NEW TOOLS AND FIXES 8/30/07

[sugarfilmproduction.com]

What's new 8/30/07
- Added new tools: CS_VibrateNull2, CS_Easycam2, CS_DocuCam, CS_ActionCam, CS_Cubes.
-CS_MoveNull now has a checkbox called "Infinite". When checked the movement lasts forever. When unchecked the framestart/Duration/Curve are used for a timed effect.
-CS_Daylight has a Shadow check box now for shadows (Hard shadow from the rim light).
-CS_Mocam had the Framestart and hold frame UI changed to number boxes instead of sliders with a min of -9999 and max of 9999.
-Added an Examples folder. I have one example for now but if anyone would like to add examples for others let me know. Keep the data low and try to not use any C4D modules that aren't core if necessary.


New tools part of the T.O.C:
19. CS_EasyCam2(NEW): Like original but using MoCam system and diff noise functions.
20 CS_DocuCam(NEW): Used for realistic handheld with snap zooms.
21. CS_ActionCam(NEW): Michael Bay algorithm attached to a cam.
22. CS_VibrateNull2(NEW): Uses turbulent function instead of noise. Allows channel mixing.
23 CS_Cubes(NEW): First tool based on Instance replication. Fun with cubes.

Docs for new tools (as well as in the included read me):

19. CS_EasyCam2

What for: Basic film moves from point A to Point B. Or in this case Start to End. However this version doesn't use the Path bend function like the original. This uses the Target Distances on the _S and _E cam to create a bent path. Read the details in MoCam to know how this is done. Also The Cam shake section is now based on Turbulence instead of Noise. So there is now a 'complexity' slider which is the Octaves of the turbulence. Setting the frequency-to-complexity ratio just right will yield some very natural movements.

Sliders:

Focal Length: Both cams share one setting
FrameStart: WHen the move begins
Duration(sec): How long in seconds the move lasts
EaseOut/In: Instead of a graph, this uses sliders like MoCam. The higher the number the more ease.
Lock E to S (Checkbox): When this is on, the End Cam is locked to the Start Cam. Set the start cam first, uncheck this box then set the End cam.
S&E Cam visibility(Checkbox): This makes the _S and _E cams visible in the viewport
Position/Rot Turbulence: Instead of ratio slider, there is now a mix slider for how much the turbulence affects the Positions and rotaions.
Frequency: Speed of turbulence
Complexity: Octaves of turbulence
Camera Banking: If you think about it, a hand held or shaking effect is mostly pan and tilt with little to no camera roll or dutching. This slider allows you to limit camera banking so the net result is more pan and tilt.

20. CS_DocuCam

What for: This one is fun. Just drop the object of interest into the Target Box and position this tool a ways away from the object. The camera targets it. No big deal, except this has a snap zoom "engine" as well as offsets and turbulence options. With a little tweaking this will make it seem like there is a handheld Documentary camera man capturing your target object. The snap zoom function decides to do a snap zoom based on your probability setting. When it decides to zoom, it picks a direction at random either tighter or wider. This is cumulative so the zoom may drift over time depending on the seed value. There is a reset frame so it can be set back to base when the animation begins again.

Sliders:

Target Object(Drop Box): Drop the subject in here:
Offset X/Y/Z: Use these to offset the target point. For example if you dropped in a person. You can offset the Y so the cam focuses on the head.
Seed: All the random and turbulence functions are based on this number. So by switching the seed just one number, it's like switching out the cameraman with a whole new performance. Once you get all your sliders right, shop through different seeds and see which moves you like best.
Base Zoom: This is not in "Focal Lengths" because it's not that exact. This is the starting zoom amount, and know that the snap zooms will take it from there.
Actual Zoom: This isn't meant to be touched by the user. This is so you know how much the zoom has drifted from your base.
Actual Foc Len: Not meant to be touched. This is for your reference so you know what the actual Focal length the camera is at.
Reset Frame: Very important. The snap zoom is cumulative. So when you restart the animation there needs to be a frame where the zoom is brought back to match the base setting. If there is no reset frame, the zoom will snap forever eventually drifting to it's min or max values.
So if you start from 0 each time, then set it to zero, but if you're looping at say 100 - 150, you'll want to set the reset to 100.

Snap Zoom Section
Probability: This is how often the camera "Chooses" to do a snap zoom.
Amount: This is how much zoom the camera man snaps.
Duration: How fast the snap is.

Organic Motion Section
Amplitude: Amount of turbulence
Freq: Speed
Complexity: Octaves of the turbulence
Camera Banking: Limits the rotations on the Z so the camera doesn't dutch as much as pan and tilt.

21. CS_ActionCam

What for: Should be called the Michael Bay tool. It's CS_DocuCam, but attached to the object of interest itself. So in addition to DocuCam functions it adds settings for how much it orbits around the subject both vertically and horizontally as well its variance in distance from the subject.

Sliders:
Check DocuCam for all the common parameters. Added parameters here:

Cam Orbit:
Orbit Set: Center point of orbit
Orbit Deviation: How much it uses turbulence to deviate from that point
Deviation Freq: Speed of deviation
Deviation Complexity: Octaves of the turbulent function

Cam Distance and Cam height sections use the same sliders as the orbit section. The only notable difference is a min Clamp function on each. For distance this min clamp function sets the minimum distance the cam can get to the subject. So if it's following a person it won't get so close as to go inside the person. The height min clamp is made for protecting the cam from going through the floor if your subject is on a surface.

