By Carlos Buitago (Carlosb) (67.34.8.167) on Monday, February 10, 2003 - 07:28 pm:

I use Lightwave since 5.0 version but I didn't use very much version 6.5 instead I frog leaped to 7.0 and 7.5

With LW v 5.5 you can freely use camera zoom property. By freely I mean, if I wanted to change camera zoom property in the middle of or while animating, camera zoom use to stick to "the new setting" and all animation change to that "new camera zoom setting" But now, with 7.0 and 7.5 LW version, camera zoom edition immediately switches to "E" (envelope) mode. Only with the touch!

I know the E takes me to the graph editor... but! I don't want to be there at all.

Once you're at the graph editor you can't control camera via focal lenght for instance. On the graph editor you can only control the zoom value factor (not lens focal lenght not FOV) that's the problem, not to mention the bulky interface (graphic editor dialog box or menu) you got to deal with, e.g. trying to match a myriad wireframes with an aerial photo on bg. When you're at the main interface then you have "more" space to work with. I know there's a short cut, one can make a 5.6 reference object exportation and save the scene as a 5.6 version too, then do the thing becase you only need the camera match and then go back to the 7.5 with everything set. But... anyway it's a turnaround. So that's why I wonder if it's a way to stop the automatic switch to the E (graph editor) as 7.5 version does.

How do I "override" or "avoid" this immediate switch to E mode?

(I've to say... I'm not animating neither objects nor camera, I'm using the camera as a still camera for architectural renders, doing that I cover many different points of view)

By Lernie D Ang (Faulknermano) (210.14.23.253) on Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 01:27 am:

"I know the E takes me to the graph editor... but! I don't want to be there at all."

dont press the E button. if you want to zoom with the camera with yor mouse you can do two things:

1.) use the minislider on the camera properties (beside the E button)

2.) use the camera zoom tool (i think the default hotkey is shift z). simply moving your mouse left to right will adjust zoom. as long as you are in the zoom tool, you can also make keyframes for it by pressing enter...

By Carlos Buitago (Carlosb) (68.158.244.54) on Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 09:32 am:

Thanks Lernie! #1 works. But...

#2 automatically switchs to E mode. Version 5.6 "ask" first "and" 5.6 envelope mode allows to edit FOV or focal leght and that's very important (to me)

Once you touch Camera Zoom there's no way back. Envelope mode switch automaticaly and "stays" only on camera zoom value, that's my main concern. I wonder if it's a way to "stay" on the other values i.e FOV or FL not "only" camera zoom. I repeat, 5.6 version allows to edit the three different formats i.e. cz, fov or fl on the E mode.

I think this is a LW 7.5 bug or I don't know where to "switch" the "other" modes on the E mode dialog box.

By Lernie D Ang (Faulknermano) (202.57.88.47) on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 01:43 am:

"#2 automatically switchs to E mode."

hmm. that doesnt happen to me. strange... the only time it goes to the graph editor is when i press E or when i make a key.. okay, supposing that's what you did..


"I wonder if it's a way to "stay" on the other values i.e FOV or FL not "only" camera zoom"

ok.. i see what you're getting that. as far as i know, the only 'zoom-related' channel in the Camera object is called Camera.ZoomFactor. i dont think there is a Camera.FOV or something like that. i guess you may have to recompute for the FOV. i can whip you up an lscript based on your specs.. just email me if you're interested (i've got some code ready already): faulknermano1@yahoo.com

_just in case you dont know_, you can use Shift Click on the E button to get rid of the envelope.

By Carlos Buitago (Carlosb) (68.158.109.132) on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 08:10 am:

Well... that's mean bad news for me, so I will recompute... anyway thankyou very much for your support.