Camera Tab Page

Use

The Camera tab page is available when you display the properties of an individual camera object. It enables you to modify the camera object including changing the field of view (FOV), the way in which the FOV is applied to the scene, and the camera’s target object.

Features

Field of View

For any viewport there are two field of views in effect; horizontal and vertical. For simplicity, you only need to specify one of these, and the other one is calculated based on the aspect ratio of the viewport. Note that it is only the ratio of width to height that is important; the actual size of the viewport is irrelevant. For example, if a camera is set to have a FOV of 30° applied horizontally, and the viewport is exactly square, the vertical FOV is also 30°.

By using the minimum from width/height value, the FOV is calculated and applied to either the viewport width or the height, whatever dimension is the lesser. Conversely, the maximum width and height value calculates and applies FOV to the viewport width or the height, whatever dimension is the greater. Therefore, if the 30° FOV is applied to the maximum from width/height, then 30° by 30° is the most that is ever seen of the scene.

If a scene is significantly longer in one direction than the other, and you want to capture the whole scene in one rendering, we recommend matching the FOV direction to the smallest dimension of the scene.



30° FOV applied horizontally on a wide model


30° FOV applied vertically on a wide model

Clipping Pane

The clipping plane lets you exclude some of a scene’s geometry to view or render only certain portions of the scene. Each camera has a near and a far clipping plane. Objects closer than the near clipping plane or further than the far clipping plane are invisible to the camera. Clipping planes are useful for rendering selected portions of a scene that have a lot of complex geometry. They can also help you create cutaway views. Clipping plane settings are part of the camera’s creation parameters.

The location of each clipping plane is measured along the camera’s line of sight (its local Z axis) in the current units for the scene.

By setting the distance between the camera and the camera clipping planes, you can select how far you can zoom in to and out from the model while still seeing the objects’ details. For example, if you reduce the near clipping plane distance, you are able to zoom in much further to the model and see more detail. Conversely, if you reduce the far clipping plane distance, objects seem to disappear much more quickly as you zoom out from the model.

Elements

Functional Description

Field of View (FOV)

Determines the angle of the field of view (FOV) to best fit a model in the scene. A low value displays a close up of the entire object, and a high value views the object from a greater distance.

FOV Direction Flyout

Used to select the direction with which the FOV angle is applied to the viewport (render target).

  • Minimum from width/height: Calculates and applies the FOV based on either the viewport width or height, whatever dimension is the lesser.

  • Maximum from width/height: Calculates and applies the FOV based on either the viewport width or height, whatever dimension is the greater.

  • Horizontally: Calculates and applies the FOV based on the width of the viewport.

  • Vertically: Calculates and applies the FOV based on the height of the viewport.

Target

Used to select the object on which the camera targets. If a target is used, you can turn the camera to focus on the target object and the object will always be centre of view. For example, if you create an auto fly-around.

Custom Clip-Plane

Enables the near and far cross section fields to determine the distance between the camera and the camera’s clipping planes.

  • Near clip-plane: Determines the distance between the camera and the near clipping plane.

  • Far clip-plane: Determines the distance between the camera and the far clipping plane.

Activate

Displays the scene through the current camera