of view I jumped to, when I used the "View Frame" button. What you describe seems consistent with my experience, in that it doesn't follow the reduced Focal Distance (or alternatively, goes all funky and dark) when physically zooming in on characters. By "switching camera perspectives", do you mean switching to another camera, then switching back? Or outright positioning another camera in the same spot as the main one?
I see really what the main issue is with the Headlamp it's because it's not a Headlamp that follows the main perspective or other camara modes its just a light facing from one direction in the scene so if you are to make full use of the head lamp at certain distances you must move your scene toward the left of the screen by rotating the whole scene as this is the side the headlamp is facing the more you turn into that light the brighter it gets no matter what distance you are from the scene.
Below are some shots i did yesterday showing how light changes just by moving the prop to the left and focusing all the headlamp light on the target.
Now if i rotate that boat further to the left the light will be so bright it's almost like the headlamp is right next to the boat so if your using the headlamp always remember the light is stongest to the left side of the screen and to highlight anything you must rotate the whole scene and props if you want to make use of the headlamp light, darker rotate right, bright rotate left.