So, I'm using MEL to create a 360 degree camera rig with a number of specified cameras.
I'm not really certain if this is necessarily a MEL-related question, but...it doesn't really seem to fit in any other category, so...
If i were to specify a number of cameras (in this instance, let's say four cameras), I would think that the angle of view for each camera would have to be set to 90 degrees. (makes sense, right? 360 degrees total/4 cameras...) Since the angle of view correlates directly to the focal length of the camera, i've found that if i set each camera's focal length using
setAttr "cameraShape.focalLength" 15.925;
to (as you can see) 15.925, that lends to the angle of view being 90 degrees. That said, however, the focal length is ridiculously short and consequently, extremely fish-eyed.
The first issue that arises here is that 4 cameras at 90 degrees apart (with angle of view of 90 degrees) does NOT line up, when i render out the four camera images and put them side by side. Strange, right?! For some reason, at 97 degrees angle of view, they do line up, but that simply does not make sense. I know that there's also a correlation with the horizontal film back width, and this would somehow affect my ability to adjust the angle of view. That said, I feel as though the answer as to how to create an intelligible multiple-camera rig system that can stitch output together well is dependant on understanding the horizontal film back width.
Does anyone know what exactly that correlation is? How might I adjust it with code, that no matter what the number of specified cameras is (4, 8, 12, whatever), i can correctly adjust the focal length and horizontal film back that the angle of view does not distort the camera output, and also allows for the angle of view to equal 360 / n Cameras?
Thanks for reading what may be the longest, most confusing and boring post in all the world. Cheers!
I look forward to any help that can be offered.
Sincerely,
Brendan Bond