| If you would like Cinema 4D to serve as a dolly rig, if | | | | just to the left of its tracking tag. If you click on this, |
| you would like to take control of your viewers | | | | your view will change to the perspective of your |
| perspective, introduce yourself to the tracking tag. In | | | | camera. This is a great development tool and you will |
| the infinite world of Cinema 4D textures and | | | | be able to use this view when you compose your |
| treatments there is a discreet world of 'tags' that | | | | movie too. |
| add special ability to your objects. | | | | Create a simple animation for your sphere. Have it |
| Most are very simple in concept but provide a | | | | move across the screen and maybe bump up and |
| service that might not be so simple if you tried to | | | | down a couple times. Review your animation dragging |
| create it or code it yourself. When you apply a tag | | | | across the timeline; now click this button to switch to |
| you will see an identifying thumbnail appear in the tag | | | | the camera view and review your animation again. |
| column. | | | | Now you see the motion from you camera's 'point of |
| The target tag thumbnail looks pretty much... like a | | | | view'. This is the essence of having a rig, of being |
| target. A simple introduction is to create a target | | | | able to direct your viewer's perspective and |
| camera by choosing from the light object pull down | | | | especially to lock it to the center of your story. |
| menu. Use any target you would like to work with or | | | | Controlling your viewer's experience is both powerful |
| for the simplicity of this exercise, create a primitive | | | | and subtle at the same time. When we are lost in the |
| object, a sphere or cube in the center of your stage. | | | | action of a movie, we rarely think how the view is |
| Choose 'Target Camera' and the first thing you will | | | | being created and controlled for us. |
| notice is that two objects appear in your object | | | | You notice that the 'target light' and 'target camera' |
| profile; a camera and a 'Camera.Target' object. To | | | | are presented in the 'Light Object' menu. Add a |
| 'bind' your new target camera to your subject, drag | | | | spotlight to your scene and with it chosen, choose |
| it underneath, making it a child of the object you will | | | | 'Tags'->'Cinema 4D Tags' and choose target from the |
| be tracking. Now, if you 'zero out' the coordinates for | | | | tag list. Now you have a target icon next to your |
| your camera target, after making it a child, its focus | | | | spotlight just as there is for the camera. If you drag |
| will be on the point of origin for this object. You can | | | | your 'Camera.Target' into the target object field of |
| adjust it, you may want to focus on the side of your | | | | your newly created spotlight, it too will bind to your |
| sphere, for example, or focus on the center of its | | | | subject, the center of your story. With this simple |
| front face but you are now positioning the focus of | | | | tag creation and locking to the same focus point, you |
| your camera in relation to a focus point on your | | | | will have your light locked with your camera as they |
| sphere. | | | | follow the star of your story. |
| Notice a little bullet thumbnail next to your camera, | | | | |