Proportionally decreasing magnitude of all TRS transforms on an object

mmdestiny

Hey folks,

In want of an actual camera jitter function, I have a scene subset I created that has a camera rig with a 3 second loop of subtle jitter.  Problem is though, the magnitude of the jitter really only fits at the focal length/ zoom it was originally created at.  Get too close, the jitter is too much and vice versa.

Is there a way to proportionally change the translation and rotation timeline all at once?  I was hoping changing the camera's or rig null's scale would accomplish something similar but it does not.

Richard Haseltine

Hmm, you are adjusting the translations directly - so the jitter is mized up with the proper movement - or you used a separate controller to adjust them via links so that you can potentially change the jitter from those? In the latter case you could add another new property to the camera with a default value of 1 (100%) and set it to multiply the jitter controllers - that way its value will scale the jitter. That wouldn't work if the jitter was directly on the translations, though, as it would also scale the intended movements away from zero.

mmdestiny

Richard Haseltine said:

Hmm, you are adjusting the translations directly - so the jitter is mized up with the proper movement - or you used a separate controller to adjust them via links so that you can potentially change the jitter from those? In the latter case you could add another new property to the camera with a default value of 1 (100%) and set it to multiply the jitter controllers - that way its value will scale the jitter. That wouldn't work if the jitter was directly on the translations, though, as it would also scale the intended movements away from zero.

The jitter is the only TRS keyframed on the camera. The actual movement of the camera around the scene (walking/looking around) is keyed on the null object the camera is a child of.

jmucchiello

Perhaps put a null object in the scene and then use the Point At function with the camera. Then the camera can bounce about as little or as much as you like but you'll always know where it's pointed.

Richard Haseltine

mmdestiny said:

Richard Haseltine said:

Hmm, you are adjusting the translations directly - so the jitter is mized up with the proper movement - or you used a separate controller to adjust them via links so that you can potentially change the jitter from those? In the latter case you could add another new property to the camera with a default value of 1 (100%) and set it to multiply the jitter controllers - that way its value will scale the jitter. That wouldn't work if the jitter was directly on the translations, though, as it would also scale the intended movements away from zero.

The jitter is the only TRS keyframed on the camera. The actual movement of the camera around the scene (walking/looking around) is keyed on the null object the camera is a child of.

In that case

1. right-click in Parameters - check Edit Mode, if it isn't
2. right-click in the group you want to add the control to>Create New Property, or anywheer and edit the path in the dialogue.
3. I would set the min and max to 0 and 1, call it something like Jitter Scale, set the default value to 1
4. Now, right-click on the new property>Show In Property Hierarchy
5. In the Property Hierarchy expand the entries on the new control so that you can see Sub Components>Second Stage
6. Drag the jittered controls (Translations and anything else you used) from the Parameters pane into Sub-components>Second Stage.

Now sliding the Jitter Scale down should reduce the jitter amount in proportion.

mmdestiny

Richard Haseltine said:

Now sliding the Jitter Scale down should reduce the jitter amount in proportion.

Thanks Richard, this worked well.

Should I save this property out as an asset (and what type?) or will it travel well if the camera scene subset is just saved with it? 

Richard Haseltine

It will save with the camera in scenes/subsets - I am not sure that the camera is an asset itself, so I don't think the controller could be saved as a modifier. Saving within-item properties and links is supported by scenes and subsets, it's when linking across separate objects that extra steps are needed.