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Using a Supplied Camera Path
This section addresses the case where you have been supplied with an existing camera translation path, either from a motion-controlled camera rig, or as a result of hand-editing a previous camera solution, which can be useful in marginal tracks where you have a good idea what the desired camera motion is. After editing the path, you want to find the best orientation data for the given path.
If you have an existing camera path in an external application (either from a rig, or after editing in maya or max, for example), typically you will import it using Filmbox or
a standard or custom camera-path import script. Be sure that the solved camera path is cleared first, so that the seed path is loaded.
If you have a solved camera path in SynthEyes, you can edit it directly. First, select the camera, and hit the Blast button on the 3-D panel. This transfers the path data from the solved path store into the seed path store. Clear the solved path and edit the seed path.
Rewind and turn on all 3 camera axis locks: L/R, F/B, and U/D.
Next, configure the solver’s seeding method. This requires some care. You can use the Path Seeding method only if your existing path includes correct orientation and field of view data . Otherwise, you can use the Automatic method or maybe Seed Points. The Refine mode is not an option since you have already cleared the solution to load the seed path, and don’t have orientation data anyway or you’d use Path Seeding.
You can use Seed Points mode if you are editing the path in SynthEyes—but be sure to hit the Set All button on the Coordinate System Setup Control panel before clearing the prior solution, so that the points are set up properly as seeds. You should probably not make them locks, unless you are confident of the positions already.
With the camera path locked to a complex path (other than a straight line), no further coordinate system setup is required, or it will be redundant.
You can solve the scene first with the Constrain checkbox off, then switch to Refine mode, turn on Constrain, and solve again. This will make it apparent during the second solve whether or not you have any problems in your constraint setup, instead of having a solution fail unexpectedly due to conflicting constraints the first time.
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