Camera filmback

[brendanjbond007]

hi there,

iam writing a simple script that will change the filmback settings of the camera and the settings of the render globals, so i have a global proc.
and here is the mel:

global proc cameraSetUp ()
{

select perspShape;
setAttr perspShape.horizontalFilmAperture 0.85;
setAttr perspShape.verticalFilmAperture 0.466;
setAttr perspShape.lensSqueezeRatio 1.0;
setAttr defaultResolution.aspectLock true;
setAttr defaultResolution.width 2048;
setAttr defaultResolution.height 1108;
camera -e -displayFilmGate on -displayResolution off -filmFit fill -displaySafeAction on -overscan 1.3 persp;

}

all of the settings in the render globals works fine,
but the filmback of the camera did not change, no error in the script editor.
then i checked the AEcameraFilmbackNew.mel and saw that the script is executing the default filmback attribute of the camera.

THE QUESTION IS: HOW CAN I MAKE THE DEFAULT FILMBACK SETTING OF THE CAMERA'S FILMGATE TO "35mm 1.85 projection"? IS THERE SOMETHING MISSING IN MY SCRIPT?

thanx for the help.

[mantrid]

OK, well, applying your script should be fine. I'm not sure of exactly what you want to do, but I would suggest that you do NOT alter the default camera settings. Rather, make a script to generate a camera with the correct settings and drop it onto a custom shelf as a mel button. You also don't have to driectly alter your renderglobals. You can put it into a mel script called userSetup.mel which you place in your scripts directory. It will be run whenever maya loads, automatically setting it up for you. Also, you can make it even simpler, by setting your render globals and saving it as a new preset. Then your userSetup.mel will just switch the preset.

Other than than, your mel you have written is as a global procedure. So, if you just execute your script, nothing will happen as you have stated. You must save it as a mel file, then source it, or place it in your scripts directory to be automatically sourced when maya loads. Then, you execute the name of the global procedure. So, you will have, for example, a mel button which executes the command "cameraSetup;"

Also, check your information. Are you working with pixel squeeze or square pixels? Because, if your film plates are comming in with 0.980 by 0.745 filmback as standard 35mm film, you will have a pixel squeeze involved which un-squeezes the image to form your 1.85 "panavision / cinemascope" aspect ratio. Of course if you are working on cinemascope 55mm or 70mm the squeeze will not be present. Anamorphic squeeze value will need to be used in your renderglobals if it exists in your plates, and camera settings in order for it to render correctly. Alternatively re-render your plates as square pixels without squeeze and work with that. Which brings me onto your filmback settings...according to your filmback settings, your aspect ratio is 1.82. They are the wrong settings. What you want is :

horizontalFilmAperture 0.792
verticalFilmAperture 0.428

or to be precise : 0.792126 by 0.428176

or 0.8621 by 0.466,

not that it really matters as long as the porportions are correct and form the 1.85 aspect ratio.

Anyways, I sourced your script and executed the cameraSetup command and it worked fine. If you need anymore help just ask.

[brendanjbond007]

thanx for the reply,

the thing i want to do is to create 3 mel for the camera set up, 1st for 2048x1108, 2nd for 1024x554, then 3rd for 640x346, i have saved it as mel in my default scripts folder, my idea is to put the 3 global proc to my shelf and if i am doing a test animation i would use the third one to see my animation, then if i want to test render it with textures i'll use the second, and if i want to see it in final i'll use the first.

actually i am using a 1.85 aspect ratio, its just i have typed the wrong number in my script.

one of my question is, is there a command to change the film gate of the camera in the filmback attribute?

thanx for reminding me about saving a presets, it did not puff in to my mind when i am makin the script, i have now some new idea.

thanx again, i'll post another one when i finished it.

[brendanjbond007]

by the way i forgot to insert my revision, here it is:

global proc cameraSetUp ()
{
select perspShape;
setAttr "perspShape.horizontalFilmAperture" 0.825;
setAttr "perspShape.verticalFilmAperture" 0.446;
setAttr perspShape.horizontalFilmAperture ((getAttr perspShape.verticalFilmAperture)*1.85);
setAttr perspShape.lensSqueezeRatio 1.0;
setAttr defaultResolution.width 2048;
setAttr defaultResolution.height 1108;
setAttr defaultResolution.deviceAspectRatio 1.848;
setAttr defaultResolution.aspectLock true;
setAttr defaultResolution.lockDeviceAspectRatio true;
camera -e -displayFilmGate on -displayResolution off -filmFit horizontal -displaySafeAction on -overscan 1.3 persp;
}

thanx again pootang.

[mantrid]

OK, well, you could apply your script to any selected camera by using :

//load selected camera into array

string $selCam[]=ls -sl;
string $cuurent;
//set listed attributes and values for all selected cameras

for ($current in $selCam)
{
setAttr ($current +".horizontalFilmAperture") 0.85 ;

};

As for the filmgate...well, the resolution gate is set with the filmback and aspect ratio, which you have correctly locked after setting them. However, the filmgate for 1.85 projection will be automatically set if you set the filmback to match that of the 1.85 projection. Whenever you set a filmback to the same as a preset in maya, the preset will automatically be displayed in the drop menu for filmgate...not that it matters.

What you will want to make sure of however, is that you have set your film Fit to horizontal....which looking through your script again you have done, so thats cool.

[brendanjbond007]

thank you very much pootang,

we highly appreciate your reply,
God Bless You.

[brendanjbond007]

thanx pootang,

you have a part on this script:

global proc digitaleyeCam ()
{
string $camera[] = ls -sl;
string $current;
for ($current in $camera)
{
setAttr ($current + ".horizontalFilmAperture") 0.825;
setAttr ($current + ".verticalFilmAperture") 0.446;
setAttr ($current + ".horizontalFilmAperture") ((getAttr ($current + ".verticalFilmAperture"))*1.85);
setAttr ($current + ".lensSqueezeRatio") 1.0;
setAttr defaultResolution.width 2048;
setAttr defaultResolution.height 1108;
setAttr defaultResolution.deviceAspectRatio 1.848;
setAttr defaultResolution.aspectLock true;
setAttr defaultResolution.lockDeviceAspectRatio true;
camera -e -displayFilmGate on -displayResolution off -filmFit horizontal -displaySafeAction on -overscan 1.3 $camera;
}
}

[mantrid]

anytime