Cameras Tab

The Cameras tab lets you create, configure, manage, and use various cameras to view and record a scene.



Camera Tree

Each camera in the project is listed near the top of the Cameras tab in the Palette.

In the list at the top left of the tab, select the display option to use.

  • To select a camera for editing, click its name or icon in the Camera tree.
  • To switch to a different camera in the project, double-click its name or icon in the Camera tree, or drag the camera into the 3D Viewport.

Camera Parameters

The parameters are organized onto five subtabs: General, Transform, Stereo/360, Filters, and Advanced.

General

Name Shows the name of the camera.

Type over the name to change it.
Locked Prevents you from changing any parameter of the camera.
Keep Above Floor Prevents you from moving the camera below the floor in the project.

When cleared, you can move the camera anywhere. In addition, a ring appears around the Top perspective selector in the Camera panel. Click the ring to switch the camera perspective to directly under the scene, looking up.
Aspect Ratio Sets the aspect ratio of the rendered area within the 3D Viewport.

Type over the default values or select from preset categories and values to change them.
Type Sets the camera type. Select one of the following:
  • Orthographic
  • Perspective
  • 360
Lens (Available when Type is set to Perspective.)
  • Perspective. Controls the amount of perspective distortion in the camera by changing the focal length and position of the camera's virtual lens towards the viewing direction.

    Smaller perspective values reduce perspective distortion and increase the focal length of the lens. Larger values do the opposite.

  • Focal Length (mm). Controls the amount of perspective distortion in the camera according to an accurate simulation of optical physics in camera lenses.

    Although the 3D position of the camera remains unchanged, smaller values provide a wider angle of view and therefore seem to move the camera further away. Larger values do the opposite.
Depth of Field (Available when Type is set to Perspective.)
Depth of field (DOF) is the rate that blur increases for objects further from the focal plane. The depth of field of a specific lens is the range of acceptable focus in front of and behind the primary focus setting. It is a function of the specific lens used and the distance from the lens to the primary focal plane, and of the chosen aperture. Larger apertures narrow the depth of field; smaller apertures increase it.
  • Enable Depth of Field. Turns on depth of field options.
  • Focal Distance. Sets the distance between the camera and the point of optimal focus.

    To select the focal point, click Pick and click a position in the Viewport.

  • Aperture (mm). Uses millimeters to set the diameter of the opening in the virtual lens of the selected camera.

    In a real camera, this is the size of the opening that light passes through (usually given in terms of its f stop) to reach the film. The larger the f stop, the smaller the opening. 3D software packages sometimes mimic the effects of different aperture settings on a recorded image during the rendering process.

  • F Stop. Uses the f stop value to set the diameter of the opening in the virtual lens of the camera.

Transform

Distance/Dolly Determines the distance between the camera and the look-at point.
Longitude Rotates the camera around the look-at point.
Latitude Moves the camera vertically.
Twist Tilts the camera left or right without moving its 3D position.
Position XYZ Indicates the current 3D position of the camera relative to the scene's world origin.
Camera Positioning These parameters let you view an overlay showing the distance between the world origin and the cameras you select in the Cameras tab of the Palette. The distances are accurate provided the model scale in the scene is accurate.

To use these parameters, you must view the scene from another camera.

  • Show in Viewport. Displays the distance of this camera to the world origin in the Viewport.
  • Height from Floor. Lets you move the camera height above the floor in the scene
  • Floor Distance. Lets you move the camera horizontally closer to, or further from, the world origin of the scene.
  • Focal Height. Lets you set the height of the camera's focal plane, relative to the floor in the scene.
Follow (SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional) The Follow parameters let you specify a model or another camera for this camera to Follow and Aim at.

Stereo / 360

(SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional)

This subtab is available when, on the General subtab, Type is set to Perspective or 360. The subtab name and available options vary depending on which Type is selected.

Subtab Name Description Example Image
Stereo (Available when Type is set to Perspective.)

Provides Stereoscopy options to support stereo rendering, which computes two images at the same time, and merges them to produce a three-dimensional appearance in a single image.
360 (Available when Type is set to 360.)

In addition to the Stereoscopy options, provides options to support a nonlinear type of projection that captures the whole 360° environment around the camera’s position into a wide screen image that resembles a photo with an extreme fish eye lens.

360

Preview 360 Panorama Shows a low-resolution preview of the final 360 panorama.
360 is not available in the Preview render mode.
Set Startup View Sets the active camera angle as the startup view for the 360 experience.

