Multiplane camera in Synfig.

[rylleman]

I’ve just written a tutorial for a multiplane camera technique in Synfig - http://synfig.org/wiki/Multiplane_Camera.

You can follow the tutorial for creating a multiplane setup. Or you could just use the setup scene I’ve attached to the tutorial and just fill it with your own content.

I am planning to add camera lens simulation with different aperture, focal length, width etc. but I decided to save that for version 2 of this tutorial. Otherwise it would have been another year before you’ve seen anything of this technique…

I hope you’ll find it useful.

Cheers!
-David

[Genete]

That’s an excellent addition to Synfig!
Thank you very much rylleman!
-G

[berteh]

Thanks for the technique and template for using it! Definitely a time saver and a well written tutorial.
B.

[CryingFreeman]

I’m kind of new to Synfig (started yesterday) so I have a bit of a hard time following the Connecting it all-part.

• First export the Z-value from MAIN. Name it MAIN_Z.
• Also export the origin from MAIN as MAIN_origin.
• Next we’ll need an inverted version of this value to use in our calculations.

These are quite straightforward. I think i got them. But after that:

For that create a temporary layer, say a circle.

Where do I create this circle. Should it be in a layer all by its own? Encapsulated in MAIN? Something completely different?

Choose a real value and convert it to a scale value.

Where? What? How?

I’ve registered an account in the wiki so i’ll gladly update the article, as long as I get these bits explained.

[Genete]

This would clarify the steps:

Where it says:

Next we’ll need an inverted version of this value to use in our calculations.
* For that create a temporary layer, say a circle.
o Choose a real value and convert it to a scale value.
o Connect the MAIN_Z-value to Link and set scalar to -1.
* Select the value and export as MAIN_Z_INVERTED. Delete the temporary circle layer.

It should say:

Next we’ll need an inverted version of this value to use in our calculations.
* For that create a temporary layer, say a circle in any place of the layer stack.
o Choose a real value (for example the radius) and convert it to a scale value.
o Connect the MAIN_Z-value to Link from the scale converted and set scalar subparameter to -1.
* Select the real value (i.e. the radius) and export as MAIN_Z_INVERTED. Delete the temporary circle layer.

I hope it helps
-G

[rgarcia]

Four years later has it been improved? Or a simpler way to do that now?

Anyway, how can I use the example camera to use in my projects. Always when I try to change the values (move the objects in the canvas) I mess everything up. It’s a little bit confusing.

Also I thought about using blender to compose the scene with depth camera, applying the animated objects of synfig (movies) like textures in planes and changing the depth of them. What do you think? It could work?

Thanks,

[rylleman]

@rgarcia

Four years later has it been improved? Or a simpler way to do that now?

Nope, not from me at least.

@rgarcia

Anyway, how can I use the example camera to use in my projects. Always when I try to change the values (move the objects in the canvas) I mess everything up. It’s a little bit confusing.

Sorry if it’s confusing, I’ll be more clear in the future.
How does everyhing get messed up? (What happens?)

@rgarcia

Also I thought about using blender to compose the scene with depth camera, applying the animated objects of synfig (movies) like textures in planes and changing the depth of them. What do you think? It could work?

Yes, It definitely works. I do all my compositing in Blender which actually has a quite good tool for it.
If you want to do camera pans and such in Blender then first render as passes from Synfig (Background, Character1, props, character2, foreground, etc.). then you can import them in Blender and place them in 3d space and animate a camera in the scene.
Activate the Images as Planes plugin, which automates the whole image as plane texture work saving you lots of time.
Import the first image in the sequence as a plane, then you can change the texture to be a sequence of images rather than a static one.

Thanks,
[/quote]

[rgarcia]

Ok. When I change values the shapes don’t behave like they should. Some shapes disappear (they go out of the canvas but I can’t bring they back). I know it’s me that don’t know how to use it, so I think I will use Blender for that purpose.

Thank you very much, you helped me a lot.