Drawing a Camera

To create a Camera with precise coverage, use the “drawcamera” command.

• Click the “Draw Camera” button (here on the ‘Analysis’ toolbar ).

Or…

• Type “drawcamera” in the Output Bar and press <ENTER>

1. The “Draw Camera” tool dialog appears:
   
2. Choose the required aspect ratio from the drop-down. Fixed ratio options are 16:9, 21:9 and 4:3.
   
   • Custom ratios can also be entered. Choose ‘Custom’ from the aspect ratio drop-down, then enter the desired ratio in the box to the right.
     
   • A custom ratio must be in X:Y or X.xx:Y.yy format. Both sides of the ratio must be entered. Negative values are not allowed, and neither side of the ratio can be zero. If a ratio is invalid, the edge of the entry box becomes red:
     
     Tip: Each side of the aspect ratio is limited to 4 integer places and 2 decimal places e.g., 1098.76:5432.10. Attempts to enter longer values will be rejected or be flagged as erroneous.
3. Decide whether to maintain the aspect ratio while drawing the shape, or let the shape determine the aspect ratio.
   Note: Aspect ratio is automatically maintained, unless working with a custom aspect ratio.
   • This is indicated by the icon or button in the Field of View section of the dialog:
     
     • this icon (not a button) means sizes are linked to the aspect ratio; they cannot be unlinked.
     • this button means sizes and aspect ratio are linked but can be unlinked. Aspect ratio is maintained.
     • this button means sizes and aspect ratio are not linked but can be. Aspect ratio is not maintained.
   • When aspect ratio is maintained, changing one size will automatically update the other to match the aspect ratio.
   • When not maintained, changing any size automatically updates the aspect ratio.
4. If an exact Camera Field of View is required, enter it in the Field of View section. If not required, skip to step 6. Note that the ‘Draw from’ mode can only be ‘Centre’ in this configuration:
   
   Note: Both dimensions must be entered for Field of View to be valid. Field of View cannot be larger than the Whole Model Camera. An invalid Field of View size is indicated with a red box:

   
5. Move the mouse over the workspace. A box indicating the Camera’s Field of View moves with the mouse.
   
   • Skip to step 9.
6. To draw a Camera for an unknown Field of View, leave the Field of View section blank, and choose where the Camera will be drawn from:
   
   • Options are ‘Corner’ which means the Camera boundary can be drawn from any corner, or ‘Centre’ which means the Camera boundary expands or contracts about the centre point.
7. If drawing from a corner:
   1. Left-click at any outer corner of the Camera’s desired Field of View.
      
   2. Move the mouse toward the diagonally opposite corner.
      
   3. The Camera boundary is shown as the mouse moves.
   4. The Draw Camera dialog updates its displayed Centre and Field of View.
      
   5. If Field of View sizes are linked to Camera aspect ratio, the Camera’s boundary will continue to respect that boundary as the mouse moves.
   6. Field of View cannot be larger than the Whole Model Camera.
   7. Skip to step 9.
8. If drawing from the centre:
   1. Left-click at the centre point of the Camera’s desired Field of View.
      
   2. Move the mouse toward the required diagonally opposite corner position.
      
   3. The Camera boundary is shown as the mouse moves.
   4. The Draw Camera dialog updates its displayed Field of View. Displayed centre point remains constant.
      
   5. If Field of View sizes are linked to Camera aspect ratio, the Camera’s boundary will continue to respect that boundary as the mouse moves.
   6. Field of View cannot be larger than the Whole Model Camera.
9. Once the Camera covers the desired model region, left-click to drop it in place.
10. The Camera property dialog is shown. See the later section “Editing Camera Properties” for details.
11. After clicking OK in the Camera property dialog, the Camera is added to the project and is visible in the workspace:
    
    • Each Camera Field of View is shown as a dot-dash outline. The Camera’s name is shown above and outside the Camera boundary. The icon to the left of the Camera’s name indicates its type (whole model or user-defined). The Camera shown above has the icon for a user defined Camera.
      Note: To cancel the command at any time, either click the ‘Cancel’ button in the Draw Camera dialog, or press <ECS>.

Draw Camera Dialog’s Special Functions

The Draw Camera tool dialog offers two special functions:

1. Fit to View.
   
   • This button creates a Camera fitted to the current view, using the aspect ratio set in the Draw Camera dialog. In the likely event the current view does not match the Camera’s aspect ratio, visible model regions above/below or to the left/right of the Camera will be excluded from the Camera boundary.
   • The Camera property dialog is immediately shown for the fitted Camera. See the later section “Editing Camera Properties” for details.
2. Use Previous Size.
   
   • This button is enabled if a Camera has previously been drawn in the current LEGION Simulator project. Clicking it will set the Field of View to that of the last drawn Camera in the current project. This is a convenient way to create multiple Cameras with the same dimensions.
   • The ‘Draw from’ mode is automatically set to ‘Centre’ and a fixed-size Camera boundary is shown around the mouse. Follow instructions from Step 5 onwards in the previous section to position and create the Camera.

Creating a Camera for the Current View

To create a Camera that fits in the current view, simply right-click inside the workspace and select “Create Camera based on the current view…”

This uses the dimensions of the current view, and the default Camera aspect ratio in Simulator Project Settings, to quickly create a new Camera:

Review and modify Camera properties where necessary, then click OK to finish creating the Camera.

Note that the Camera is limited to the edges of the current view. It is shaped to maximise coverage while respecting the specified aspect ratio. This usually gives a Camera that does not completely cover the entire view:

In this image, the gold outer box encompasses the current view. The purple dash-dot box is a 16:9 Camera fitted to the current view. This leaves coverage gaps to the left and right of the Camera, shown with the shaded yellow boxes.

Creating a Camera on the Timeline

Some Timeline Tracks can activate Cameras at different times during recording or playback:

• Record .AVI Track
• Screen Camera Track
  

In both Tracks, there is a right click option to create a Camera based on the current view, and then set it as the active Camera at that time point.

This creates a new Camera the same way as in the previous section “Creating a Camera for the Current View”, only there is now an extra step to confirm the new Timeline Event which activates that Camera.

1. First, the Camera properties dialog appears. Confirm Camera parameters here:
   
2. Then, the Camera Event property dialog appears. Confirm Camera Event parameters here:
   
3. Click OK to complete the process. This creates the Camera, creates an Active Camera Event on the Timeline at the right-clicked time point, and sets that Event to activate the new Camera.