2009

Initial Direction of a Free Camera
A free camera’s initial direction is along the negative Z axis of the active
construction grid of the viewport you click.
In other words, if you click in an orthogonal viewport, the initial camera
direction is directly away from you. Clicking the Top viewport aims the camera
downward, clicking the Front viewport aims the camera at the scene from the
front, and so on.
Clicking in a Perspective, User, Light, or Camera viewport aims the free camera
downward, along the negative Z axis of the World Coordinate System.
Because the camera is created on the active construction plane, where you
also create geometry, you might have to move the camera before you can see
objects in its Camera viewport. Check the camera’s position from several
viewports to correct.
Procedures
To create a free camera:
1
From the Create menu, choose Cameras > Free Camera, or click
Cameras on the Create panel, then click Free on the Object Type rollout.
2 Do one of the following:
■ Choose Create Menu > Cameras > Free Camera.
■
Click Cameras on the Create panel, then click Free on the Object
Type rollout.
■ From the Tool Palettes window, select the Cameras tab and select Free
Camera.
3 Choose Create menu > Cameras > Free Camera.
4 Click the viewport location where you want the camera to be.
The kind of viewport you click determines the free camera's initial
direction.
The camera is now part of the scene.
5 Set the creation parameters.
6 Rotate and move the camera to adjust the point of view.
5204 | Chapter 18 Lights and Cameras