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Camera Activation via Viewports


willofmaine

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When editing a camera via a viewport, I wish that, by default, the camera would be activated upon reaching the design layer. It's not ideal spending time positioning a camera only to find, after returning to and updating the viewport, that the camera has in fact not been repositioned. VWIS087

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Hi Jim,

Just to clarify, when I right-click on a viewport and select "Edit Camera," I'm taken to the design layer and presented with the camera's view, and the camera is selected, all as expected. However, in the OIP, the button says "Activate Camera" and, indeed, it needs to be activated before adjusting the view, otherwise, after returning to the viewport and updating it, the original camera review remains unchanged.

Let me know if you were able to replicate and bug submit...

Thanks! -Will

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hi Jim,

Just to clarify, when I right-click on a viewport and select "Edit Camera," I'm taken to the design layer and presented with the camera's view, and the camera is selected, all as expected. However, in the OIP, the button says "Activate Camera" and, indeed, it needs to be activated before adjusting the view, otherwise, after returning to the viewport and updating it, the original camera review remains unchanged.

Let me know if you were able to replicate and bug submit...

Thanks! -Will

That should be what it's doing when you use Edit Camera, activating automatically, if it isn't intended behavior I'll file it as needed.

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Almost four years later, and I still wish that cameras would be automatically activated when editing them via a viewport.  If not for me (most of the time I remember to activate them...) then at least for people new to Vectorworks.  Along with saving users some time and frustration, it might help expand any perception that Vectorworks is intuitive...

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In recent experience it's not necessary to activate the camera when editing a VP camera. The changes will take effect regardless. I don't understand why this is (seems like the camera should activated for the changes to stick) or whether this is new behaviour...

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7 hours ago, Tom W. said:

In recent experience it's not necessary to activate the camera when editing a VP camera. The changes will take effect regardless.

 

I have not found this to be the case, even in recent betas.

Perhaps this is only for viewports that don't actually contain a camera? Because in that context things do work smoothly.

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Andy Broomell said:

 

I have not found this to be the case, even in recent betas.

Perhaps this is only for viewports that don't actually contain a camera? Because in that context things do work smoothly.

 

 

 

You're right sorry. I have been creating VPs by duplicating an original camera-created VP then entering the edit mode for the new camera, moving it to a new position + generating a new VP. But I think it's all been in Top/Plan so I haven't needed to activate the camera at any point. I wondered why I wasn't having to activate it! Thanks

 

 

 

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Just now, Tom W. said:

moving it to a new position + generating a new VP. But I think it's all been in Top/Plan so I haven't needed to activate the camera at any point.

 

 

This actually hints at the central intricacy of this issue which I'll describe further in case others stumble upon this thread:

 

Cameras don't need to be activated to be used for a viewport. They just have to be selected.

 

However, in order for 3D navigation changes to apply to the camera it must be activated. Otherwise you're just changing your view and it has nothing to do with the camera.

 

So in your example, since you're changing the camera object in Top/Plan, you're obviously changing the camera. But if you were to enter the viewport and stay in the 3D view and simply alter the POV in 3D (walkthrough tool, flyover, zoom, pan, etc.) then the camera isn't being changed at all (unless it was manually activated it first, hence the issue).

 

So when you then return to the viewport and hit update it seems like the changes "didn't take effect" - but that's because you didn't actually change the camera at all. It almost sees like a bug, but it's not. It's working exactly as designed. The issue with the design is simply that the camera doesn't get automatically activated upon entering the Edit VP Camera context.

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Ok I'm really confused now. I'm editing my camera in 3D view I can use Fine Tune Camera View to edit the camera distance, edit the pan, move the camera left or right, change the zoom... + all of this is taking effect in the VP without activating the camera... So contrary to what I said in my last post it's not just a Top/Plan phenomenon...?

 

The camera is 'linked' to the VP + I've never totally understood what that meant: the camera is there on the design layer when you go to edit it but it 'lives' in the VP...? It's still a camera for the purposes of this discussion right?

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41 minutes ago, Andy Broomell said:

So in your example, since you're changing the camera object in Top/Plan, you're obviously changing the camera. But if you were to enter the viewport and stay in the 3D view and simply alter the POV in 3D (walkthrough tool, flyover, zoom, pan, etc.) then the camera isn't being changed at all (unless it was manually activated it first, hence the issue).

 

Ok I think I understand now: any change you make via the camera will take effect without activating the camera first, because like you say you are kind of activating the camera by default by the act of manipulating it. But any action which involves moving yourself as the viewer (walkthrough, flyover, etc) you need to pick up the camera first + take it with you so to speak which is where the activation comes in. Otherwise you might be just going for a stroll + want to leave the camera where it is...

 

All this makes much more sense - is more intuitive - on the design layer but is quite confusing in the context of a VP, which I guess is the whole point here! Thanks for explaining. Wish upvoted...

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28 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

Ok I'm really confused now. I'm editing my camera in 3D view I can use Fine Tune Camera View to edit the camera distance, edit the pan, move the camera left or right, change the zoom... + all of this is taking effect in the VP without activating the camera... So contrary to what I said in my last post it's not just a Top/Plan phenomenon...?

 

Yes anything you do directly to the Camera in the OIP will take effect. Really the only thing that requires "Activating" the camera is if you want to move around your view interactively in the main drawing area and expect the camera object to follow. (Edit: just saw your second post... yep!!)

 

28 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

The camera is 'linked' to the VP + I've never totally understood what that meant: the camera is there on the design layer when you go to edit it but it 'lives' in the VP...? It's still a camera for the purposes of this discussion right?

That's about right. I don't think it's a well-designed system, but that's what it is. And on that topic here's another post to upvote if you haven't already 😉

 

 

Edited by Andy Broomell
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My experience is as follows:

 

I right-click on a Viewport that's linked to a camera and select "Edit Camera."

 

Upon reaching the design layer, I manipulate the view as desired.  Upon returning to the Viewport, if I failed to manually Activate the camera, my view is not updated as desired.

 

So "Edit Camera" is misleading and most certainly counter-intuitive.  If it's working as designed, maybe it should be changed to "Edit Design Layer with Camera Selected" (which currently appears to be the only difference between "Edit Camera" and "Edit Design Layer;" they're practically redundant).  Alternatively, and maybe preferably, the design should be changed so that when editing a camera the camera is automatically activated... 

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

 

Ok I think I understand now: any change you make via the camera will take effect without activating the camera first, because like you say you are kind of activating the camera by default by the act of manipulating it. But any action which involves moving yourself as the viewer (walkthrough, flyover, etc) you need to pick up the camera first + take it with you so to speak which is where the activation comes in. Otherwise you might be just going for a stroll + want to leave the camera where it is...

Right, and that's why "Fine Tune Camera" updates the view as expected, because you're explicitly manipulating the camera.

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