Stereoscopy

Mode Select one of the following:
  • Mono. Uses normal (monoscopic) rendering using a single camera to produce a single image.
  • Stereo Two-Up. Uses stereoscopic rendering to produce two images (one for each eye). Displays both images simultaneously, with the left-eye image on top and the right-eye image on the bottom.

  • Stereo Anaglyph. Uses stereoscopic rendering to produce two images (one for each eye). Merges the two images using chromatically opposite color filters (red and cyan).
Eye Separation (m) (Not available for Mono mode.) Specifies the distance between the left eye and the right eye. Type a value or move the slider.
Focal Distance (Not available for Mono mode or 360 type.) Distance between the camera and the focal point. Defines the zero parallax or point of convergence between the left and right images for a given Eye Separation. Type a value, move the slider, or click Pick and select an object in the 3D viewport.

Filters

Post-Processing Options (SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional) Post-processing is the manipulation of a rendered image, either to improve the image quality, or to create effects that cannot easily be achieved within the 3D software. You can set some 3D software packages to automatically apply post-processing effects, such as motion blur or depth of field, after a frame is rendered.

These options add photographic effects to the scene when viewed through this camera. All imagery produced from this camera – including the realtime view in the Viewport, and snapshots and all types of rendering and animations – uses these settings.

  • Enable Post-Processing. Activates post-processing of this camera view and all imagery that comes from it.
  • Apply To Geometry Only. Post-processing effects only applied to the model, and not a backplate or background color.
  • Color Filter. Applies the selected color as a filter on the lens of the virtual camera.
  • Vignette. Creates a soft shadow near the edges of the camera's field of view.

    The vignette effect strengthens with cameras that have more perspective (in contrast to an orthogonal camera).

  • Darken. Darkens the overall scene.
  • Lighten. Lightens the overall scene.
  • Saturation. Increases or decreases the color saturation of the image
  • Exposure. Increases or decreases the density (brightness) of the scene.
  • Gamma Correction. Sets the gamma of your monitor.
    Available even when Enable Post-Processing is cleared.
  • Brightness. Makes the overall scene brighter, which adds detail to shadows.
    Available even when Enable Post-Processing is cleared.
Bloom (SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional)

When you are in Fast or Accurate render modes, the Bloom options let you use and configure a bloom filter.

A bloom filter produces a fake feathering effect that the human eye and camera lens create when light hits specific angles on an object. It is an interpretation of the world rather than a true physical and calculable light. Because HDR image environment mapping creates environments based on calculations, adding a bloom effect gives an Iray-rendered scene the illusion of realism.

The effect is only seen on emissive materials.
  • Enable Bloom. Turns on a bloom filter.
  • Intensity. Controls the bloom effect brightness.
  • Radius. Controls the radius of pixels the bloom covers.

    By increasing the radius, you can make the bloom effect more blurred.

  • Threshold. Controls how much energy hits a specific portion of an object.

    The lower the number, the brighter the bloom.

Advanced

Render Region (SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional) Lets you render a region within the camera when you do renderings with that camera.

Select Enable Region for the current camera, and crop the Viewport to the region constraining renderings by doing one of the following:

  • Drag the white dots that appear to set a region for cropped rendering.
  • Enter the pixel dimensions in the Palette.
Motion Blur (SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional) Motion blur is an artifact of real world cinematography in which the camera's target object moves too quickly for the camera to record accurately and therefore appears blurred. Many 3D software packages simulate motion blur as a rendering effect to increase the realism of 3D images or animation.

Motion blur is available only for raytracing (either realtime or offline) in Accurate mode. In addition, motion blur requires an animation that defines the motion.

  • Enable Motion Blur. Activates motion blur for the camera. The motion blur is the sum of motion from an animated camera and geometry.
  • Shutter Time (ms). Sets the quantity of motion blur.
Rule of Thirds Overlay This feature uses an overlay of a thirds ruler or fourths ruler to aid with composition when using the camera.
  • Enable Grid Overlay. Turns the grid overlay on and off.
  • Overlay Type. Lets you set the grid overlay to thirds or fourths.
  • Grid Line Color. Sets the grid color.

Camera Selection

Reset Camera Resets the camera to the default settings.
Save Camera File Saves the camera to the Cameras library using the SOLIDWORKS Visualize camera file format. You can then load the camera in a separate project or share the camera with other SOLIDWORKS Visualize users.
New Camera Creates a new camera preset.
Load Camera Opens the Open Camera dialog box to the Cameras library so that you can load an existing saved camera.