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By Eric C (RL) - 5 Years Ago
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Smooth Camera Follow 2.0 (Aug.19, 2020 optimized!)
In this post, we are introducing our Smooth Camera Follow 2.0. The plugin had its 1.0 version in 2019 April, and it was built to help user to designate a camera that smoothly follows the movement of a prop with the ability to adjust the offset position and lag time.
After receiving the feedback from our power user - Mr. Adolf Navarro, he worked with alongside with us and work together on perfecting the plugin. Adjusted with the filmmaker and animator perspective, the updated Smooth Camera Follow 2.0 plugin is worthy of your download. Lets' also take a closer look of the designing concept of this plugin!
v2.0 Updates & Benefits Include:
1. Press “Use Current Offset”to enter the calculated offset value of the controlled camera, instead of manually key in offset number. 2. Use "Camera Elevation value" to set the camera's vertical positioning in relation to the pivot of the selected target prop. 3. Optional “Post-Process Key Reduction” to reduce recorded keys for simpler timeline editing. 4. Be able to custom the camera follow settings at a designated range of "Timeline (Frames)", it allows effective adjustment over multiple camera follow operation. 5. To output the number of keys generated by the complicated interactions between "Frame Delay", "Timeline (Frames)", and "Post-Process Key Reduction" parameters. 6. Being able to bring all of the custom parameters back to their default values with "Reset" button.
Key Adjustable Parameters: ．Frame Delay: Creating a lag between the view and the target. ．Tautness: Setting how tight or lose the camera follows the object. ．Offset: Indicating the current object coordination, and press "Use Current Offset" button to locate the object. ．Timeline (Frames): Setting the initial and the final frames for the follow motion. ．Post-process Key Reduction: Reducing the final number if keys in the camera timeline.
Besides bringing new features, we are also optimizing the plugin by enhancing some issues.
API/UI Enhancements: ．Removed code based UI in favor of Qt .UI design file.
．Refactored internals of Extensions.py into main.py, removing Extensions.py in the process.
．Reorganized and streamlined the user interface.
．Camera and prop drop-down menus now automatically populate according to the current state of the scene. "Refresh" button is no longer needed and removed as a result.
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You can visit the following links and access the resources needed for your learning.
If you have any questions about the plug-in and the sample code, please feel free to let us know by replying to this post.
Relevant Fundamental Courses
Be sure to read this first to help you understand how this sample plug-in works.
You should familiarize yourself with the following fundamental lessons before you proceed:
- List All Props - Learn to create a drop down list for all of the existing props in the current iClone scene.
- 3D Look At - Learn to deploy icons and images inside a user interface.
- Transformation Key - Learn to animate a prop by keying its transformation as more powerful alternative method
- Linear Interpolation - Know the concept of linear interpolation and it's usefulness.
- Float Slider - Know the creation of the popular float slider interface widget.
For more courses and links to other Python of the Month activities, please visit here.
Reallusion Python Team
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By rdegoede333 - 5 Years Ago
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GREAT ! Very useful in ‘daily’ production. Thanks a lot !
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By Zeronimo - 5 Years Ago
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I tried to Download version 2 of SMOOTH CAMERA FOLLOW from the MarketPlace, I had already downloaded version 1 when it was released.
When I look in my cart I have a message that tells me:
* This item is already in your Inventory List or Transaction History, and the 'proceed to checkOut button is grayed out.
Therefore impossible to download version 2.
What can I do to be able to download the new version?
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By Postfrosch - 5 Years Ago
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When I look in my cart I have a message that tells me:
* This item is already in your Inventory List or Transaction History, and the 'proceed to checkOut button is grayed out.
I have the same problem
Greets
Postfrosch
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By rosuckmedia - 5 Years Ago
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Hello Postfrosch and Zeronimo Simply go to the inventory list and download it again, it is an updated plugin Remove the old plugin from the Open Plugin folder.
Best regards rosuckmedia:)
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By Zeronimo - 5 Years Ago
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@Rosuckmedia thank you a thousand times :) :) :)
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By Postfrosch - 5 Years Ago
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Hallo Robert,
danke für den Tipp.
Hätte ich auch selber drauf kommen müssen ;)
Gruß Werner
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By rosuckmedia - 5 Years Ago
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Hallo Zeronimo and Werner,
My pleasure!
Hello Reallusion, A great update, very useful
Best regards rosuckmedia:)
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By Eric C (RL) - 5 Years Ago
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Hi everyone,
Thanks @rosuckmedia sharing the tips of removing the old and installing the new plugin!
Our team will work on from our side and come up with a solution when updating other RL made plugin.
Thanks and please enjoy the latest Smooth Camera Follow 2.0!
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By argus1000 - 5 Years Ago
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Doesn't work for me. The check-out box is grayed out and the plugin is not in my inventory. So I can't download it.
And I removed the "Smooth camera follow" from my Bin64/OpenPlugin folder.
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By Lordhi - 5 Years Ago
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Hello Argus,
try to extend the range of the purchase date. The first version of the plug-in was released in spring 2019.
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By Pollux - 5 Years Ago
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Hi guys,
Does Smooth Camera Follow 2.0 works with Iclone 7.8..?
Thanks.
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By argus1000 - 5 Years Ago
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Lordhi (8/19/2020)
Hello Argus, try to extend the range of the purchase date. The first version of the plug-in was released in spring 2019.
That did the trick for me.Thanks, Lordhi.
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By SeanMac - 5 Years Ago
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Hi
I see Pollux asks if Smooth Camera Follow 2.0 is compatible with iClone 7.8.
