Setting the Camera Frame
The scene action occurs inside the camera frame, so it’s really important to set it up correctly. You can adjust the camera resolution and other parameters in the Scene Settings window
The Camera layer is static which means that if you need to animate it, you must add a peg
You need to add a camera layer to your scene, so you can edit the camera frame. You can only see one camera at a time. If you add several cameras to your scene, you can use the Camera list to select the active one. You could use this feature if you are still working on your scene composition and have different camera framing to try out.
You can reposition your camera frame directly in the Camera view, using the advanced animation tools. Another way to set up your camera frame is to type the coordinates directly in the camera's properties. Doing this positions the camera precisely where you want it to be rather than gauging it visually
You can easily reset the camera to its original position. Using the Reset command, you can reset the value of the selected element to the initial value of the active tool. For example, if the Rotate
tool is active, the transformation angle will be reset to 0 and if the Transform
tool is active, then all parameters values will be reset.
How to add a camera in the Timeline view
- Do one of the following:
| ‣ | In the Timeline view, click the Add Layer  button and select Camera. |
| ‣ | From the top menu, select Insert > Camera. |
A new camera layer is added to the scene and appears in the Timeline view.
How to select a camera from the Camera list (set the active camera)
- From the top menu, select Scene > Camera > the desired camera.
If you only add one camera to your scene, you will only see Default Camera in your list.
How to reposition the camera frame directly in the Camera view
- In the Tools toolbar, disable the Animate
mode.
- Do one of the following:
| ‣ | From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Translate. |
| ‣ | In the Advanced Animation toolbar, click the Translate  tool. |
| ‣ | Press Alt + 2. |
- In the Camera view, click on the camera frame (thin rectangle) to select it. You can also select the camera layer from the Timeline view.
The selected camera frame is highlighted.
- Drag the camera frame to a new position.
- To tilt the camera frame, do one of the following to select the Rotate tool:
| ‣ | From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Rotate. |
| ‣ | In the Advanced Animation toolbar, select the Rotate tool. |
| ‣ | Pres Alt + 3. |
- In the Camera view, drag to rotate the camera frame until it reaches the desired rotation angle.
How to set up the camera frame using the Layer Properties view
- In the Timeline view, select the camera layer.
- In the Layer Properties view, adjust the camera's properties.
| Parameter | Description |
| Enable/Disable | Turns the camera layer on or off. |
| Change Track Colour | The Change Track Colour  button lets you change the colour of the exposed frames; this helps you to quickly locate a layer in the Timeline view. Click the Change Track Colour button to open the Select Colour window and choose a new colour. You can modify the colour for any type of layer, such as group, peg, drawing, and effects |
| Name | Displays the current layer name. You can rename the layer by typing in a new layer name. |
| Position | Displays the current position of the camera layer using X-axis (East/West), Y-axis (North/South) and Z-axis (Forward/Backward) coordinates. To reposition your camera frame, type in the new values corresponding to the desired position coordinates. You can also use the up and down arrows to set the value of each field—see Positioning an Element Using the Layer Properties View. |
| Angle | Displays the current rotation value. To set a new rotation position, type in a new angle value. You can also use the up and down arrows to set the new angle value. |
| Pivot | Displays the current position of the rotation pivot of the camera layer. The camera will perform a rotation taking the position of the pivot as its angle centre. By default, the pivot is set at the centre of the camera frame. To reposition the pivot point, type in new X and Y coordinates values in the appropriate field. You can also use the up and down arrows to set the position values. In order to see the pivot's position you will need to have the Rotate tool selected. |
How to reset the camera position
- In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform tool or press Shift + T.
- In the Timeline or Camera view, select the camera layer.
- From the top menu, select Animation > Reset or press Shift + R.
The camera automatically returns to its original position.