[trofaster]

Would it possible for the shift-lens feature to obtain it's setting from the "camera correction" modifier in the future? I find the shift lens a bit hard to work with, without any kind of preview.

[Mihnea Balta]

Unfortunately that camera correction modifier isn't a shift lens so we cannot translate the values directly. We're still looking for a way of previewing the shift lens effects in the viewport.

[Duncan]

So how can you tell what x and y settings you should use to compensate the shift lens ? Having to do lots of render tests to find the correct settings is very time consuming considering the correction modifer is instant.

cheers

[howdenx2]

I'd have to agree with duncan on this one - if you can find some way of working with the camera correction modifier in 3DS Max it would solve so many of my problems

[Fernando Tella]

I suggested in another thread to use the "Show Safe Frame" feature to preview it. It would mean just to move the Live area to show the shift of the camera. I use it now to preview the proportion of the render when changing its size.
I don't know if max's SDK allows this though.

[j_man]

I don't get it Fernanda, you're suggesting how the interface would work? I think the problem is actually finding a way to manipulate the viewportTM to display how a shift lens works.
FYI I think you will find that the standard max lens correction system is an over glorified skew modifier and not actually a shift technique. food for thought!

J.

[howdenx2]

I have a question (it maybe a silly one) but can you use the shiftlens feature from within 3DS Max (through the maxwell plugin) or can this only be done in Maxwell Studio?...

[howdenx2]

Yes that was a silly question - just found it

[howdenx2]

Ok now i've played with Shift Lens (please correct me if i'm wrong) but it doesn't appear to change the perspective of the camera at all... but appears to do the same thing as moving the camera either vertically or horizontally - without moving the camera... aka Shift Lens...

However when rendering large (tall) architectural buildings especially with a wide camera lens it's important from a presentation point of view - not a real world point of view - to have the vertical elements (walls/windows etc) to appear vertical and not on a 'lean' as with a true three point perspective.

So this is what the camera correction modifier does - it modifies the perspective (fudges) of the camera to appear as if it was a two point perspective therefore making all the vertical elements appear vertical....

Further more if you do use the camera correction modifier it also appears that Maxwell ignores this when the image is rendered anyway... i would welcome any help and or sugguestions in this area

[Fernando Tella]

I don't get it Fernando, you're suggesting how the interface would work? I think the problem is actually finding a way to manipulate the viewportTM to display how a shift lens works.J.

I suggest another way NL could tackle the problem; since perspective correction modifier works in a completely different way to shift lense I think the safe frame interface would fit better to preview the final frame.

I use it a lot (without shift lense) to preview the exact frame that will be rendered when using wide or tall image sizes.

[j_man]

Hi dude,

What the camera correction modifier does is to skew the transform of the camera. This is a trick.

The shift in maxwell operates like a real camera, and moves the image plane in relation to the lens, the figure in max being a percentage of of the image plane.
What you wf ill find is that you will need to move the target oyour camera to bring your object back into view of the camera since this change in the camera will mean that you're looking in a different spot.

a bit proplematic I know.


< :

J.

[howdenx2]

Example of Shift lens in Maxwell


and an Example of Camera Correction in 3DS Max

[Mihai]

howdenx2, to work with the shift lens, your camera and camera target need to first be at the same height so the camera is perfectly level. Then you use the x/y shift to shift the lens to capture more of a building. This is how a real shift lens works.

[j_man]

howdenx2, to work with the shift lens, your camera and camera target need to first be at the same height so the camera is perfectly level. Then you use the x/y shift to shift the lens to capture more of a building. This is how a real shift lens works.

ah you see I've explained it all upside down < :

J.

[howdenx2]

Thanks Mihai, that helped heaps - see pic below