No doubt this question is put for the same reason I repeat the question.
On the marketplace it says that the Plug-In is compatible with iClone 7.50 to 7.60 implying it does not work with anything above that version number.
SeanMac
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By Eric C (RL) - 5 Years Ago
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Hi everyone,
The plugin is compatible with IC 7.8.
If you still have problem with the plugin install, please issue an help ticket so we can reply you asap.
Thanks!
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By SeanMac - 5 Years Ago
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@Eric(RL)
Thanks for that. I still wonder why RL or whoever had placed the limiting version numbers on the website offer.
Now you say the plug-in works for 7.8 and I am glad to hear it.
However what is implied still is that after iClone 7.8 the plug-in may fail.
I am not asking for an ability to see the future, here. It is simply that your company has introduced a wobble into the assurance with which we potential purchasers out here view the plug-in. A better reassurance would be to say that the plug-in will work for any foreseeable version of iClone at this moment.
No one can ask for more than that. Certainly it would be fairer to the author of the plug-in.
Regards
SeanMac
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By animagic - 5 Years Ago
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As no one can look into the foreseeable future, simply saying version 7.5 or better would be sufficient. It can then be amended where needed. Version numbers tend to be messy anyway, not just for free plugins.
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By SeanMac - 5 Years Ago
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@animagic
Thanks for that. Yes, if you like.
I'd go along with your phrasing.
But if you'll excuse the nit-picking everyone can foresee the foreseeable future. :-)
Regards
SeanMac
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By rosuckmedia - 5 Years Ago
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Hallo RL
Smooth Camera Follow
I cannot choose a non-standard human
Would be nice if that worked.
For the UE.
Best regards rosuckmedia:)
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By Hewa' s Art - 5 Years Ago
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Thanks for your hard work . this plugin is really helpful.
I had a problem to get the link from Inventory List Plugin , Thanks to ( Lordhi ) for his comment / try to extend the range of the purchase date/.
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By animagic - 5 Years Ago
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rosuckmedia (8/27/2020)
Hallo RL
Smooth Camera Follow
I cannot choose a non-standard human
Would be nice if that worked.
For the UE.
It only works with props, not with characters, but you can simply link or attach a prop to the character and it should work. It would give you actually more flexibility.
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By rosuckmedia - 5 Years Ago
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Hello animagic,
Many thanks,
Yeah, I know that, but it would have been nice if it worked.
Best regards rosuckmedia:)
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By Rampa - 5 Years Ago
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My favorite way to do this is use a spring prop that the camera looks at. Attach the prop to the root of the character, and do not inherit rotation.
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By rosuckmedia - 5 Years Ago
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@Rampa,
Thanks for your tip:):)
Best regards rosuckmedia
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By 3dtester - 5 Years Ago
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Does anyone have an idea how to make a camera follow a rotating and moving physics prop (like a ball)?
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By Chuck (RL) - 5 Years Ago
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3dtester (9/17/2020)
Does anyone have an idea how to make a camera follow a rotating and moving physics prop (like a ball)?
The camera will follow the positioning of the object but will not rotated with it (like parent constraint). However you can use version 2.0 of the Smooth Camera Follow, and use the key reduction feature to easily manage and change the animation key-frames. For example: you can reduce the animation complexity to 20 keys in the timeline then go to the each key and configure the rotation/aim of the camera by moving the camera on that frame.
Hope this helps.
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By 3dtester - 5 Years Ago
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Hi Chuck! I thought too that it would only follow the position.
But in fact, it tries to rotate with the physics prop which gives weird results.
As i said, the ball is animated by physics only.
I bet it works with a regular animated prop.
PS: i already have the v2.0
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By Chuck (RL) - 5 Years Ago
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Hi 3dtester,
Can you check if you have any other influence on the camera itself? You can also try creating a new camera.
If this is not the problem, then can you send me your iClone project? Maybe use Google drive, Dropbox, etc. and send me a link via PM.
If this is problem with the iClone animation system or the script itself, then the team and I can look into it.
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By Ascensi - 4 Years Ago
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It's an odd thing.. I linked a prop to the head to follow from the same perspective and the camera does not generate frames from the direction the head and cam is facing. Anyone know what's happening here?
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By rguy - 4 Years Ago
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My new computer won't let me access rtf files or the read me files with this download. They want me to buy Word to use that feature. Seems like I've been through that before but for now , on installing the script..
Do I just need to load the python file or is there a need to do something with the follow ui.file ? The best I could find was to just load the python file but I thought I'd double check.
I'm not sure what the UI file would be for.
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By gordryd - 4 Years Ago
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You definitely need the ui file (that is the "user interface", or dialog box for the program). There's not much in the README other than this: "This script lets the user pick a camera/view and a prop/target to follow. The camera will always be facing the direction of the target prop with delay as an adjustable factor. The Offset values creates a distance between the view and the target. Use the Delay value to create a lag between the view and the target."
For installation, just create a folder with all the files in it (mine is named "SmoothCamFollow" and has "main.py', "readme.md", "RELEASENOTES", and "Smooth_Camera_Follow.ui"). Copy this to your iClone 7 OpenPlugin folder (typically C:\Program Files\Reallusion\iClone 7\Bin64\OpenPlugin\). Next time you run iClone it will show up under "Plug-in" menu.
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By rguy - 4 Years Ago
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I was going to download a viewer but I finally just used my google email account instead.
I'm really surprised they didn't include the installation instructions in the read me file.
Thanks for your response. I'll give it a go !
It looks pretty cool.
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