Lesson 29: Pointing the Camera

Check to see how the camera moves by playing the sequence.

To play the sequence:

• Click the Play button on the Animation palette.
  
  The camera moves along the blue trajectory while the Time scrubber moves from left to right. Notice that throughout the animation, the camera faces in one direction.

To point the camera:

1. Toggle back to the Selection Palette by clicking the Selection Animation toggle in the lower right hand corner of the Bryce window.
2. Click and hold the Select Sphere tool.
3. Choose the last sphere on the list that appears.
   
   This should select the pedestal sphere in the merged scene. Make a note of the sphere's name; you will find it in a different pop-up menu in the next couple of steps.
4. Click the camera to select it.
   
   The camera's wireframe turns red and the blue trajectory line appears.
5. Click the Object Attributes button.
6. Click the Linking tab.
   
   A new panel appears with options for Object Parent Name and Track Object Name.
7. Click the box titled 'None', under Track Object Name.
8. Select the name of the pedestal sphere.
9. Click the OK icon to leave the Camera's Object Attributes dialog box.
   
   The camera snaps to the right to point at the sphere, and a gray line extends from the camera to the sphere. A line extends from the camera to the sphere.
   
   
10. Toggle back to the Animation palette.
11. Click the Play button. The camera moves along the trajectory, facing the sphere for the entire duration of the sequence.

To view the scene from camera view:

1. Switch to Camera View.
2. Click the Play button to watch the wireframe animation. The camera flies through the space, all the while keeping the sphere at the center of the scene window.
3. Save your scene, call it Animation-Rough Cam.

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