Lightwave - Simple and Extensible Camera Rig Tutorial

How to create a camera rig in Lightwave 3d that allows you to easily follow an object without having to micromanage angles and curves when repositioning the camera. Note that you don't really need the bone in the rig for this simple example, but bones are useful for extending the functionality of the rig with IK chains for fancy effects.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• lightwave
• tutorial
• camera
• motion
• easy
• simple
• fly-by
• object
• tracking
• cg
• 3d
• blimp
• how-to
• help
• instructions
• training
• rigging
• animation

[kargaroc386]

gimbal lock

[imjinc2k]

Yes, if you're looking directly up or directly down, you'll get gimbal lock, but the lookAt and pole vectors still handle it smoother and easier than manually rotating the handles. But how often do you tilt your head back 90 degrees while walking around the house? Also if you really pay attention to your eyes, you'll notice that they don't lock at some angle relative to your head and stay there while you move, but instead tend to bounce from object to object, tracking points as you move.

[kargaroc386]

well, my animation doesn't have a central point that the camera always faces. in my animation, the camera emulates my eyes. but thanks for the video anyway.

[imjinc2k]

Yes, you can move the lookAt null around as I moved it from the front of the blimp to the back. The look-at null is what your eye is looking at.

[dslavin]

Thanks for sharing this! Very helpful.

[Microchip243]

This was really helpful, thank you.

[samus1975]

you can get the same result just having the Camera target a Null, Without extra null and bones. Just camera , target null.

[will4ward]

Thanks Man!

Had a lot of trouble losing objects as I try to

track around things, following thing such as atting fighters.

[kicbocsir]

hey imjinc2k thanks for posting this im sure i will use this in the future..

[kargaroc386]

i meant that gimbal lock is why the animation f'ed up in the beginning.

but i agree with you, a camera rig is much better.

But in LW 8, i can't set a pole vector in the cameraRig properties.