Understanding 3D Cameras in a 2D World

All layers in Anime Studio are 2D. They do understand the concept of stacking, which essentially makes them 2.5D, but all content is drawn in 2D and placed on 2D layers. But, even though the content is 2D, Anime Studio supports cameras that can manipulate the project in 3D.

Imagine a billboard with a 2D drawing on it. If you have a remote-controlled helicopter, you could fly it around the billboard looking at it from all different directions. This is how the cameras work in Anime Studio.

The various Camera tools work in a similar manner to the Workspace tools, but they actually alter the main window view and can be animated. Figure 25.1 shows the Camera tools available in the Tools palette.

Tracking the Camera

A tracking camera is one that moves up, down, and side to side. This is different from simply pointing the camera in a different direction. The tracking move actually changes the camera’s position. Holding down the Shift key constrains the tracking to vertical and horizontal movements only and holding down the Alt/Opt key moves the camera closer to or farther away from the scene.

When using the Track Camera tool (4), you’ll notice the project objects move, but that the working area border remains motionless. The actual coordinates of the camera in space are shown in the Options bar, and you can enter precise values if you know exactly where the camera needs to be. The Reset button moves the camera to its default location. The Show Path option appears as a line from the origin that shows how the camera has moved. Figure 25.2 shows a scene with a beach ball that has been tracked.

Zooming the Camera

A camera zoom leaves the camera in the same position, but it zooms in on the scene by changing the camera’s focal length. The results are that the layer contents increase or decrease in size. The Zoom value is displayed in the Options bar. Figure 25.3 shows the same beach ball scene after the camera has been zoomed.

Rolling the Camera

A camera roll spins the camera around the axis that focuses on the scene. This causes the scene objects to rotate around the center of focus, which is the center of the screen. The roll value is expressed in degrees, with 360 degrees equal to one full revolution in the Options bar. Figure 25.4 shows the beach ball scene rolled about 60 degrees around its center.

Panning and Tilting the Camera

Panning the camera happens when you rotate the camera to the side like turning your head to the side. A camera tilt works by rotating the camera up and down as if nodding your head. Both of these motions are accomplished without moving the camera’s position, only its orientation changes. Figure 25.5 shows the beach ball project tilted. This position was accomplished by tilting the camera and then tracking it back into the scene. Notice how the ball appears skewed and larger than its shadow due to the angle of the camera.

Resetting the View

If at any time you don’t like the results of a Camera tool action, you can use the Reset button in the Options bar to return the view to its default state. However, the Reset button will only reset the actions taken with the current Camera tool. For example, if you track the camera and then zoom the camera, the Reset button that is available when the Zoom Camera tool is selected will only reset the zooming action, the tracking action remains.