22. CS_VibrateNull2

What For: Like the original Vibrate null this is a alternate to the built in C4D vibrate tag. WHat's different about this version is that it has channel mixing between the XYZHPB. Also the vibration is now based on turbulence instead of normal noised. So there is a Complexity (Octaves) function now for more realistic movement.

Sliders:

Amplitude: Amount of turbulence
Freq: Speed of turbulence
Complexity: Octaves of turbulence
Seed: Sets the seed for all 6 turbulent functions. Change this to get different results.

Then there are six sliders that mix in how much amplitude per XYZHPB you want.

23. CS_Cubes

What for: This is for creating various mograph elements using cubes. Really it's something better played with than explained.

Props: This is tool is based around the Xpresso node called "InstanceMaker" that was conceived by Base80 and programmed by Majoul. So thanks for that.

Sliders:

PolyBaseObject(DropBox): Drop a polygon object in here to grow cubes from.

Grow On Section
Grow(Checkbox): When checked, the cubes appear over time
Grow Speed: How fast they appear in order

Noise Section:
Static(Checkbox): When checked there is no animation of the cubes.
Amplitude: Amount of cube movement
Frequency: Speed of movement. Also note that the cubes move faster the higher their index is. So the first cubes to appear will move the slowest.
Seed: Set this to different numbers for different noise outcomes.

Cube Settings:
Bidirectional(Checkbox): When checked, cubes can move forward and backwards. Unchecked, only in positive directions.
Offset: This has huge results when moved. This not only moves the cubes, but also changes the axis upon which they are scaled.
CubeSize: How big the cubes are
X/Y/Z/ scale (Checkboxes): These turn on scaling on those Axis. Defaults to just Y.
Aspect(Vectorbox): Changes the aspect ratio of the cubes

Awesome - thanks Chris.

I have to say these plugins are briliiant!

Small query:
I'm using the DocuCam-
I want to do a depth pass but my target object isn't in the ideal position for the pass to pick up the detail.
I'd like to be able to change my focus distance but the target object checkbox is locked.

Any workaround for this?

thankyou again for these great tools.

simon

That's a great point Simon. For now, the cam depth is being triggered simply so you can see visually where it is hitting. For now you can do 1 of 2 things until I fix this:

1. Go inside the Xpresso and find where I have the DoCam camera node itself with the input "target depth". And just unlink this node and close that input. That way you can set it wherever.

2. There are X Y and Z offsets. You can possibly use those for example, the 'Z' one to shift where it's hitting on the object. But this is in world space so sometimes the Z may not be the exact depth.

I'll add a "Target Distance" offset to DocuCam and Action Cam when I get back from Vacation.

Chris, you ought to be selling this stuff for $20 a pop!

--
Michele Yamazaki, VP Marketing & Web Development Czarina
Toolfarm.com

shhh!!

nah.

Looking at the Xpresso I think I see the problem being in the Target coffee script. It seems to be getting a local matrix from the target and source object rather than a global one.

I think the most efficient solution is to rewrite the coffee to grab a global matrix. So no matter what the docuCam is parented under it will still always target the object of interest in world space.

Then you can use an align to spline with it. Or better yet use a CS_PathNull.

When I get back to the U.S. in a couple of days I'll fix that as well.

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate this so I can make the tools better. When I make them I rarely have time to really flesh them out. I consider the local matrix thing a bug. I haven't even tested it at this point.

And thinking aloud I may make the offsets local instead of global. That way when you offset Z you are always offsetting the target depth. So you can think of the X and Y offsets as adjusting your framing and the z as picking a focus point for depth passes. In fact if I do that I will rename them 'Pan' , 'Tilt', and 'Focus'.

keep the notes coming.

I forgot to mention that Ko gave me up a movie to put up about CSTools.

Watch Ko's CSTools video

--
Michele Yamazaki, VP Marketing & Web Development Czarina
Toolfarm.com

Wow! That's kick ass, Ko. Really nice. A lot of people ask me for demonstrations but I'm not really the tutorialmeister so this is fantastic!

No dude... YOU'RE awesome.

I love the square kino setup (tutorial coming).

As for tutorials, more a' comin'.

Very cool. Look forward to it. Let me know if you ever have any questions.

Awesome!!! Thanks!!!

Thanks very much for this. I've just started to use C4D and these look helpful enough

I updated CSTools with the DocuCam fix mentinoed above. I also made a section on my Blog to get the tools and see FAQ's, Tutorial links, Questions, etc

Here: [circlesofdelusion.blogspot.com]

Thanks Chris,

that's awesome!
The Offset Target Depth is really going to come in handy!

Any chance of adding a functional 'align to spline' option with the Action Cam at some stage?
This would allow a manic camera with a predetermined path and also enable loopable craziness too.


thanks again for some great work.
Your blog is pretty interesting too.

Sorry, newbie here. I can't get these installed. I have no "objects" folder either with the application files or my user files. I made one under MAXON/Cinema 4D/Library/ but still no go. I don't have an "Objects Library" option in my Object menu either. What am I doing wrong?

Maxon abandoned support for an object library in r11. Even if you make one manually in the same place it won't show in the app. They would prefer you use the Content Browser from now on. And of course you can still put them anywhere on your drive you wish and merge them into your working scene (although that's far less convenient).