I am posting this here to see if any help- -

Here is my problem –
I am running Avid 3D v2.1 - From Avid Xpress Pro PowerPack.

System Specs –

            Promax Build Dual Xeon 3.06 ghz
                        4 gigs of ram
                        1 Terabyte storage
                        Mojo
                        Avid Pro HD ver 5.2.1

I have started a simple scene adding a single object from the model library.
I add a Free Orbit Camera Rig to the scene.
Several of the controls for the rig do not work properly – The camera doesn’t stay attached to the rig once you mark the key frame and adjust the parameter.
For example the path radius – you can see the radius moving from the Top view – but the camera isn’t moving with it - - if you make the camera visible you see it staying stationary from the top view - - If you mark 2 key frames lets say 30 frames apart with different values in each frame – you see the numbers for Path Radius changing as they were suppose to but the camera doesn’t move. If you [CONTROL] + [RIGHT ARROW] key to jump from key frame to key frame and the camera will snap onto the rig but will not scrub. I even tried to render to see and the camera does not animate properly.
Same time line if you animate Rig elevation – it all works correctly – the camera travels with the rig – you can scrub between two key frames and see the changes.

Marking Key frames - -the following parameters DO NOT WORK – 

            Within the FreeCam CamMotion
                        Path Radius
                        Rotation Around

            Within the FreeCam LookAtMotion
                        Path Radius 
                        Rotation Around

            The following parameter WORK CORRECTLY

            Within the FreeCam CamMotion
                        Rig Elevation
                        Camera Elevation

            Within the FreeCam LookAtMotion
                        Offset X
                        Offset Y

Any help would be great.

sam

Thanks for posting here...probably more appropriate for Avid 3D than the XpressPro forum.

H'mm, I'm thinking that it might be easier to follow along if you specify the specfic model you are working with. I'm only learning the program myself (my official animator isn't around and he works in Maya primarily) but I'll try to help...and, when appropriate, bring this to the attention of Avid developers.

Also...I would recommend that you clean up your post by taking out some of the spaces? (so you don't have to scroll so much to read it.)

Thank you -

I have tried about all I know to -
It just seams like the application as a bug in it to me. I went so far as to un-install and re-install Avid 3D. I’m not sure what else to try.

sam

Thanks - - - Would you start a new project - drop in the free orbit camera rig and see if you can annimate the radius control?

thanks,

sam

Its under the camera rigs - I'm not at my office right now or I would look in the app - but under camera rigs its the one that the camera is bound to two circles that orbit.

thanks,

sam

My problem looks to me to be a “bug” or “glitch” in that the anomalies only manifest themselves on the radius and rotation around parameters of the “Free Orbit Camera Rig”. And even then the values of the parameters scrub with the time line but the camera doesn’t make the move with them. If some one could duplicate what I am trying to do in a simple animation just to see if its just my system or if it is a problem elsewhere.

To duplicate the problem I am having do the following.

Launch Avid 3d v2.1
Select [File] [New Scene]
Under the Model Library tab select Urban – Vehicles and then select the plane and drag it to the camera window.
Next select the Object Library tab and select Cameras.
Drag and drop the Free Orbit Camera Rig into the Camera window.
Next Press the letter “Z” key and click and drag in the Top window to zoom out until you see the two orbiting circles that the camera travels one.
You will see three circles on the screen – the one closest to the plane is the light rig – the biggest circle is the Path Radius of the camera rig and the smaller circle to the right is the Look At Motion.
Press the letter “Z” once more to de-select the zoom tool.
In the top window click on the smaller circle to the right and you should see parameters for the free orbit camera rig pop up on the “B” window.
Under the FreeCam CamMotion select path radius and drag to change the value take it to 43.000. You will note Path Radius in now yellow. Press “K” on the keyboard and you will note a red box appear next to path radius. In the time line drag the frame selector bar to frame 30. You will note the red box next to path radius has changed to green. Now click and drag the value of path radius to 61.000 – you will note the box has now changed to yellow. Press the letter “K”. Now the box has changed to red. If you scrub the red bar in the time line from frame 1 to frame 30 you will see the circle the camera rides on grow and shrink to match the sizes we set – HOWEVER the camera doesn’t travel with the circle.
Now if you select the Rotation Around paramater under FreeCam CamMotion and drag to change the value you will note the camera SNAPS to the circle where it is suppose to be.
If you repeat the above steps using the rig elevation parameter you will note the camera travels the way it is suppose to.
Please let me know how this works for you.

 sam

Hello Sam,

It seems to me that it is the path radius on-screen parameters that are broken on that rig (or more precisely, editing the path radius on-screen parameters break the other parameters on that rig)  If you don't touch the path radius parameters, I think the other parameters work ok.  As a workaround for editing the radius of the paths, you can select the camera path circle or the camera interest path circle and use the scale tool to increase/decrease their size.

Hope this helps.

Teresa

Teresa,

Thank you for your help – Unfortunately the camera path radius is inoperable as well. I haven’t been successful in unlocking the transform parameters for the camera attached to the rig. If you know how to do that it might help me through the jam I’m in.
I have this animation for a show open that involves rotating around a logo then traveling backwards through a object to revile another logo. The free orbit camera rig would be prefect for that type of animation. I am trying to use the motion path camera rig – I cant seem to make a smooth path though. The whole fcurve editor manipulating the path is rough.

Thanks,

sam

Hi Sam,

Yeah, both radius parameters toast the rig.  However if you don't touch/edit either of them and use only the other parameters from that rig you should be ok .. you can animate the "size" of the paths, by animating their scaling ..  however you will need to start from scratch / with a new free orbit rig if you want to follow this method and be careful not to touch either path radius (either for the camera or the look at).

An alternative would be to create your own "rig":

1. Get a circle and rotate it so that it's flat
2. select the default camera (using the scene explorer)
3. apply a motion path (found on the Animation Tools panel) and pick the circle (this will give you a preset animation over 100 frames with the look at point at the center of the 3D space - put your logo there and playback to see what this gives you)
4. set key frames on the scale of the circle for where you want the camera to travel backwards.

Hope this helps.

Teresa

Just an FYI – I heard back from Avid and this is logged as a bug they are working on to be fixed for the next release.

Thanks for all your help.

sam